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Community Engagement Newsletter, February 2025, University Of Northern Iowa. Office Of Community Engagement.

Community Engagement Newsletter

Contents:

--- Engaged Department Institute
--- INSPIRE Conference
--- Community Engagement Celebration Day - Register Now
--- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA)
--- McElroy Youth Leadership Funds
--- Veridian Community Engagement Fellowship
--- Sustainability Efforts at UNI
--- Certified Nonprofit Professional Credential

Whose Innovation? Philanthropic And School-Based Visions Of High School In The Xq Super School Competition, Brett G. Murphy

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The XQ Institute, funded by Laurene Powell Jobs’ Emerson Collective, launched a design competition in 2015 to find the most innovative high schools in the country. Their goal was to spark a movement that would revolutionize secondary school in the United States, a system they claimed was 100 years behind the times. Called the Super School Project, the winning ten teams each received $10 million. While XQ claims that the best ideas about high school reform come from communities and student voice, they also have funded selective ideas about “innovation,” including computer-based personalized learning. The organization’s efforts have grown in …

Chatgpt Didn’T Write This: Evaluating The Impact Of Llms With A Case Study In Grading Cuny Language Immersion Program Student Essays, Benjamin Inbar

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This study evaluates the capabilities and limitations of large language models (LLMs), specifically OpenAI’s ChatGPT-4o, in grading essays from students in the City University of New York’s Language Immersion Program. The program serves English language learners with diverse linguistic and demographic backgrounds, offering intensive language instruction to prepare students for academic success in college. Using a dataset of 30 pre- and post-program essays scored by program instructors and ChatGPT-4o under three paradigms, this research explores the alignment between human and AI-generated scores across five rubric-based competency areas. Findings reveal that ChatGPT-4o aligns moderately with human grading, with the strongest agreement …

The Perspectives Of Play Advocates On Children’S Unstructured Play In Turkey, Bengi Sullu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The Convention on the Rights of the Child has established children’s rights to non- discrimination, development, participation and the observance of their best interests. With this recognition, there has been a growing global interest in acknowledging play as a right. Yet unstructured play, in which children can choose when, where and how to play, with control over their play, has not received the same attention, support and investment as organized, structured play (UNCRC General Comment 17, 2013). The way adults perceive and support play shapes the play opportunities that are available to children (Bianquin, 2018; Göl-Güven, 2017). Additionally, institutions and …

In Memoriam - Nora Sabelli: Master Orchestrator Of Grant Programs And Mentor For Advancing The Interdisciplinary Learning Sciences Field, Eric Hamilton, Jeremy Roschelle, Roy Pea, Barbara Means, Louis Gomez, Kim Gomez, Nancy Butler Songer

Education Division Scholarship

On Friday, September 6, 2024, the learning sciences field lost a giant in Dr. Nora Sabelli, 87 years old, a personal mentor to many researchers and an inspiration to so many learning scientists and STEM leaders. Nora’s first professional career was as a computational chemist, and later she became a passionate leader in research for improving STEM education. Nora’s time as a senior program officer at the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate was legendary; she was a force of nature who reshaped funding priorities for stronger science and a stronger connection of science to education …

Exploring Teachers' Initial Perceptions Of Corpus Linguistics And Their Readiness To Incorporate Corpora In Classroom Instruction: A Qualitative Analysis, Misnawati Misnawati, Yusriadi Yusriadi, Zul Astri, Aswin Abbas, Asbar Asbar

The Qualitative Report

The integration of corpora into language teaching appears to be lacking, raising the question of whether this omission is due to teachers intentionally choosing not to use corpora in their classes or a lack of awareness and knowledge about these tools. This study of teachers in Indonesia aimed to explore two research questions: (a) what are the teachers' initial perceptions regarding corpus linguistics, and (b) do the teachers intend to integrate corpora into classroom instruction? Fifteen secondary and tertiary-level teachers participated in this qualitative study. Researchers gave the teachers a brief presentation on corpora to develop their Corpus Literacy (CL) …

Critical Components Of Successful Cross-Race Mentoring Relationships: Perspectives Of Mentees And Mentors, Sylvia L. Mendez, Jennifer A. Tygret, Anneke Bruwer, Comas Haynes

The Qualitative Report

This intrinsic case study (Stake, 1995) explores the critical components of successful cross-race mentoring relationships from the mentees and mentors involved in the Increasing Minority Presence within Academia through Continuous Training (IMPACT) mentoring program. Stakeholders across academia need to better understand what facilitates successful cross-race mentoring, due to the underrepresentation of senior and emeriti faculty of color in engineering. Interviews with 16 Black engineering faculty mentees and 14 primarily White emeriti mentors were analyzed inductively and resulted in three interconnected themes: (a) self-awareness and empathy create trusting, honest conversations; (b) mentee career advancement must be core to the relationship; and …

Integrating Civic Spirituality And Civic Disposition To Build Ethical Citizen Character, Sukron Mazid, Atsani Wulansari, Imroatun Hasanah

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

This research aims to explore and combine the concepts of civic spirituality and disposition to build ethical citizens' character. These two concepts complement each other, with civic spirituality focusing on religious values in society and civic disposition on civic attitudes that support active participation and responsibility. This research used the literature method, analysing relevant literature and theories on civic education, spirituality, and ethics. The results showed that the integration of civic spirituality and civic disposition can be a solid foundation for building the character of ethical, moral, and socially responsible citizens. This integration forms ethical citizens through religious values, such …

Examining Nationality, First Generation Status And Academic Identity Status As A Lens Into Student Achievement, Jennette Allen-Mccombs

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study investigates the relationship between academic identity statuses and academic achievement at a U.S. northeastern college where 55% of the population is first-generation students. Using Was and Isaacson’s (2008) Academic Identity Measure, I assessed four identity statuses (achieved, foreclosed, diffused, and moratorium) among 424 students. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that achieved identity status had the strongest positive effect on grade-point average (GPA), while diffused identity status showed the most significant negative impact. Additionally, birthplace and mother’s educational status emerged as significant demographic predictors of academic achievement. The findings suggest that students with foreclosed or diffused identities struggle with …

Enhancing Citizen Capacity Through Optimising Village-Owned Enterprises (Bumdes) Role In Strengthening Community Participation For Sustainable Development, Supandi Supandi, Saliman Saliman

Jurnal Civics: Media Kajian Kewarganegaraan

Sustainable development at the local level necessitates active community participation, bolstered by educational innovation and the optimisation of empowering institutions such as Village-Owned Enterprises (BUMDes). This research investigates the impact of the Social Studies Outdoor Laboratory and BUMDes on development in the Bokoharjo, Prambanan, Sleman Regency. Specifically, the study examines three key areas: (1) the influence of the Social Studies Outdoor Laboratory on development, (2) the role of BUMDes in facilitating development, and (3) the collaborative effect between the Social Studies Outdoor Laboratory and BUMDes on regional growth. A quantitative approach was employed, sampling nine individuals from Bokoharjo Village from …

Exploring The Contribution Of Transformational Leadership In Non-Formal Peace Education Initiatives In Sri Lanka, Janith Prabashwara Perera

Peace and Conflict Studies Journal Conference

The transformative power of Peace Education cannot be undermined in the volatile era in which we live. Through cultivating knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, Peace Education aims to shift the mindsets and behaviours of individuals and groups away from violence toward peace. In recent times, many youth have stepped up to lead Peace Education programmes, particularly targeting youth in their local communities. Their leadership often aligns with the 'Transformational Leadership' model, which fosters change in followers and society.

This research examines youth leaders in Non-Formal Peace Education in Post-War Sri Lanka, focusing on their adoption of the Transformational Leadership Model …

Rural, Gifted Student Experience In Appalachian Kentucky, Olivia G. Jarrell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Current literature shows that gifted students' experiences often differ from nongifted peers. Similarly, research shows that rural students’ experiences are unique compared to nonrural peers. This study hopes to address the gap in literature on experiences of students at the intersection of giftedness and rurality with the question: How do rural, gifted students in Appalachian Kentucky experience and perceive K-12 schooling? Rural, gifted students exist in the overlap between two unique groups. Using a multi-case study, participants came from three separate school districts in a region of Appalachian Kentucky, with each district being a separate case. Data collection included observations …

Surveillance Digitisation, Performativity, And Teacher-Student Relationships In A Blended Learning Setting, Sarah Julia Calderwood

All Works

This study investigates how digitized surveillance technologies impact teacher-student relationships in a blended learning environment at a UAE university. Using semi-structured faculty interviews, it examines the effects of tools such as plagiarism detection, class recordings, and learning analytics on trust and engagement. The findings reveal tensions between institutional goals of academic integrity and active participation and the unintended consequences of fostering performative behaviours and eroding relational trust. Teachers report that surveillance mechanisms promote compliance over genuine learning, reshaping their roles and interactions with students. Despite these challenges, educators employ strategies of resistance, prioritising human connection and relational pedagogy to counteract …

Parallel Punishments: The School-To-Prison Transgender Pipeline, Rayna Momen, Lindsay K. Semprevivo, Cris Mayo

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

With increasing criminalization of transgender people, especially legislation targeting youth, researchers need to consider more closely the historical and continuing criminalization of gender non-normativity. We suggest in this article that closer attention to queer criminology in relationship to transgender and gender-related social justice education can help shape research agendas and school practices and disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline for transgender youth. Our focus is specifically on how disciplinary practices requiring identification as well as those that ignore identification both contribute to the growth of punitive responses to gender diversity, especially in relationship to race and ethnicity.

Examining The Creative Process Of Visual Artists: A Phenomenological Study, Filiberto Vargas

Dissertations

Creativity fuels problem solving and innovation, driving both economic growth and individual success. Yet, many schools and organizations fail to nurture it. Today, there is a decline in creativity scores among U.S. students. This is concerning since many of these students will be the future leaders of organizations and communities. For this reason, this dissertation explores the creative process of visual artists to better understand how creativity can be cultivated. Visual artists' perspectives and sense-and-meaning-making processes offer a unique view of innovation and creativity. However, there is limited research on the creative processes of contemporary visual artists from culturally diverse …

Navigating The Academic Terrain: Examining The Challenges And Success Factors Of Student Veterans In Higher Education Institutions, Katherine Reyes, Corey Idleburg

Education Division Scholarship

This study investigates the academic experiences of student veterans, addressing specific challenges they face in higher education. Using Schlossberg’s adult transition theory, it explores the effects of invisible barriers, enrollment trends, and institutional factors on veteran student success, leveraging the VA’s GI Bill Comparison tool to examine public versus private school support. Findings underscore the need for targeted resources, faculty training, and institutional awareness to foster a supportive and inclusive environment that enhances veteran students' academic success and sense of belonging.

Autoethnographic Action Research As A Contemplative Practice: Awareness And Transformation Of Inner And Outer Selves, Jiju Varghese, Bal Chandra Luitel, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

Contemplation as a spiritual practice has taken various forms across different religious traditions and regions worldwide. Over the years, various contemplative practices have evolved and become popular even outside religious traditions to promote the well-being of all for inner and outer selves’ transformation. In education, many scholars worldwide have expounded on the benefits of contemplative practices in the classroom for students and teachers. Contemplative practices have penetrated research practices in the form of contemplative inquiry considering performative, philosophical, and artistic transformations, where researchers enter into a deep, thoughtful, and reflective introspective journey to see the connection between what is seen …

Redefining Success: Insights From Lebanese Women Leaders In Higher Education, Lina H. Safa

Education Division Scholarship

This presentation explores how Lebanese women leaders in higher education define and measure success, emphasizing their innovative approaches and transformative impact. By examining personal narratives through a phenomenological lens, the study reveals how these leaders navigate cultural challenges, offering insights into leadership dynamics in a patriarchal society and contributing to global discussions on gender equity and academic leadership.

Education For Citizenship In Times Of Global Challenge: Iea International Civic And Citizenship Education Study 2022 International Report, Wolfram Schulz, John Ainley, Julian Fraillon, Bruno Losito, Gabriella Agrusti, Valeria Damiani, Tim Friedman

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This open access book investigates the ways in which young people around the world are prepared to undertake their roles as citizens. It presents the international results from the third cycle of the study IEA’s International Civic and Citizenship Education Study (ICCS 2022). Based on data from 24 countries or benchmarking participants from Europe, Latin America, and Asia, ICCS 2022 studies contexts for and learning outcomes of civic and citizenship education in a wide range of national contexts at the beginning of the third decade of the 21st Century. It responds to both enduring and emerging challenges of educating young …

National Assessment Program Civics And Citizenship 2024 : Technical Report., Kate O'Malley, Renee Kwong, Dulce Lay, Jorge Fallas

Civics and Citizenship Assessment

This report describes the procedures and processes involved in the conduct of the National Assessment Program – Civics and Citizenship (NAP – CC) 2024. The report is divided into chapters covering: the assessment framework and instrument design, item development, test design, scoring student responses, the student questionnaire, student background information, sampling and weighting, data collection procedures and data management, and scaling procedures. The report include an extensive collection of tables and figures.

A Localized Strategy To Boost Public Opinion And Increase Community Support For Rural Public Education By Understanding Parental Motivations For School Choice, Stephanie Marie Lambrecht

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Families and educators understand school choice as a broad concept, however its implications for rural public education in Virginia are less frequently considered. In rural areas, school choice has a disproportionate impact due to funding formulas and the effects of average daily membership (ADM) on school budgets. While there is a great deal of research on school choice, the rationale behind families’ decisions varies depending on the cultural and material resources of their community. It is vital to consider the regional and cultural context when developing strategies to support rural public schools. By analyzing motivations and factors which influence school …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of The Transition To Online Learning And Remote Work On The Army Congressional Fellowship Program, Jason Edward Roberts

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative case study is to investigate the extent to which the compulsory transition to online learning and remote work affected the academic and workplace performance of select personnel in the Army Congressional Fellowship Program (ACFP). This study also aims to better understand the role of classroom and workplace socialization in supporting desired academic and professional outcomes. The sample consisted of twelve Army personnel selected as part of Cohort FY2021 of the ACFP. Each participant was asked to express how online learning and remote work affected their ability to perform their duties as a fellow in …

From Adversity To Achievement: The Resilience Of Black Students Raised In Single-Parent Households, Kim Loren Johnson

Selected Full Text Dissertations, 2011-

There is limited literature on the resilience strategies of Black students raised in single-parent households and their academic success. Black children are often portrayed as facing negative outcomes educationally. Yet, despite there being challenges they graduate from high school, go to college and are successful. This qualitative phenomenology study explores the lives of 12 Black college students raised in a single-parent household, aged 21-65 years and older, that persevered through adversity and the strategies they utilized to achieve academic success. It examines the internal and external motivational factors that contributed to their achievements as well as the role of support …

Stigma And Isolation: The Lived Experiences Of Male Sexual Assault Survivors In College, Vanessa Vela

Theses and Dissertations--Family Sciences

Male sexual assault survivors on college campuses face barriers to disclosure, support, and recovery due to stigma, societal expectations of masculinity, and inadequate institutional resources. This hermeneutic phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of six male survivors of sexual assault enrolled in college, focusing on their perceptions of sexual violence before and after their assault, the psychological burden of disclosure, and their experiences with available support systems. Participants described challenges including rape myths, feelings of isolation, fear of emasculation, and limited access to gender-inclusive resources. While online communities provided some support, institutional services often failed to meet their needs due …

This Needs More Time!: Considerations For Improving Partnerships Between Communities And Institutions In Folklore, Sarah M. Gordon, Jasper Waugh-Quasebarth, Junious Lee Brickhouse, Ashley Minner Jones, Naomi Sturm-Wijesinghe

Art Faculty Publications

From 2021 to 2023, the authors convened a series of discussion forums at the annual meetings of the American Folklore Society to discuss the challenges of community-institutional partnerships in the field of folklore. This perspectives piece presents the outcomes of that series of panels with the goal of advancing adaptability in institutional practices to better support community-engaged work. We seek to promote practices that better respond to community needs in collaborative partnerships through disciplinary norms and institutional bureaucratic mechanisms.

Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement: Social Emotional Wellness Through Yoga, Gianna R. Delfino

Entry Level Occupational Therapy Doctoral Capstone Projects Class of 2025

This doctoral capstone program, Social-Emotional Wellness Through Yoga: Promoting Caregiver-Child Attunement, aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a family-centered occupational therapy (OT) program designed to enhance emotional connection, co-regulation, and wellness in caregiver-child dyads at a pediatric outpatient clinic. This project was guided by a systematic review of literature on the effects of yoga on the mental health of children 3-10 years old, which suggests that yoga has positive outcomes on the mental health and wellbeing of children (Khunti et al., 2022). Grounded in neurodiversity-affirming, trauma-informed, and strengths-based care, the 10-week group was designed for children ages 3–11 and their …

Indigenous Artists Working With Digital Materials, Luke A. Meeken

Teaching Resource Archive

This is a static PDF version of the online resource found here: https://www.gildedgreen.com/indigital This document contains the five thematic curricular modules from the online resource but does not contain the always-growing online database of contemporary Indigenous digital artists, who can be found at the above link.

This resource includes several thematic modules designed for use by educators of preservice art teachers, which can be adapted for use in graduate and undergraduate level courses (and parts of which will be deployed in my own elementary and secondary methods courses). These could be used in whole or in part, and are designed …

Nsu Outreach, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Digital: Communiversity

No abstract provided.

Nsu Communiversity Outreach, Nova Southeastern University

NSU Digital: Communiversity

No abstract provided.

Insights From The Second Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum: Attendee Demographics And Program Perceptions, E. J. Hennessey, C. Wilson, J. Thompson, Y. Wallace, S. Brown, M. Tetui, R. Costa, K. Hogarth, V. Oliver, T. Kayode, J. Wilson, H. Mistry

Scarborough Charter Inter-Institutional Forum

The Scarborough Charter (2022) on Anti-Black racism and Black inclusion in Canadian Higher Education steering committee invited signatories to attend a two-day inter-institutional forum hosted in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada in May of 2024.

The Scarborough Charter Inter-institutional Forum was organized under the theme ‘Bridging Black,’ emphasizing the need to bridge the gaps in both learning and action and to build better connections between senior administration, faculty, staff, students, and Black communities at higher education institutions.

This gathering was the second forum in the series, and the first to conduct an evaluation of organizers and attendees.

The feedback garnered from surveys …