Center for Community and Civic Engagement

Anita Chikkatur’s Educational Studies course explored race, ethnicity, sex, social class and other factors that influence school achievement, as well as the assumption that the expansion of schooling can increase equality of opportunity in society. Students in the course worked in small groups on civic engagement projects that put them in direct contact with students and faculty at Northfield schools to investigate the role of schools in society and the impact of society on schools.

One group examined early childhood education by interviewing parents and program coordinators, attempting to better understand the benefits of early childhood education as well as the barriers to accessing it. Their goal was to learn about community members’ needs for supporting their young children and learn about how communities have provided resources and support to do so. Reflecting on the project, one student wrote, “This project allowed me to get a really in depth and localized view of the breadth of reasons why some students were not enrolled [in early childhood education].”  

Another group studied a playwriting class to explore how arts education supports language development, and how the performance of student plays enhances intercultural understanding within the Northfield community. In their observation of the playwriting class, the group wrote, “Through participation in Ms. Lompart’s class, students gain confidence in their right to express themselves and to discuss the issues that are important to them. Her students…learn that their voices matter.”

The findings of both projects were put into group papers that tied the experiences of the projects to concepts from the course. Through these projects, not only did the students see their course materials in a “real world” context, but they were also deeply impacted by the work. As one student remarked, “It was truly a learning experience and I've felt so empowered working with students who were brave enough to speak their truth.”