April 2014
COMMUNITY CALL
(left to right) 9th Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference keynote speaker Alfred “Coach” Powell, President and CEO of the Human Motivations Council and Human Motivations Circle and Dr. Brian Williams, Director of the Crim Center
April 2014: The Crim Center Community Call By Dr. Brian Williams, Director of Crim Center Welcome to the April 2014 edition of the Community Call. In this month’s newsletter we’ve got a lot of great stories for you. First, you’ll read about the Good Neighbor Program sponsored by the Atlanta Housing Authority. You’ll also read about our new partnership with Junior facebook.com/crimcenter
Achievement and a new book by four of our Affiliated Faculty on service learning. Finally, we have a great update about the 9th Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference.
on our trip to Selma, Alabama with our Early College, African American Male Initiative and Beyond the Bricks Project Community Producers students.
Of course, if you like what you Check our website later this read, like us on Facebook, month for a film review by a Crim Instagram and Twitter. Center Intern and some updates @AlonzoACrimCUEE
@AlonzoACrimCUEE
For full articles and to learn more about the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence, please go to our website: crim.education. gsu. edu
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Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
Strengthening the Community of Believers The 9th Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference took place on Saturday, April 19 at Georgia State University’s College of Education. The event was hosted by the Alonzo A. Crim Center of Urban Educational Excellence and organized by the Crim Center’s Urban Education Think Tank (UETT) and Affiliated Faculty. (below top) Dr. Namisi Chilungu and Dr. Alyssa Dunn from the GSU College of Education listen during a Sources Conference Presentation; (below bottom) UETT members Anthony Outler and Brandon Lewis at the conference
In addition to these post-secondary institutions, Sources also included presentations from students from Freedom Middle School and KIPP Vision Academy as well as community advocates from Project South. Fifty-seven presentations took place during the day long conference. All of the presentations connected in some way to this year’s theme, Strengthening the Community of Believers: A Legacy of Excellence. Sources presenter and Crim Center intern Kurston Williams said, “Being a part of Sources helped me to connect with the community on a more personal level where everyone was able to actively engage in conversation beneficial to society as a whole.” A conference survey respondent also shared her experience, “As a professor, I love the opportunity that Sources presents for my students to share their research/ projects at a professional conference AND be exposed to critical scholarship and pedagogy from attending all of the other sessions.” In addition to the presentations attendees enjoyed the music of saxophonist and music educator Ryan Kilgore. The Atlanta native has worked with many musical greats including Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis. In addition to touring the world performing, Kilgore is also committed to investing in music education for local youth through his organization the Ryan Kilgore Foundation.
Since its inception in 2005, the Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference has created an interdisciplinary space to discuss and organize around the solutions to challenges in urban education. As the one of the leading urban education conferences in the southeast United States, Sources seeks to not only highlight the research and perspectives of higher education faculty and scholars, but also those of pre-service and in-service K-12 educators, graduate students, policy makers, and community workers interested in forging and sustaining a positive educational agenda in urban schools. More than 180 participants attended this year’s conference. Many had the chance to serve as both a presenter and an attendee throughout the day. This year, Sources drew participants from throughout the state of Georgia. In addition to Georgia State University, participants came from the University of Georgia, North Georgia College and State University, Emory University, Western Carolina University, Morehouse College, and Clayton State University.
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Professional saxophonist and music educator Ryan Kilgore performing at the Sources Conference.
Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
“As a professor, I love the opportunity that Sources presents for my students to share their research/projects at a professional conference AND be exposed to critical scholarship and pedagogy from attending all of the other sessions.” Sources PostConference survey respondent Photos from the 9th Annual Sources Conference
The keynote speaker Alfred “Coach” Powell, President and CEO of the Human Motivations Council and Human Motivations Circle, delivered an unapologetic address to educators and parents alike. He urged us to remember the history and observe the conditions of urban communities and to use this frame of reference when working with youth from those communities. In regard to being actively involved in the lives of urban youth Coach Powell said, “What you do now will be history for the rest of your life.” He also reminded participants that it is up to them to take responsibility as leaders of children and stewards of the community saying, “Children want to follow, and to be a parent means to lead. Inspire and expect moral reasoning from your child.” The Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference is organized each year by a committed group of students, educators, and community leaders. Thank you to all those who organized the event and to those who joined us at this year’s conference. To learn more about the Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference please contact Dr. Brian Williams at bawiili@gsu.edu.
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Dr. Joyce King convening with attendees during lunch at the 9th Annual Sources of Urban Educational Excellence Conference
Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
GSU, the Community and the Crim Center: Engaged Scholarship By Dr. Brian Williams & Dana E. Salter, M.Ed., Crim Center Staff
In 2011, GSU President Dr. Mark P. Becker officially launched the university’s strategic plan. The plan was designed to guide the university on a path to being “recognized as a dynamic academic community where teaching and research combine to produce leaders and create solutions to conquer the challenges of the 21st century.” Two of the plan’s goals, in particular, are connected directly to the Crim Center’s mission regarding research and scholarship. Goal three of the plan reads: [GSU will] become a leading public research university addressing the most challenging issues of the 21st century. Goal four states: [GSU will] be a leader in understanding the complex challenges of cities and developing effective solutions.
As GSU moves forward in the implementation of its strategic plan and Many people who have done work at continues to position itself as a leading intersection of the community and the urban research university in the university understand that there are Southeast, there are critical questions tensions between the above stated goals. with which the university community For example, communities may distrust must grapple. What is the value of universities and their research agendas. Members of these communities may feel empirical research to schools and communities in metro-Atlanta and that the research is irrelevant to and beyond? How do we overcome the disconnected from their needs. challenges to making research accessible Furthermore, because of the way that universities have defined research and the and relevant to the community stakeholders? How do community associated processes, community stakeholders inform research initiatives knowledge is not often valued as and developing lines of inquiry at GSU? legitimate. Finally, community-based research produced by the university often The university’s ability or inability to answer these question will inevitably goes unread and underutilized by the influence the degree to which the very communities it is designed to serve. These tensions inevitably limit the degree research produced at GSU impacts the decisions of schools and communities in to which universities and communities metro-Atlanta and beyond. can work together to solve the critical problems facing their shared world.
“What is the value of empirical research to schools and communities in metro-Atlanta and beyond? How do we overcome the challenges to making research accessible and relevant to the community stakeholders? How do community stakeholders inform research initiatives and developing lines of inquiry at GSU?”
In their upcoming book, Pleasants and Salter (2014) explain that many postsecondary institutions have begun to address the question above through engaged scholarship - “scholarly activity that links teaching, research and service and that seeks to provide mutually beneficial outcomes to both university communities and those in surrounding geographic regions. However, much of the promise of that strategy will depend on continued exploration of how the goals and outcomes of this work are equitably co-created and determined.” (p. 5) To that end, the Crim Center is uniquely positioned as a research and service center that helps members of the community and university scholars build equitable and sustainable relationships around research and community based solutions to the challenges facing urban education.
Engaged scholarship can be defined as “...scholarly activity that links teaching, research and service and that seeks to provide mutually beneficial outcomes to both university communities and those in surrounding geographic regions. However, much of the promise of that strategy will depend on continued exploration of how the goals and outcomes of this work are equitably co-created and determined.” (Pleasants & Salter, 2014, p. 5) Pleasants, H. M. & Salter, D. E. (May, 2014). Writing oneself into the story. In H. M. Pleasants and D. E. Salter (Eds.) Community based multiliteracies and digital media projects: Questioning assumptions and exploring realities. New York: Peter Lang Publishers.
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Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
“...I
had to let go a little of the rigid curriculum map I had in my mind. And when I did that and helped the students learn the process for addressing problems they see in their world, the standards happened.” (below) Editors and contributors to In the Service of Learning and Empowerment at the April 17, 2014 book talk at the Auburn Avenue Research Library
New Book: In the Service of Learning & Empowerment Georgia State University College of Education professors and Crim Center Affiliated Faculty Dr. Vera L. Stenhouse, Dr. Olga S. Jarrett, Dr. Rhina M. Fernandes Williams and Dr. E. Namisi Chilungu published a new edited book titled In the Service of Learning and Empowerment: Service- Learning, Critical Pedagogy, and the Problem-Solution Project. Unique to this collection are the reported experiences of teacher educators who implement Problem-Solution Projects in their courses; preservice teachers’ reflections on cohort-driven Problem-Solution Projects; and first-year and veteran teachers stories featuring ProblemSolution Projects initiated by their PK-5 students.
empowered students and teachers is an opportunity to develop a better humanity.”
During the April 17, 2014 book launch at downtown Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue Research Library, several teacher contributors to the book discussed their experiences with Problem-Solution Projects, writing the chapters for the book, and how this work connects to the current Common Core Standards curriculum. One participate noted, “This wasn’t easy- I had to let go a little of the rigid curriculum map I had in my mind. And when I did that and helped the students learn the process for addressing problems they see in their world, the standards happened; they In discussing her book, Dr. Stenhouse explained, “The did research, persuasive writing, media literacy, social studies, Problem-Solution Project was inspired by a desire to counteract critical thinking and analysis.” feelings of helplessness, by cultivating the empowerment of students and their teachers to be involved in service as a vehicle For more information about this book, please contact Dr. Vera for learning and change. Any opportunity to build a cadre of Stenhouse at vsenhouse@gsu.edu
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Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
Junior Achievement By Carmen Cunningham, Crim Center Intern
The Crim Center is proud to highlight our partnership with Junior Achievement of Georgia. Junior Achievement, affectionately known as JA, is an organization that inspires and prepares young people to succeed in a global economy. It is the world’s largest organization directly dedicated to educating students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs. The Crim Center’s collegiate volunteers Junior Achievement and the Crim Center reinforce the importance of postfuse together the GSU student community secondary education and volunteerism… and local, urban classrooms and students to while JA provides the constituent base and investigate key concepts of financial network. Through this positive and literacy. JA provides GSU volunteers with productive linking, we are able to push the opportunity to work with students both both organizations missions’ forward.” inside of the classroom and out. Our Junior Achievement, along with our other volunteers have the chance to either share community partners and students who their knowledge and experiences while serve through these partnerships, is a part delivering JA’s curriculum in classrooms, or of the Crim Center’s Community of work with students in JA’s Chick-fil-A Believers. This network is comprised of Foundation Discovery Center. This is where organizations and individuals who believe the JA curriculum comes to life. In this in the potential of the city’s children and 50,000 square feet space inside of the who were willing to invest in that Georgia World Congress Center, students potential. For more information on JA engage in an authentic and interactive and how you can get involved, visit marketplace representative of Atlanta’s www.georgia.ja.org or contact Dana local business community. Salter, the Community Service Specialist Since JA’s opening in September of 2013, in the Crim Center at dsalter@gsu.edu today! the Crim Center and JA connection has
“The partnership just makes sense. The Crim Center’s collegiate volunteers reinforce the importance of post-secondary education and volunteerism… while JA provides the constituent base and network. Through this positive and productive linking, we are able to push both organizations missions’ forward”.
Kim Baker, M. Ed Director of Programs Junior Achievement of Georgia
(below) College of Education students Adeseke Ijidakinro, NgocLan Nguyen, Nicole Rodriguez & Emmanuel Rojas completed their Field Experience hours at JA through the Crim Center's Discover Education 3.1 Program.
served 671 students in the Metro Atlanta area. Kim Baker, JA’s Director of Programs, notes that “The partnership just makes sense. Photos of JA’s Biz Town and ___ at the the Discovery Center at the Georgia World (below) Photos of JA’s Biz Town and Finance Park at the Discovery Center at the Georgia World Congress Congress Center. Center. Georgia State University is proud to be highlighted in Finance Park. Students visiting Finance Park get
an opportunity to explore GSU and learn more about how GSU helps Atlanta “embrace discovery and creativity that improves our world.” GSU Strategic Plan (Photos by Carmen Cummingham)
Photos by Carmen Cunningham
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Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
Are You a Good Neighbor? By Anique Hameed, Crim Center Graduate Research Assistant
The Good Neighbor program, supported by the Atlanta Housing Authority, has been housed in the Alonzo A. Crim Center for over 10 years. This interactive training program empowers participants to be active members of their communities, and assists them in becoming self-sufficient problem solvers within their homes and neighborhoods. Participants are classified as Housing Choice Participants (formerly known as Section 8) and all family members over 18 in a household are able to partake in the class and receive a certification.
“There are many benefits of the program. Our participants leave empowered, with new knowledge and experiences. Our goal is to make it an enjoyable interactive learning experience for our participants.” Angelique Spruill, MSW, Director of The Good Neighbor Program
When asked about further advancing the success of the program Angelique said, “This year, a new goal setting and evaluation aspect of the program will be implemented so we can track participants’ goals and ensure their success over time.” In addition, the Good Neighbor staff facilitated a mock training workshop with the Atlanta Housing Authority staff so that they could experience and give feedback on supporting the program. Also, Angelique will present Growth has been tremendous for The Good Neighbor Program and there doesn’t seem to be an the program at the National Organization of end in sight. Since 2007, Good Neighbor has served Human Services conference in Las Vegas in October. over 12,500 individual participants. Between 2007 and 2012, there was a 92% successful program With much success and growth to look forward to, completion rate. In 2013, that increased to 94% Good Neighbor will continue connecting families, successful program completion rate. In addition, developing leaders, and sustaining quality between 2007-2012, the Good Neighbor staff neighborhoods in Atlanta. received a 98% satisfaction rating from participants. To learn more about The Good Neighbor Program, In the 2013-2014 cycle, that rating increased to a please contact Angelique Spruill, MSW at 99% rating. aspruill@gsu.edu. Angelique Spruill, MSW, Director of The Good Neighbor Program, has been leading this initiative since 2007. She explains, “There are many benefits of the program. Our participants leave empowered, with new knowledge and experiences. Our goal is to make it an enjoyable interactive learning experience for our participants.”
(left) Good Neighbor program GRA and GSU Doctoral student Michele Mitchell leading a workshop on family safety during an AHA session
(right) an Atlanta community in the shadow of Grady Hospital in downtown Atlanta
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Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
COMMUNITYCALL April 2014
THANK YOU for joining the ATLANTA HAWKS in supporting the GSU Early College Program! The Early College Program and the Crim Center would like to offer a warm thank you to the Atlanta Hawk organization and all who supported our “Send an Early College Student to a Hawks Game” promotion. A special thank you to Meghan Duffy of the Atlanta Hawks for all of her assistance with this event.
Susan Ogletree
Darrel Gopie
Wing Chan
Natasha Anderson
Larry Salter
Namisi Chilungu
Tricia Shumper
Terri Pines
Tene Davis
Jessica Jamison
Gil Flores Jr
Alyssa Dunn
Chloe Jackson
Marcus Thorne
Gwen Benson
Ebrik Coffee Room
Rodney Williams
John Williams
Branden Salter
Emma McCain
Brian Williams
Dana E. Salter
STAY INFORMED
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ABOUT THE CRIM CENTER Founded in 1996, the Alonzo A. Crim Center is an interdisciplinary hub that works to ensure that no person is alienated from or by education within urban communities. We are a place in which the Community of Believers are able to come in order to support one another's educational needs and endeavors. Each year, the Center delivers programming and support services to over +10,000 adults and children at a cost of about $100.00 per person/child per year. Through partnerships, donations and support we are proud to offer programs that benefit our school communities. Volunteerism allows us to offer over 38,000 volunteer hours to the community each year. Of course, we would love for you to volunteer in any of our research and service efforts. Join us today and become a part of the "Community of Believers."
@AlonzoACrimCUEE
Interested in supporting our work? Contact Community Outreach Specialist, Dana E. Salter at dsalter@gsu.edu or 404. 413. 8072.
http://bit.ly/Give2Crim
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“Although the Hawks didn’t win [the game], it was a fun event! Spending time with my Early College and African American Male Initiative fmaily was great!”
Alex Crittle, III GSU Early College Student
UPCOMING EVENTS
DREAM Summer Insti tute at GSU! FREE prog ram for m etroAtlanta rising 10th-12 th graders! June 9- July 25, 2014 Topics include: - Strengthening math fundamentals - Cultural awareness - Robotics and engineer ing - Creating Thinking and Writin - Forming a Cultural & So cial Identity For morning info cont act: rturner11@gsu.edu Register by June 2, 20 14
Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence: crim.education.gsu.edu
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