stimulate. inspire. interact. Cincinnati Community Engagement Precedents motivate educate. develop. connect. exchange.
Jenny Renn Key B.S. in Interior Design Honors Exepiernce Spring 2013
research and community service project supplementing the interior design capstone research of Sync OTR: Grow
1.0 Cincinnati Precedents WORDplay Summary of Visit & Interview The first non-profit I branched out to was a creative writing center that opened recently in the summer of 2012. I first heard about WORDplay through one of my professors and cofounder of the organization, Elissa Yancey and asked her further questions during our volunteering training. WORDplay’s mission states they are, “dedicated to helping children find their voice through literacy and creative expression while developing the skills, knowledge, and character necessary for them to succeed.” Elissa mentioned they pride their programs how they’ve formed developed interesting ways of learning. Some of the students don’t get to see their world outside their narrow frame. WORDplay provides after-school help with a one-to-one tutor-student ratio.
Connection to Capstone ratio. The tutors are trained to create excitement for the kids and are just as a important, vital component for the program as the youth. WORDplay also strives to create an environment where kids feel safe and valued. Elissa says with the one-to-one ration, trust grows. Sometimes these kids just need someone to listen to and their tutor becomes that contact. The tutors, in return, gain a lot from the service they provide as well as act as a family themselves. WORDplay also offered professional development.
I was pleasantly surprised how well it could connect to my capstone. I noticed some holes in my senior project such as a place to train tutors so my program can ensure a space for proper orientation for volunteers to become acclimated. I also noticed that their program is narrowed down to a set grouping of activities per month and/ or per week. This kind of organization was important for the volunteers to all be on the same page. Each kid has their own files where the parents get to see their progress as well as the tutors.
image source: http://wordplaycincy.org/
image source: http://www.artworkscincinnati.org/
2.0 Cincinnati Precedents ArtWorks Summary of Interview ArtWorks has very engaging activities for youth to become creatively involved in the community. Their site lists some of the events they hold every month but the bulk of their volunteering opportunities land in the summer. Here is a direct schedule of events for volunteers from their website: Recruit teenagers by giving presentations at schools (Jan - April) Interviewing apprentices for summer employment (early May) Volunteer with Secret ArtWorks (October-November) Assisting with mailings (year round) General office help (year round)
Connection to Capstone Typically, Artworks hires multiple of both Project Manager positions as well as Teaching Artist positions during the summer each year and assign specific public arts projects that happen. cost of the positions available are related to larger, public mural paintings but there are other projects that are not “strictly painting” according to Rosie Kovacs, Talent Coordinator. ArtWorks looks for a 1:4 ratio of positions for youth students and reaches out to local artists, and art students from DAAP and etc.
Already outlined in my program, but reinforced by the artworks foundation would be the inclusion of local volunteers and staff to be involved with the youth’s education and creative development. This direct attachment to my program fills the request of multigenerational organizations contributing further to the community. When NPO touch more age groups in a single neighborhood, those gaps between the generations become less blurry, and better understood. Practices are carried through and traditions could even emerge.
3.0 Cincinnati Precedents
Keep Cincinnati Beautiful / Future Blooms Summary of Visit & Interview Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and Future Blooms has been on many people’s radar if they have ever driven or walked through Over-the-Rhine in the past five years. They have been cleaning up empty lots, painting facades, and planting landscape plants in attempts to “keep Cincinnati beautiful”. I sat down with Jenna Hudson before their next volunteering weekends in the months to come to discuss her key points on the organization as well as her opinion of their work. She reminded me that Cincinnati has fiftytwo neighborhoods, each one being “so distinct”. Jenna believes people can live in harmony and it’s all about feeling comfortable and interesting. She explained that currently, Keep Cincinnati
Connection to Capstone Beautiful staffs eight to nine people, not including the volunteers, five of those staffed being DAAP graduates. She believes kids can picture their future environment based on the improvements the organization has made. KCB involves many pockets of the community. They collaborate with UC students, corporate organizations, and youth programs to help volunteer and with specific events / projects, other non-profits, nature counseling, healing community building, and have even started a Neighborhood Enhancement Program.
Jenna had some great suggestions for my senior capstone after her extensive involvement in Over-the-Rhine. She advised to think universal needs, bridging socioeconomic classes. One of her main points she kept emphasizing trailed back to the interaction between the pockets of the “communities”. Even within Over-the-Rhine’s small footprint, there’s such a vast difference between the block-to-block culture. She said great organizations, and great spaces, such as Washington Park, connect the people, despite cultural or socioeconomic differences.
image source: http://wordplaycincy.org/
stimulate. inspire. interact. Cincinnati Community Engagement Precedents motivate educate. develop. connect. exchange.