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What Does Involvement Look Like For Cape Verdean Families In Boston: The Opportunities And Challenges Of Being An Engaged Parent In Boston Public Schools, Losangela Batista
What Does Involvement Look Like For Cape Verdean Families In Boston: The Opportunities And Challenges Of Being An Engaged Parent In Boston Public Schools, Losangela Batista
Community Engagement Student Work
This community needs assessment seeks to understand the challenges and opportunities that might be serving as a barrier to Cape Verdean families’ engagement in Boston Public Schools. By looking at secondary sources such as the census, Boston Public Schools reports, and other publications, and interviewing professionals based on five areas of focus, the challenges and opportunities for engagement were explored. The research focused on mutual respect between families and schools, families’ confidence and capability to engage, trust between families and teachers, schools as community centers, and a sense of belonging. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2020, Massachusetts alone …
Building Disability Sensitivity: How Person-Centered Supports Can Help People With Disabilities Reach Their Full Potential As Individuals And Within Their Communities, Helena Liedtke
Community Engagement Student Work
Background: People with disabilities face disproportionate barriers when it comes to social and community participation. Barriers are present across all areas and stages of life and encompass attitudinal, communication, environmental, policy, programmatic, and social barriers. Objective: This research has two major goals: 1) to build perspective taking skills by improving disability sensitivity evoking an attitudinal shift and 2) to introduce the Charting the LifeCourse (CtLC) framework exploring person-centered strategies and community support opportunities (allyship) in achieving life goals. Methods: For the purpose of this exploratory-descriptive mixed-methods research approach, an in-person workshop titled “Building Disability Sensitivity: Moving from Reflection to Action” …
Using Green Chemistry To Build Community: How Transformational Learning Impacts The Building Of A Community Of Practice, Michelle Ernst Modera
Using Green Chemistry To Build Community: How Transformational Learning Impacts The Building Of A Community Of Practice, Michelle Ernst Modera
Community Engagement Student Work
Green Chemistry education is a widening field, seeking to include educators at all levels collaboratively in the process of transforming outdated chemistry practices. Qualitative research methods were used to interview three key collaborator groups at Beyond Benign, a green chemistry education organization, who are considered part of the Green Chemistry Community of Practice (GCCoP). This was done to develop a strategic plan to 1) explore how the Beyond Benign team and K-12 teachers see themselves as part of one GCCoP; 2) to ascertain how to bring the K-12 program into alignment with the organization’s evolving mission; and 3) to discover …
To Be Heard And Seen: Students Of Color Call For A Sense Of Belonging And Support In Higher Education, Daisha Dukes
To Be Heard And Seen: Students Of Color Call For A Sense Of Belonging And Support In Higher Education, Daisha Dukes
Community Engagement Student Work
This research delves into the policies, procedures, and resources that higher institutions carry to best support their students of color. The support systems in this research centers on academic performance, cultural belonging, financial and mental health support of students of color. Many institutions concentrate on a general one-size-fits-all system that can be counterproductive because not all students are the same and their needs differ. This issue is important because students of color do not feel seen or heard at predominantly white institutions. This case study was created to find the weaknesses, strengths, and improvements on how higher institutions are best …
Experiential Education: The Impact Of Learning By Doing, Jennifer Taymor Hart
Experiential Education: The Impact Of Learning By Doing, Jennifer Taymor Hart
Community Engagement Student Work
There is a large emphasis on keeping students engaged as they learn and grow and the importance of connecting them to opportunities that provide real world applications. Experiential education is an alternative pedagogy in which the student engages with the broader community and collaborates with the educator who guides them through the experience, observations, and reflection process. This capstone project was an online professional development workshop designed for new and experienced educators. It is centered on teaching youth and young adults the relevance, components, and impact of incorporating experiential learning as part of their education. The agenda offered support, research …
How Improving Policies Around Immigrants And Refugees Can Help The Us Economy, Lisa Leedy
How Improving Policies Around Immigrants And Refugees Can Help The Us Economy, Lisa Leedy
Community Engagement Student Work
The United States (US) has been grappling with the issue of immigration for decades. Using mixed research methods, this capstone analyzes the current US immigration policies around work visas in the US, focusing on the challenges faced by employers who wish to sponsor foreign workers. The analysis found that the process of sponsoring a visa worker can take an average of 8.6 months and cost between $7,000 to 15,000, which can be a significant barrier for many employers. Gaps in acceptance of credentialing contribute to the barrier for employers to engage highly skilled foreign workers fully. Additionally, the study found …
Navigating Gentrification: Exploring The Relationship Around Immigrant Integration, Sense Of Belonging, Social Capital, And Success, Patricia Stocker
Navigating Gentrification: Exploring The Relationship Around Immigrant Integration, Sense Of Belonging, Social Capital, And Success, Patricia Stocker
Community Engagement Student Work
Gentrification and its impact on immigrant communities are complex and evolving phenomena deeply intertwined with the racial and immigrant histories specific to each city. Hwang (2015) argues that gentrification perpetuates racial and ethnic inequality across urban landscapes, highlighting the need for comprehensive approaches to address its effects on immigrant populations. This study examines the intersection of gentrification, immigrant entrepreneurship, and community development, emphasizing the significance of fostering a sense of belonging and social capital within immigrant communities. Building on existing research, this capstone proposes a community project aimed at welcoming immigrants, integrating them into local communities, and facilitating their success …
Teacher Retention Programs: Intrinsic And Extrinsic Factors That Contribute To Higher Teacher Retention And Overall Pride In The Profession, A Community Approach, Kim Whittaker
Community Engagement Student Work
Teacher turnover and attrition is a significant issue in the education system and if it persists, it is likely that education will not be sustainable. This capstone features areas of research that highlight the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to teachers leaving the profession and analyzes current teacher retention programs to rate the effectiveness of their programs and incentives as it relates to theory. This research implicates that level of participation, job commitment, working conditions, professional development, incentives, and job satisfaction play a role in maintaining teachers if these criteria are directly addressed and teachers feel supported in these …
Who Can Teach? Making The Case For Adult Learners As Adult Education Teachers, Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire
Who Can Teach? Making The Case For Adult Learners As Adult Education Teachers, Alisa Vlahakis Povenmire
Community Engagement Student Work
This paper explores the rationale for the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education policy requirement of a bachelor’s degree as the minimum qualification for instructors in state-funded adult education programs and how this requirement obstructs equitable access to teaching careers in adult education. The bachelor’s degree policy is analyzed with respect to three complimentary theories: democratic education, equality of intelligence, and empowerment. Analysis is supported with mixed-methods research consisting of a literature review with a focus on the benefits of student leadership; review of pertinent adult education policy; a survey of staffing challenges in Massachusetts adult education programs; a …
Empowering Students Of Color To Study Abroad: Effective Approaches For Predominantly White Institutions, A'Mari Bing-Way
Empowering Students Of Color To Study Abroad: Effective Approaches For Predominantly White Institutions, A'Mari Bing-Way
Community Engagement Student Work
Traditionally studying abroad is an opportunity afforded to college students. For many, it is perceived as a desirable and essential component to the college experience. Initially developed by a white professor for white students at a predominantly white institution (PWI) to immerse themselves in European culture. The study abroad model in higher education was not designed with inclusivity in mind. However, research suggests that access to such opportunities depends on a student’s network to include: social, cultural, and financial capital as well as the university’s investment in empowering students to participate in study abroad programs. Historically, government funded initiatives have …
Cultivating Diversity: An Examination Of The Importance Of Educators Of Color, Damara Reid
Cultivating Diversity: An Examination Of The Importance Of Educators Of Color, Damara Reid
Community Engagement Student Work
This paper addresses the issue of representation of educators of color in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) system in relation to the student demographic. Research suggests that teachers of color help students of color overall academic performance. The capstone is based on a workshop that was hosted at Brighton High School targeting admin staff to raise awareness of the importance of educators of color. The results showed that staff do understand the importance and are working towards hiring more teachers of color but lack the strategies to do so. The implication of the research is that more work needs to …
Unlocking The Potential Of The Lawrence Math & Science Program (Lmsp): A Deep Dive Into Stem Education, Community Engagement, And Service Learning To Foster Volunteer Engagement And Empower Student-Led Learning, Alysha Letendre
Community Engagement Student Work
The Lawrence Math and Science Program (LMSP) Strategic Plan focuses on enhancing volunteer and participant engagement to promote STEM education in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Through qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, including previous LMSP coordinators, faculty members, volunteers, and middle school teachers, insights were gathered to inform strategic planning efforts. The research topic addressed the need to sustain and grow the LMSP volunteer base while adapting the program to meet the changing needs of Lawrence middle school students. The population studied individuals directly involved in LMSP and its implementation. Methods involved qualitative data collection through one-on-one Zoom interviews, which were analyzed to …
Key Principles For University-Community Partnerships: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Successful Coalition During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Preston
Key Principles For University-Community Partnerships: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Successful Coalition During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Michael Preston
Community Engagement Student Work
Anchor institutions are large place-based organizations such as universities, hospitals, and forprofit and non-profit businesses that invest in their surrounding communities as a way of doing business. However, being an anchor is more than being present; it is a commitment to actively working to reduce disparities and engaging in mutually beneficial community partnerships and collaborations. This capstone is a qualitative case study that explores the dynamics and outcomes of the COVID-19 partnership between Johns Hopkins University and its surrounding community. By delving into the experiences, perspectives, and interactions of the stakeholders involved, this study aims to identify the factors that …
School Participatory Budgeting: A Civic Education Model For Critical Youth Empowerment, Joshua Rodriguez
School Participatory Budgeting: A Civic Education Model For Critical Youth Empowerment, Joshua Rodriguez
Community Engagement Student Work
Young people's potential for meaningful participation in school has yet to be fully realized. They are constrained to low levels of involvement and remain, for the most part, controlled in most decision-making environments. Youth engagement models all strive to engage youth fully, but only some do. A School Participatory Budgeting (SPB) class at a New England High School offers a model for actualizing youth engagement at a critical level. Through SPB, youth demonstrate six dimensions of critical youth empowerment (1) a welcoming environment, (2) meaningful participation, (3) equitable power-sharing between youth and adults, (4) engagement in critical reflection on interpersonal …
Reimagined Intercultural Land Use: Assessment In Dorchester, Massachusetts’ Cultural Neighborhood, Dinebari Adumene
Reimagined Intercultural Land Use: Assessment In Dorchester, Massachusetts’ Cultural Neighborhood, Dinebari Adumene
Community Engagement Student Work
The significance of land use policy entails the key areas of land use planning, infrastructure development, and urban sprawl. Situated in a densely populated area with a large waterfront, the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts is a community with immense potential to revolutionize the urban landscape. The artistic movements from cultural influences within the city are growing which shows clear benefits to increased placemaking through community events. Artistic works are a tool for engaged advocacy for social justice in both informal and formal settings. This project proposes a series of three sustainable art digital projects that will illuminate land justice …
The Power Of Community In Inspiring And Pushing Youth Into Higher Education As A Means Of Improvement, Laurine Faro
The Power Of Community In Inspiring And Pushing Youth Into Higher Education As A Means Of Improvement, Laurine Faro
Community Engagement Student Work
This research highlighted family and community members’ role in supporting student success in Higher Education. I analyzed four cases/organizations/communities that had been effective in their efforts to support student success. I conducted a meta-analysis of organizations that had programs in place to drive student success. Lack of support from parents, teachers, schools and neighborhoods all seemed to contribute to a lack of belief in student success both at the personal level and the community level. In the neighborhoods studied, inadequate academic preparation and stability, and the lack of a support system often persisted into young adulthood, making the opportunities for …
Leadership & Learning: A Qualitative Community Service Policy Analysis For Student Athletes In College, Jason Pollina
Leadership & Learning: A Qualitative Community Service Policy Analysis For Student Athletes In College, Jason Pollina
Community Engagement Student Work
University athletic departments often have mission statements that align with the missions of the college they are associated with. In these statements, community service is often prominent in the goals of collegiate athletics and the schools themselves. This capstone examines the existing community service policies for student-athletes at schools in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to identify strengths and patterns for future schools to establish or modify their own policies. The policy analysis utilized qualitative methods to grade individual aspects of the legislation, rooted in Critical Service Learning, Student Involvement Theory, and Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation. While all …
Complicated Grief: An Arts-Based Trauma-Informed Approach, Jessica J. Porter
Complicated Grief: An Arts-Based Trauma-Informed Approach, Jessica J. Porter
Community Engagement Student Work
Traumatic loss due to violent death, a death that results from the intentional use of physical force or power, can result in mental health struggles and stigma. Complicated grief, due to traumatic loss, can be felt at both the individual and the community level. A comprehensive community project proposal was presented to a panel of reviewers in the grief, loss, and bereavement community. This proposal was developed to bring awareness to complicated grief, reduce the stigma around suicide and violent death, as well as provide opportunities to grieve safely and healthily. Through artistic expression and a sense of belonging, these …
Wiping Out: Living Diaper To Diaper, Kaleena Thompson Laguerre
Wiping Out: Living Diaper To Diaper, Kaleena Thompson Laguerre
Community Engagement Student Work
Diaper need is a prevalent issue for families with young children throughout the country. One in two families in the United States, cannot afford enough diapers to keep their child clean, comfortable, and healthy (National Diaper Bank, 2021). Given the limited resources within the community and the absence of adequate safety net programs, families are vulnerable to health and social disparities. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Women, Infants, and Children Nutrition Program (WIC), and Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) are three government assistance programs, designed to help low-income families. This project looks at how lawmakers can utilize …
The National School Lunch Program: Policy Strategies To Address Food Insecurity In School-Aged Children, Keaghan Curley
The National School Lunch Program: Policy Strategies To Address Food Insecurity In School-Aged Children, Keaghan Curley
Community Engagement Student Work
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is available to American families with lower annual incomes in relation to the poverty level in order to provide nutritional meals for their school-aged children. However, conveying this offered program to American families comes with challenges, such as food insecurity and the lack of resources along with education in relation to overall health and well-being. Follow-up recommendations are included to possibly assist and approve this federally funded program
Head, Heart, And Hands: A Qualitative Thematic Analysis Comparing The Learning And Transformation Of Remote Vs. In-Person Experiential Service-Learning Opportunities For Teens, Jessa Anderson
Community Engagement Student Work
The goal of service learning is rooted in the integration of education, community, and self with the expectation that personal and community transformation takes place when students apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real needs of real people in the real world. This paper compares the service learning experiences of high school students done remotely during the 2020-21 school year versus service learning done in-person during the 2021-22 school year to determine if there is a difference in transformational impact by the type of service learning. A mixed methods program evaluation was completed that utilized data …
Reawakening The Heart Of Civics Education: Activating Critical Civic Empathy And A Sense Of Civic Responsibility In Undergraduate Students, Meg Meadows
Community Engagement Student Work
We are at a critical juncture in history. Our country is politically divided, and our trust in democratic institutions is wavering. As a result, there is an urgent call on higher education to rededicate themselves to their civic missions and prioritize civic learning and democratic engagement (CLDE) to develop civically minded graduates who are motivated to engage across differences to advance the public good. The Reawakening the Heart of Civics Education curriculum uses CLDE pedagogies and critical civic empathy theory to move students beyond voting and volunteering to full civic participation with an awakened sense of civic responsibility and social …
Barriers Minorities Need To Overcome To Achieve The Homeownership Dream, Nieves Gomez
Barriers Minorities Need To Overcome To Achieve The Homeownership Dream, Nieves Gomez
Community Engagement Student Work
Buying a house is a dream that many people want to achieve; for some families obtaining a house is synonymous with stability. It is a home sweet home. It is having the right place to see the kids grow and thrive with a secure education, health, a good neighborhood, work for their parents, and a way to build wealth. It is the space for families to become real families. For a long time in the United States, minorities have had to overcome many obstacles to achieve their dream of acquiring a home. Despite the fact that there are federal policies …
Reimagining Corporate Social Responsibility, Gina Burke
Reimagining Corporate Social Responsibility, Gina Burke
Community Engagement Student Work
Like Civil Rights, Gay Liberation, and Black Lives Matter, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is a social movement that has evolved with societal demands for change in the workplace. This work looks at the evolution of CSR and the models that have followed like Triple Bottom Line and Corporate Citizenship. Through a community-based workshop CSR is examined by reviewing its history, the basic models, and principles for success, explores why businesses should consider this framework and where the next phase of CSR is headed. Using data from a post-workshop survey participants rated whether they could understand the connections between CSR and …
An Enhanced Disability Act: The Social Benefits Of Consistent Compliance And Comprehensive Training, Kylie Ford
An Enhanced Disability Act: The Social Benefits Of Consistent Compliance And Comprehensive Training, Kylie Ford
Community Engagement Student Work
In 1990, the most comprehensive and protective policy impacting those with disabilities was enacted. Since then, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended in 2008; therefore, one of the major legislations in place to encourage equity regarding disability has only been formally modified once in over 30 years. Despite ADA’s place within legislation, individuals with disabilities have remained the victims of stigmatization, discrimination and mistreatment. It is essential to analyze and enhance this policy in order to truly protect the disabled community.
Cultivating The Guerrera Spirit: Forming Social Justice Warriors Through Latina Empowerment And Development, Valeria Garcia-Lara
Cultivating The Guerrera Spirit: Forming Social Justice Warriors Through Latina Empowerment And Development, Valeria Garcia-Lara
Community Engagement Student Work
The presence of the Latina/x community in the U.S. is loud and powerful. Constituting over 18% of the entire U.S. population and the fast-growing numbers that reflect the changing face of the country calls for an examination of current leadership narratives and demands a commitment to elevate and empower Latina leadership (U.S. Census Bureau, 2022). In a society divided by power and discrimination, it is crucial that Latinas and Women of Color (WOC) have access to spaces that cultivate and celebrate their unique gifts and talents which are often overlooked and undervalued. This project gathered WOC from the Chica Project …
Race/Ethnic Representation In Film And Television: An Analysis On Perpetuation Of Stereotypes In American Media, Anna J. Cuevas
Race/Ethnic Representation In Film And Television: An Analysis On Perpetuation Of Stereotypes In American Media, Anna J. Cuevas
Community Engagement Student Work
Films and television shows such as D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, Charles Correll and Freeman Gosden’s Amos ‘n’ Andy, and Victor Flemings’ Gone with the Wind have produced deeply rooted racial stereotypes that have had long-lasting negative cultural impact in America. The workshop Race/Ethnic Representation in Film and Television aimed to educate participants about the origins of racial/ethnic stereotypes in American film and television and the effects of the stereotypes on film and television today, as well as provide participants with tools to analyze the quality of representations so that, in the future, participants can analyze the …
Core Knowledge Language Arts: Does It Represent The Lawrence Public Schools Community?, Colby D. Callery
Core Knowledge Language Arts: Does It Represent The Lawrence Public Schools Community?, Colby D. Callery
Community Engagement Student Work
The climate of the 21st-century education system, though ever-changing, calls for students to be taught to specific academic standards while allowing for culturally diverse inclusive learning to take place. The Lawrence Public School System is comprised of over twenty different schools, with 36.6% other Hispanic, 33.1% white Hispanic, 14.1% white nonHispanic, 7.57% two or more ethnicities, and 3.41% black or African American Hispanic with various education and life experiences. The Core Knowledge Language Arts curriculum is used for Grades Kindergarten through second grade. This curriculum was created by a white, cisgender male promoting Eurocentric ideologies. Is the Lawrence community fairly …
The Waiting Game In Massachusetts: Are Housing Policies In Massachusetts Doing Enough To Serve The Neediest Households, Carlie Cherry
The Waiting Game In Massachusetts: Are Housing Policies In Massachusetts Doing Enough To Serve The Neediest Households, Carlie Cherry
Community Engagement Student Work
The cost of housing is a burden for many households across the United States. In Massachusetts, where rents are some of the highest in the country, affordable housing is particularly hard for the neediest households in the state who are already struggling with the cost of living. Due to a shortage of low income housing in Massachusetts, wait times for housing assistance and affordable housing are extremely long which only exacerbates the hardships that households face. The funding, building, and distribution of low income housing is controlled by the housing policies at the federal, state, and local levels. However, these …
Food For Thought: Recommendations To Create A Food Pantry At Merrimack College, Erin Lamonica
Food For Thought: Recommendations To Create A Food Pantry At Merrimack College, Erin Lamonica
Community Engagement Student Work
The purpose of this project was to explore food insecurity among college students. Research was conducted about the rate of food insecurity among college students and how higher education institutions have addressed the issue. Researchers have found that 33-40% of college students nationwide experience some level of food insecurity, and it disproportionately affects underrepresented populations of college students. With the rising cost of college education, campuses have enacted creative solutions to help improve the effects of food insecurity across this population. Upon analyzing this societal issue locally, a gap in food security resources was identified at Merrimack College. As a …