Digital Commons Network^™

Establishing E-Prodeskel, An Integrated Village Information System For The Empowerment Of The Local Community In Kediri, Ani Budi Astuti, Eni Sumarminingsih, Wayan Firdaus Mahmudy, Maulina Pia Wulandari, Wigbertus Ngabu, Nur Kamilah Sa'diyah, Gusti Ayu Putu Rawi Rotchildi, Izza Lailatul Kasanah, Yusuf Gladiensyah Bihanda, Akbar Satya Nugraha

ASEAN Journal of Community Engagement

Digital transformation has become an important strategy for strengthening community empowerment by improving access to public information, governance transparency, and village services. However, many rural communities in Indonesia still face challenges in managing accurate village profile data and utilizing digital technologies to support good governance and sustainable development. This study examines a community engagement program in Purwokerto Village, Kediri Regency, Indonesia. The program intended to develop and implement E-ProDesKel (Elektronik Profil Desa Kelurahan or Electronic Village and Wards Profile), a web-based portal for an integrated village profile information system. The program adopted a participatory approach starting from an assessment …

Strategic Organizational Growth In Nonprofit Organizations: A Swot-Based Change Management Analysis, Sharika Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nonprofit organizations often face operational and sustainability challenges. This study examined a nonprofit serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities that was experiencing increased service demands, communication challenges, and workforce shortages. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to develop a sustainable strategic change management approach to strengthen workforce development, financial stability, stakeholder collaboration, and strategic planning. Guided by the research question, "How can the client nonprofit organization implement a sustainable change-management approach that addresses internal communication challenges and resource constraints while maintaining mission alignment?" the study used a SWOT analysis and Kotter’s eight-step change model. Data were collected …

Determinants Of Waste Management Behavior And The Potential Role Of Doorstepping As An Intervention, Nurdiana Darus, Maya Tamimi, Nuraeni Nuraeni, Khairunnisa Syafira Dumbi

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

This study aims to evaluate factors associated with community participation in Waste Bank activities and waste management behavior, while exploring the potential role of doorstepping interventions to improve community engagementThis study was conducted in South Jakarta, a densely populated area with a large volume of daily waste. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design was used. The study involved guided interviews with 201 respondents who were customers of Gesit Main Waste Bank. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the influence of independent variables on waste management behavior as the dependent variable. The results showed that 42.8% of respondents had …

Myth, Spirituality, And Thought Patterns In Two African And Brazilian Ritual Dramas, Dele Layiwola

Global Africa: Journal of African and African Diaspora Studies

This essay conceptualizes and historicizes the phenomena of religion, custom, and belief systems by utilizing two celebrated dramatic texts and performances as practical illustrations of the complex roles they play in the social, political, and cultural lives of human beings, irrespective of their geographical locations. The arguments demonstrate that religion or spirituality is a given phenomenon in the personal and public lives of the denizens of various societies. It possesses its own logic and rules, which may not be mutually compatible, nevertheless constitute a constant universal principle. The paper employs dramatized examples to show that in classical or modern times, …

The Relative Strength Of Social Media Motives, Perceived Race Relations, And The Centrality Of Black Identity In Predicting Black Community Activism, Johnnie Gordon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As social media has become a central context for identity development, sociopolitical awareness, and civic engagement among Black emerging adults, exposure to racialized content, experiences of online discrimination, and competing narratives regarding racial progress may heighten awareness of systemic inequities and strengthen collective racial identity. To date, the potential of these experiences to motivate engagement in Black community activism to advocate for community empowerment has not been investigated. Informed by social identity theory, this quantitative study assessed the relative importance of motives for social media use, perceived racial progress, and Black identity centrality in predicting Black community activism among emerging …

Embedding Evaluation For Continuous Improvement In A Cohort-Based Doctoral Residency Model: Evidence From An Ed.D. Program, Monica J. Weir

The Interactive Journal of Global Leadership and Learning

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership Program at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) includes two required summer residency weeks that serve as signature components of the doctoral experience. Given their central role in supporting academic milestones and scholarly community, program faculty have embedded systematic evaluation into residency design to support continuous improvement. This article describes a multi-phase, utilization-focused evaluation framework examining residency preparation, implementation, and participant experience. The evaluation designer collaborated with program faculty to design pre- and post-residency week instruments that elevate doctoral student voice and support faculty-led reflection. Preliminary findings indicated strong value placed on peer …

Wrangling Pelicans: Military Life In Texas Presidios, By Tim Seiter, Patrick B. Simpson

Journal of Texas History

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Lasting Impacts Of A Dialogue-To-Change Program On Racial Understanding Using Ripple Effect Mapping, Mary Emery, Anuradha Choudhary, Mike D. Stout, Grace Langford, Eric Walcott, Marcia Ostrom

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

This paper explores the impacts of Coming Together for Racial Understanding (Coming Together), using Ripple Effect Mapping (REM). REM is a participatory evaluation tool that captures and analyzes intended and unintended outcomes. This method maps how individual change leads to wider changes in interactions and activities, from personal, interpersonal, institutional, and cultural levels to the widest ripple of the potential for change in policy, structure, and accepted practice. We adapted REM for virtual settings using Google Jamboard to hold two REM sessions with 20 participants and used mapping results to populate a follow-up survey for 2018 and 2019 training participants. …

Resisting Dualism In Contemporary Movement Building: Lessons From The Zapatista Movement On Creating Assertive, Insurgent, And Generative Praxis, Nico Killian

University Honors Theses

The common struggle of social movements, revolutionary and otherwise, in the contemporary era is how to establish a collective capable of asserting its politics via grassroots organizing in the face of the logic of global capitalism that atomizes communities, reconfigures the role of the state, and unleashes the fragmentizing and simultaneously totalitizing forces of the global market. Discourse regarding effective movement building in the contemporary era often falls into two dualistic avenues of resistance - complete autonomy that rejects any engagement or affiliation with political structures out of fear that it would result in demobilization through co-optation or negotiating a …

Mitigating Negative Consequences Of New Urban Growth In Disadvantaged Communities, Shishir Mathur, Christopher E. Ferrell, Cindy Adrian

Mineta Transportation Institute

New housing and development in California are often planned in communities that already face economic hardship, environmental burdens, and limited access to reliable transportation. Recent research finds specifically that in the San Francisco (S.F.) Bay Area and Southern California (SoCal) metropolitan regions, there is a high propensity to plan new urban development in socially, economically, and environmentally disadvantaged communities (DACs) with poor transit accessibility and limited personal mobility. This project first reviews the literature to identify potential unintended negative impacts of high concentrations of new urban growth in DACs across social, economic, educational, environmental, and transportation dimensions. It then identifies …

B2) Ai Generated Narratives In Religious Tourism Marketing: Opportunities And Ethical Risks, Md Javed Kawsar, Rashed Gili Khan

International Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Conferences

The rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence (AI) is beginning to redefine narrative construction in religious tourism marketing, creating new opportunities for digital engagement while also raising critical ethical concerns. As religious destinations increasingly adopt AI-enabled storytelling tools, ranging from conversational agents to multimodal generative systems, the nature of narrative authenticity, cultural sensitivity, and visitor perception is being significantly reshaped. Recent work on AI-driven religious tourism indicates that AI-enabled conversational agents influence tourists’ cognitive and affective evaluations, shaping memorable religious tourism experiences and future engagement intentions, highlighting the transformative potential of AI in sacred contexts. Likewise, studies examining AI-driven strategies …

Data Governance In Local Government: Evidence From Spatial Data Initiatives, Maame Efua Q. Arthur

Capstone Projects – Politics and Government

The adoption of modern digital applications and tools enables community development organizations to improve public services and community well-being. In response to the data surge, several local governments in the U.S. are converting spatial data into user-friendly geospatial products, including maps, dashboards, web, and instant apps. Research suggests that while these tools enhance operations for municipalities, they also increase public accountability and data transparency. However, developing data-driven tools is dependent on structured data governance practices that ensure data accessibility, accuracy, reliability, and security. Using the City of Bloomington, Illinois, as a case study, this study assesses the city's data-driven initiatives, …

Anti-Racist Teaching Today, Melissa Brooks-Yip

Impact: A Journal of Community and Cultural Inquiry in Education

Anti-racist teaching has a long history in education and there have been recent changes in DEI policy for public education. This article reviews equity-based pedagogies, whiteness in education, racial literacy, and the implications for teacher professional learning moving forward.

Balancing Our Capacity To Serve: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Women Navigating Personal, Professional, And Community Leadership Roles, Shemeka K. Brathwaite

Student Theses

This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of Black women community leaders as they navigate a balance between their professional, personal, and community leadership roles. The research design uses the theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Intersectionality and Role Theory, specifically addressing the cultural burdens imposed by the Strong Black Woman archetype, which adds additional role strain. The study began with a questionnaire completed by 54 Black women community leaders, followed by 20 in-depth, semi-structured interviews selected from this pool. The study’s key findings are illustrated in a Black Women’s Sustainable Community Leadership Framework. Black women community leaders exude high self-efficacy, …

From Principal To Behavioral Health Ceo: Lessons Schools Must Learn About Student Mental Health, Anthony S. Felder

Essays in Education

Schools across the United States are increasingly functioning as front-line mental health systems, often without adequate preparation, staffing, or clinical training. This essay draws on the author's lived experience as a former school principal, doctoral scholar in educational leadership, licensed clinical social worker, and current behavioral health chief executive officer to examine the intersection of K-12 education and youth mental health. Grounded in trauma-informed care, restorative practice, and family-centered systems of support, the essay presents five evidence-based lessons that school leaders must consider to meet students' evolving social-emotional needs. These lessons address the limitations of punitive discipline, the urgent need …

Gendered Justice: The Role Of Women’S Civil Society Organizations In Shaping Chile’S Truth Commissions, Frankie Stroud

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

Scholarly literature has increasingly recognized that the inclusion of women and gender in formal transitional justice processes is essential for addressing the gendered nature of mass atrocities. This thesis seeks to contribute to the existing literature on how and why some transitional justice processes have come to address women and gender by specifically studying Chile’s Rettig Commission and Valech Commission. Several hypotheses have emerged from the literature for why the Valech Commission addressed gender to a greater extent, including that women’s civil society organizations, diffusion of international norms, and shifting domestic politics each played a role. Grounded in an anti-reductionist …

Situating Stormwater Infrastructure Through Collaborative Design: Insights From A University-Community Partnership, Serena A. Echols

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stormwater ponds help address flooding and partially mitigate nutrient pollution while sometimes serving as a central landscape element in community parks. In underserved urban communities, however, stormwater ponds are sometimes neglected and underutilized, leading to public health and environmental justice challenges. Our research in Tampa, Florida, seeks to develop pathways for residents and other stakeholders to collaboratively co-design infrastructure interventions and pondscape redevelopment for neglected stormwater ponds. Drawing on ethnographic and participatory methods as well as environmental assessment and modeling, we are working with residents of one pond community on cleanup and redevelopment strategies. Results reveal that balancing local and …

Making Open Work: Research Data Management As A Foundation For Open Infrastructure And Intercultural Engagement, Qinqin Zhang, Lily Y. Ko

FORCE 2026

At The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Research Data Management (RDM) plays a vital role in advancing our commitment to research integrity, transparency, responsible research, and open science. Through services such as a Data Management Plan (DMP) tool, a FAIR-aligned institutional repository, and targeted training, we enable researchers to manage, share, and reuse data across disciplines and cultures.

CUHK Library’s RDM initiatives emphasize collaboration, inclusivity, and intercultural exchange. A key program is Data Champions, a peer-led network that empowers students and staff to advocate best practices in research data management. Data champions co-develop learning materials, lead workshops, and provide …

Power-Sharing Under Pressure: What A Decade Of Community Partnership Reveals For Philanthropy Today, Clare Nolan, Pilar Mendoza

The Foundation Review

Between 2017 and 2024, U.S. philanthropy experienced a period of significant innovation as many foundations reconsidered long-standing assumptions about control and began taking steps to share power more directly with the communities they fund. This article draws on community leaders’ reflections, alongside the authors’ perspective as long-term evaluators, to examine how these commitments were experienced in practice.

The article focuses on the David and Lucile Packard Foundation’s Starting Smart and Strong Initiative (S3I), a 10-year effort to strengthen early learning systems across East San Jose, Fresno, and Oakland, California. Drawing on interviews with grantees and technical assistance partners, along with …

Collaborating For Community Impact: Smart Parks, Natasha Rascon

2026 Spring Reports (Terre Haute)

Through collaborations with the City of Terre Haute, specifically the City Parks and Recreation, the following community issue was identified: Resiliency Education (RE-1) Smart parks - Sign designs, Web page design, a community survey to determine park attendance, ideas for ways to track park attendance, recommendations for improvements in high-risk parks, Finding and/or helping with grant applications. To address the identified community issue, students enrolled in Comm361 Small Group Communication partnered with the City of Terre Haute to promote three events: The ribbon cutting and block party for the Herz-Rose Community Center and Park, The Deming Park Easter Egg Hunt, …

Structured Telehealth Community Health Worker-Clinician Feedback And Diabetes Outcomes: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Elizabeth Vaughan, Xiaoying Yu, Amber Amspoker, Aanand Naik, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Craig Johnston, Christi Ballantyne, Salim S. Virani, Shelton Brown, Kristina Mena

Population Health, East Africa

Importance  Community health workers (CHWs) improve chronic disease management in underserved populations, but scalable integration strategies are limited.

Objective  To evaluate whether a multidimensional intervention incorporating telementored CHWs and a structured participant-CHW-clinician feedback loop can improve diabetes outcomes.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This 12-month randomized clinical trial was conducted at 3 institutionally and geographically diverse community clinics in Texas between September 1, 2023, and April 30, 2025, and included low-income, uninsured White Hispanic adults with type 2 diabetes identified through clinic databases. Data were analyzed between May 1 and July 31, 2025.

Intervention  Individuals were randomized 1:1 to the intervention …

Historic Parkrose: Planning For Vacant Properties, Rowan Anderson, Julia Cruz Jones, Akasha Lawrence Spence, Clara Lietz, Cal Storrs

Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Projects

Crescent Consulting was engaged by Historic Parkrose, a Portland-based non-profit, to analyze vacant and under-utilized properties along Northeast Sandy Boulevard within the Historic Parkrose Business District. The area has been the focus of many planning efforts at the neighborhood, city, and state level that have identified community needs and priorities, yet implementation has been limited. Forthcoming Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding may create opportunities to implement these plans and encourage reinvestment that will contribute to the corridor’s vitality and economic capacity. This report is a resource for evaluating and prioritizing vacant lot redevelopment opportunities in Parkrose, helping align future investment …

We Buried The Curriculum And Called It Holy, Charles E. Becknell Jr., Johnna Rocker-Clinton

Black Educology Mixtape "Journal"

This track develops the concept of apocalyptic pedagogy by situating it within Africana studies and classroom rituals, illustrating how curriculum itself can be examined, buried, and reimagined through practices rooted in Black educology. Drawing on ancestral knowledge and collective memory, the track envisions ritual as curriculum, where libation and remembrance become practices of mourning and reclamation. Rather than centering institutional reform, the track frames education as a ritual circle enacting pedagogy as remembrance, mourning, and rebirth, honoring Black life as sacred.

Prostitution And Opioid-Related Death Rates In A North Carolina City After The Implementation Of The Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Program, Tomeka Scarboro-Hedrick

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Reconstruction And Repatriation Of Looted Cultural Heritage Property Ownership Mechanism, Yichi Zhang

Pepperdine Policy Review

The displacement of cultural artifacts through conflict, colonization, and illicit trafficking has created profound gaps in humanity's shared heritage. This paper examines the systemic barriers to cultural property restitution and proposes a structured dispute resolution framework as the primary remedy. Drawing on the social, nonmarket, and economic values of cultural heritage, the study establishes why repatriation extends beyond legal formality into questions of identity, sovereignty, and collective memory. A review of existing international instruments, including the 1954 Hague Convention, the 1970 UNESCO Convention, and the ICPRCP, reveals persistent enforcement gaps and jurisdictional inconsistencies that impede meaningful restitution. Comparative case studies …

“I Have A Voice”: Bridging The Communication And Sensemaking Gap Between Restorative Justice Practice And Program Implementation, Stefan Cocorelis

Dissertations

Restorative justice (RJ), a philosophy, practice, and movement inspired by local, largely Indigenous traditions, has increasingly been introduced in modern criminal justice systems as an alternative process to more comprehensively address harmful incidents, heal harms, and meet victim’s needs. While RJ implementation growth is encouraging for its advocates, there remain significant questions around formalized RJ practice. Specifically, little is known about the decision-making process in implementing and administering RJ programming within criminal justice. This dissertation aimed to contribute to the understanding of RJ practice and implementation efforts within criminal justice systems by putting emphasis on practitioners already working directly in …

Community-Based Participatory Research In Developing Online Nutrition Tools: A Pathway To Relevance And Engagement, Laura Justice, Stacy Phillips

EFNEP

This article explains how Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can strengthen the design of digital nutrition tools by ensuring they are culturally relevant, accessible, and grounded in community needs. By engaging participants as equal partners, CBPR enhances trust, usability, and long-term impact. The approach aligns with EFNEP’s mission to deliver inclusive, community-driven nutrition education and provides a framework for developing sustainable, adaptable tools that reflect the lived experiences of the families Extension serves.

Heart Initiative January 2025-December 2025, Gabriela Murza, Ashley Yaugher

All Current Publications

This report reviews the Health, Extension, Advocacy, Research, Teaching (HEART) Initiative programming and impacts for 2025. This USU Extension initiative transitioned from a programmatic initiative addressing the opioid epidemic in the most affected counties to a statewide prevention and workforce development model, with programs focused on prevention and education, stigma and harm reduction, strengthening community ties, and resilience building. The programs and resources expand access to evidence-based health and wellness resources, promote community engagement, and support statewide education efforts.

The Church As Provider Of Pastoral Care: Relational Presence, Narrative Listening, Preaching, And Advocacy In African American Missionary Baptist Churches In Southside Fort Worth, Texas, Michael R. Timberlake

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

Abstract

Michael R. Timberlake, Sr.

May 1, 2026

THE CHURCH AS PROVIDER OF PASTORAL CARE: RELATIONAL PRESENCE, NARRATIVE LISTENING, PREACHING, AND ADVOCACY IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCHES IN SOUTHSIDE FORT WORTH, TEXAS

The purpose of this research project is to restore and maintain the resiliency in the African American Missionary Baptist churches in the Southside of Fort Worth, Texas. The research identified a high level of importance for African American churches in Fort Worth to resemble the historic legacy of spiritual leadership, communal care, and social advocacy while ministering within contexts marked by racial and economic marginalization. Enabling practical …

Volunteer Experiences In Outdoor Recreation: Navigating Uncertainty And Belonging, Morgan R. Purdy

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Volunteers play a central role in the operation of outdoor recreation areas, yet their positions often lack formal training, clear authority, and consistent structural guidance. While organizational socialization research has focused primarily on paid employees, less is known about how volunteers in outdoor contexts navigate uncertainty and develop identity through communication. Guided by organizational socialization theory and volunteer communication scholarship, this qualitative study examines two research questions: How do outdoor recreation volunteers manage uncertainty during socialization? And how does volunteering shape their sense of identity and belonging? Drawing on 13 semi-structured interviews and prolonged ethnographic fieldwork within a public land …