Integrating%20Public%20Policy%20CBR%20into%20a%20%20Civic%20Engagement%20Minor - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Integrating%20Public%20Policy%20CBR%20into%20a%20%20Civic%20Engagement%20Minor

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Bonner program and Civic Engagement minor (these span the continuum) ... Learning category (CBR projects can also be entered as straight research) ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Integrating%20Public%20Policy%20CBR%20into%20a%20%20Civic%20Engagement%20Minor


1
Integrating Public Policy CBR into a Civic
Engagement Minor
  • for the Bonner/FIPSE Civic Engagement Academic
    Initiative conference
  • November 5, 2006
  • Lisa Whitaker
  • Center for Community Development Social Justice
  • Lynchburg College

2
Overview
  • A few facts about the minor (more details in your
    notebook)
  • Very brief history of CBR at LC
  • Existing new courses in the minor that have a
    CBR component
  • How the new public policy emphasis in CBR changes
    the conversations we have
  • Some very recent examples lessons learned from
    the brokering process with public policy CBR
    projects

3
Why civic engagement?
  • By civic engagement we mean to become citizens in
    a democracy who are caring and involved,
    regardless of partisan ideology
  • We strive to help our students (and ourselves)
    become wise, not just smart
  • Our most cherished traditions strongly indicate
    it is wise to be compassionate and to care about
    the lives of others
  • Care not just in our hearts, but in our actions
    (activism)

4
The CCDSJ at LC
  • Center for Community Development Social Justice
    created in late 1990s by Dr. Tom Seaman
  • COPC (HUDs OUP)
  • Jessie Ball duPont funding also helped establish
    the COPC
  • Institutionalization in 2005
  • Bonner program since 2004-05

5
Continuum of Engagement
  • SERVE (voluntarism)
  • Service-learning (CCDSJ)
  • Bonner program and Civic Engagement minor (these
    span the continuum)
  • Social entrepreneurship internship
  • Community-based research (and policy activism)

6
Minor in Civic Engagement at LC
  • 21 credits (6 credits overlap Gen Ed rqrmnts 1
    credit overlaps with BLP course rqrment)
  • Housed in the Political Science Department
  • Utilizes 19 credits of existing coursework with
    some adaptation (GS 220, Capstone)
  • Created two new 1-credit courses
  • Introduction to Civic Participation and
    Community-Based Research
  • Putting Civic Engagement in Perspective

7
Existing Courses in the CE Minor with a CBR
Component
  • SOC209 Applied Sociology the professors
    teaching this course for the last 3 years have
    incorporated CBR projects, although not all will
    have a clear emphasis on public policy
  • Examples of projects Meals on Wheels, Detox
    Data, Buprenorphine, Perception of Youth Gangs
  • GS220 Exploring Social Entrepreneurship
  • Elements being added
  • Defining public policy
  • News summaries policy brief items (esp. scope
    of the problem) in the area the student has
    identified and researched as the one change you
    would like to make in the world
  • www.policyoptions.org

8
Two New Courses
  • (NEW) GS307 Introduction to Civic Participation
    Community-Based Research
  • Historical roots of CBR
  • Principles of CBR
  • Differences between CBR traditional research
  • The purple book text
  • Community partnerships ABCD model
  • Identifying community policy-maker needs for
    studies (nonprofit directory update while
    identifying their project)
  • (NEW) GS430 Putting Civic Engagement in
    Perspective
  • Reflective course for all graduating students in
    the minor (from various majors) to come together
    to share their experiences as they complete their
    capstone projects
  • Builds collegiality
  • Forum for sharing developing strategies for
    completing CBR projects
  • Cross-disciplinary discussion/analysis of the
    policies models theyre encountering
  • Talking to students in GS 220 and GS 307

9
Capstone is CBR Project
  • Capstone Course or GS311 (Ind. Study)
  • Research proposals are approved by the CE minor
    steering committee
  • Actual project is underway will likely include
    policy analysis and/or research into best
    practice models
  • Total 6-9 credits or more of CBR is integrated
    into the minor

10
Other CBR Connections
  • Bonner Leaders Program (CBR as direct service)
  • Independent Study option for all students
  • New Student-Faculty Research Coordinator position
    (Dr. Allison Jablonski) works with the CBR
    project broker (CCDSJ)
  • Student Scholar Showcase new Experiential
    Learning category (CBR projects can also be
    entered as straight research)
  • Variety of courses not in the minor have
    integrated CBR (Advanced Research Methods in
    Sociology, Population Studies, and others)

11
Student Focus Group
  • The minor brings together courses across
    disciplines and capstones too.
  • It covers issues in todays world.
  • The minor would fill a gap at LC and you would
    be DOING in the community.
  • Its very Bonneresque and I would have taken
    it.
  • I like the community project real world at
    the end.

12
Student Feedback
  • Challenges
  • Nursing and education majors with credit
    intensive courseloads found it a bit daunting but
    were also among the most interested
  • Although this would be very helpful and
    relevant, it would be very difficult to add into
    a 4-year program. Nursing student
  • Our response was to allow substitutions for the
    research methods course
  • Student feedback will continue to be important to
    the evolution of the minor

13
The Public Policy Focus Changing the
Conversation
  • Before Public Policy CBR, primarily interviewing
    surveying exec directors of non-profits
    (Nonprofit Directory) for research ideas
  • Now, talking with policy makers, advocates,
    neighborhood groups, organizers more often (in
    addition to non-profits)
  • Great conversations Policy-makers
    policy-influencers enjoy being asked about the
    issues they really care about often leads to
    unexpected connections
  • Example The city manager/urban planner the
    environmental scientist (all growth is good vs.
    low impact development contracts

14
Changing the Conversation
  • Non-profit folks can glaze over a bit when you
    mention public policy research
  • probe re regulations, laws, best practices
  • Grassroots organizers may call you a policy
    wonk
  • probe for their ideas by asking what kinds of
    information would be powerful in their work
  • emphasize the passion of students rather than the
    academics

15
Other Sources for Project Ideas
(Community-Generated)
  • New grant projects underway
  • SA in pregnant women
  • Policy questions such as When should women be at
    risk of losing their kids? How do we treat them
    for SA make sure theyre getting prenatal
    healthcare when laws require mandatory reporting?
  • Funding allocation for Virginia shelters
  • DHCD as somewhat silent partner
  • Long-term project
  • Never overpromise
  • Jail Diversion Alliance
  • Great project, early bumpiness (students with
    lots of initiative can scare the partner)
  • On all grant initiatives, identify work with
    the evaluator

16
Learning from Dad
  • The most important qualities (also great for this
    kind of work)
  • Generosity ability to concentrate
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