UMB Community Engagement in West Baltimore When is the Wedding? Alisha Ellis, Jessica Galang, Emily Smith Goering, Dorothy Kenny, Maurice Mayo, Emily Meyer, & Jazmyn Thompson
Our Process ● Discuss our diverse perspectives about the meaning of the fellowship and paper ● Define community engagement at UMB ● Examine barriers to university-community engagement ● Assess current community needs ● Generate ideas to establish an urban extension center
When is the Wedding? “Engagement” is used to get points. University will engage with data, will engage with statistics, but will not engage with the people... even if they get to the point of engagement, there is no wedding. To get to the point of the wedding, it takes both parties to have a shared recognition of what the problem is. -Dr. Kim Richards, People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISB)
Our Approach ● What is the history of UMB and West Baltimore? ● What are the current opportunities and challenges? ● What are we doing? ● What are others doing? ● Our recommendations
What is the History of UMB and West Baltimore?
Defining West Baltimore
Baltimore City District Map
History of UMB in West Baltimore UMB has worked with Stakeholders within the community in various ways: ● Creating a presence in West Baltimore ● Building partnerships ● Implementing Evidence-Based Practices (EBPS) within the community ● Engaging community in research and advocacy to support well-being of West Baltimore
What are Current Opportunities & Challenges?
Institutional Power & Diversity
Institutional Power & Diversity The ability or authority of an institution to:
Allocate resources o Decide what is best for the community o Exercise control o
● ● ● ● ●
Prejudice, Racism Privilege Language Accountability Access
Health Disparities The burden of the stress of racism, income, and residence in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty takes a significant toll on the health of individuals
Social Determinants of Health Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people: ● Are born ● Grow ● Live ● Work ● Age And include things such as: ● Income ● Education ● Employment ● Food insecurity ● Stress
Community Perspectives
Views of students are highly positive‌...
Listening to community concerns...
What are We Doing?
Current UMB Engagement Efforts ● Course-Based Initiatives o
Internships, Practicums, Service Learning, Externships, Clinical Placements
● Student-Led Initiatives o o
Student Organizations within schools Campus-wide Organizations
● Hybrid Initiatives
Organizing Engagement President’s Office
Office of Research and Development
Student Service
Office of Community Engagement (OCE)
Center for Community Based Engagement and Learning (CBEL) Interprofessional Student Learning & Service Initiatives (ISLSI)
CurriculumBased Initiatives
UMB Law Pharmacy Medicine
Hybrid Initiatives
Nursing Dental
Student Initiatives
Social Work Graduate School
Administration
Mapping and Tracking Engagement â—? CBEL and Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS): o
Mapping Course-Based Initiatives in Baltimore
â—? Community Action Network:
In development through a CBEL grant-funded project o Developing an online source that connects university resources and students with community needs and projects o
What are Others Doing?
Current Models for Organizing Online Space
Physical Space
Online Space - CoMesh
Physical Space - Dornsife Center ● Operates as a community center ● School runs programs ● Community partners create programs ● Food
Resources for Sustainability To ensure that programs and initiatives have staying power, they can not be based solely on: ● ● ● ●
Course/research goals Academic calendar implementation Participation by individual community leaders or student groups Sponsorship by university professors
Programs/Initiatives must also possess a spirit of community/university social entrepreneurship to gain financial support from private and corporate sponsors
Areas for Development o o
o
Visibility of community engagement efforts Communication between UMB schools and the community Sustainability of student involvement in the community
Remove Barriers to Community Engagement Short-term goal: o
Institutional power analysis workshop for students, faculty, & staff receiving a CBEL grant
Long-term goal: o
Mandatory power analysis & privilege workshop for all students, faculty, & staff across UMB schools
Sustainability & Expansion Short-term goals:
● Identify funding from corporate foundations ● Identify funding from private foundations ● Take ownership of the CAN database system
Sustainability & Expansion Long-term goals:
Create an Urban Extension Center modeled after Drexel’s Dornsife Center o Fund programming that is modeled off of Just Advice o Hire a Community Engagement Project Manager and a Communications Manager o
Organization & Communication Short-term goal: o
Hire a student to manage mapping system, advertise system to UMB community, encourage faculty to keep system up-to-date and relevant.
Long-term goal: o
Create a more structured online space at UMB within 5 years.
Organization, Communication, & Visibility Short-term goal: o
Create a community engagement advisory structure or “leadership table�
Long-term goal: o
UMB and its schools will have concrete lines of communication with West Baltimore community stakeholders within 5 years.
Our Vows
● ● ● ● ●
When community engagement is done properly it is a transformative experience that marries academic and residential constituents to publicly exchange vows:
I vow to be a faithful partner I vow to seek your trust and honor you I vow to support your individual goal and our mutual goals I vow to continue to court and praise you in sickness and in good health I vow to accept you as you are with all your faults and strengths and ask you to accept me with my faults and strengths ● I vow to cherish this partnership during good and bad times
This is my solemn commitment to support community engagement.
Acknowledgements ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
President Jay A. Perman, MD & the President’s Office CBEL, ISLSI, & CAN Dr. Jane Lipscomb & Dr. Megan Meyers Courtney J. Jones, Clancy Clawson, Reina Arai Pomeroy, & Pam Miller Dr. David Hoffman Dr. Kim Richards Jane Bucchieri, Scott Kashnow, & Paul Brophy Dr. Barbara Israel Ms. Sherita Smith Dr. Mark Warren Lisa Rawlings Christina Lauderdale Michael Scott Todd Vanidestine Amy Cohen-Callow, Polly Reinicker, Elizabeth Weber, & Megan Thomas