Presentation - University of Washington

Partnership forCommunity-UniversityCompetency Building

Sue Sohng, Ph.D. Stella Chao, MSWAssociate Professor Executive DirectorSchool of Social Work International DistrictUniversity of Washington Housing Alliance

©2001 Sue Sohng & Stella Chao

AbstractCurriculum model integrates teaching and research tosupport grassroots organizations serving low-income,immigrant, and refugee communities in Seattle

The model takes faculty and students out of theclassroom and into the field for yearlong field-basedlearning via collective service/research initiatives,designed by faculty and students with agency staffparticipation


Creation of CollaborativeLearning Sites

Aimed at assisting capacity building for community-based and grassroots organizations in the Int’lDistrict, Native American, immigrant and refugee,and African American communities

Comprised of small, voluntary agencies that providethe first line of linguistic and culturally based services,often with limited funding and staff resources

Lack of professional staff in these communitiesprevents them from being practicum sites forstudents


New Central BuildingPracticum in Int’l DistrictFaculty/Agency Directors created practicum sites

in the multi-service neighborhood center:

WA Alliance for Immigration and Refugee JusticeFamilies Against Substance AbuseInt’l District Housing AllianceInternational Health ClinicWomen & Family Safety CenterCross Cultural HealthSafeFuture


Native American Learning SiteCommunity representatives from Native Americancommunities and MEP faculty work together.

A similar learning site is being developed wherefaculty/students engage with native people forproject design, outreach/advocacy, and “native wayof learning” modules.

One PAR product of these efforts is the videoproduction, “Makah Whaling: Tribal Members Speakof History, Controversy, and Meaning.”


Development of CollectiveCommunity Research Initiatives

Onsite faculty and students designed theintegration of field-based learning via collectiveresearch/service initiative with agency staffparticipation.

Research Initiatives:Directly addressed one major research/evaluation need ofcommunityProvided community access to faculty research expertiseIncreased student access to applied research training andhands-on experience


Examples of PAR ProjectsCoalition Building in the Wake of TWOExpanding Home-bound Citizenship TutoringPutting on a face on the housing trust fund:An impact study of housing trust funds onresidentsWhere are your papers? Racial profiling ofLatinosListening to Mien Community:Youth NeedsAssessment


Examples of PAR ProjectsPromoting Diversity in a Com-Based Arts OrgWorking with Elderly Immigrants fromthe former Soviet UnionDialogues with White People onRacism:Finding our roles in ending itProgram evaluation: Homebuilders withSquamish Indian TribeMusical Migration: Music as culturalpreservation


Extension of CommunityAccess to Training

One example of this initiative is the 16 weeklong, grant-writing course taught at theagency:13 staff and 7 students completed.Jointly funded by UW and Non-ProfitAssistance Center:Training offers step-by-step instructions about grant-writing processes and competenciesAt the end of the course, 13 proposals weresubmitted and 6 of them were funded


Students and agency staff taking courses together ©2001 Sue Sohng & Stella Chao

Staff and Student in the Grant Writing Class


Wrapping of AcademicCoursework

MEP faculty collaborated with human serviceprofessionals to substantially restructure MEPcurriculumAcademic coursework and research “wrapped”around field experiencesFaculty-designed structured and impromptulearning experiences teach fundamentalpractices and research content in ways thatcapitalize upon field experience


Restructuring of MEPcurriculum

Advanced Foundation course of 6 hours/week for 5 weeks,allowing remaining part of quarter for modular courses in keyareas of practice

Series of six 5 week, intensive modular courses that focus onhoning advanced practice skills

20 week-long combined social policy and participatory actionresearch sequences, closely integrated with students’ practica

Course sequence culminates in collective capstone project thatapplies policy and action research skills to practical needs

Five week “capstone seminar” integrates MEP principles andcontents and a “conference” format opportunity to shareprojects


Multiethnic PracticeConcentration Curriculum

Autumn Winter SpringWeek 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Introduction to Intergroup Dialogue Ethnographic Interviewing I and II Community Practice Women and Poverty Multiethnic Practice 2 Credits 2 Credits 3 Credits 1 Credit 1 Credit 4 Hours x 5 Weeks (Second Section)

Community Practice Practice With Workplace Diversity Conflict Resolution MEP Policy Refugees

2 Credits 1 Credit 1 Credit 1 Credit 1 Credit 2 Hours x 10 Weeks (First Section)

Field-Based Seminar on Multiethnic Participatory Action Research Capstone Seminar

4 Credits ALL 2 Hours x 20 Weeks

MEP Practicum 18 Credits

20 Hours x 30 Weeks


What is PAR?

Three Key elements that distinguishPAR from traditional approaches tosocial inquiry:

PeoplePowerPraxis


What is PAR?PEOPLE centered in the sense that inquiry isinformed by and responds to the experiencesand needs of community people.

By “Community” we mean either geographiccommunity or a community of interest – thatis, people with similar experience or sharedproblems.


What is PAR?

PAR is about POWER.

Power is crucial to the construction ofreality, language, meanings and ritualsof truth


What is PAR?PAR is also about PRAXIS.

The truth and appropriateness of theviews and decisions of PAR cannot betested other than in action.The power to name the conditions ofinjustice must be accompanied by thepower to act.


Goals in PAR

I see PAR as having three goals:Learning knowledge and skills relevantto the task at handDeveloping relationships of partnership,alliance and coalitionEngaging in effective action that winsvictories and builds self-sufficiency.


Functional Roles in PAR:Every PAR project has FOUR Functional

Roles That must be filled in order toachieve those three goals.

ANIMATORORGANIZERFACILITATORPARTICIPATORY RESEARCHER


What is the Animator?

The animator’s job may be the mostgeneral;

part translator,part facilitator,part self-esteem builder,but in essence is to help people develop asense that they and their issues areimportant.


What is the Organizer?

The Organizer role, as a catalyst, is to

Stimulate people,Emphasize process over productDon’t focus just on solutions toproblems but also on humandevelopment


What is the Facilitator?

The Facilitator sets up situations

that allow people to discover forthemselves what they already know

along with gaining for themselves newknowledge.


What is the researcher role?The Participatory Researcher is the

person whoknows how to find the referencesquickly,can construct a survey blindfolded, andcan create a research process eitherwith strong guidance from communitymembers, or in collaboration with them.


Documents

Presentation - University of Washington