I was delighted to attend the National Communication Association's 110th Annual conference in New Orleans.
Considering Connections Beyond the Classroom:
Building Community Partnerships with Greater Regard for Local Concerns
Top Panel, Instructional Development Division 🏆
The 2024 Convention theme, "Communication for a Greater Regard," urges us to collaborate and connect across diverse communities and educational opportunities as responsible stewards. As educators, we continuously update our courses and assignments to not only refine our students' skills, but also to empower them to become agents for positive social change. Many local organizations and businesses are already committed to long-term relationships aimed at improving surrounding communities. Expanding the learning experience beyond the classroom by creating instructional materials and experiences that actively involve local groups can have lasting impacts on enhancing our shared social spaces. Moreover, collaborations between students and community groups that promote socio-economic, cultural, and technological initiatives through engagement and advocacy can make a tangible difference in addressing these issues.
Our panelists will elaborate on how their assignments transcend typical service-learning opportunities (where interactions often end with the completion of the assignment, thus terminating the relationship) to address both parties' current and future needs, fostering mutually beneficial and ongoing interactions. In this context, our panel aligns with NCA First Vice President, Dr. Jeanetta D. Sims’ call to embrace, “the three-fold nature of our collective, magnificent stewardship of communication for greater regard: (1) greater regard for what has been before us, (2) greater regard for what is presently around us, and (3) greater regard for what will be beyond us.”
Learning Objectives
- Attendees will learn about courses designed to foster community partnerships for ongoing relationships as panelists suggest ways to design courses and assignments for experiential learning in community projects.
- Panelists will discuss strategies for addressing complex and potentially challenging classroom topics, such as socioeconomic disparities, race, gender discrimination, immigration, and politics, through their instruction and the structuring of integrated community partnerships.
The 2024 Convention theme, "Communication for a Greater Regard," urges us to collaborate and connect across diverse communities and educational opportunities as responsible stewards. As educators, we continuously update our courses and assignments to not only refine our students' skills, but also to empower them to become agents for positive social change. Many local organizations and businesses are already committed to long-term relationships aimed at improving surrounding communities. Expanding the learning experience beyond the classroom by creating instructional materials and experiences that actively involve local groups can have lasting impacts on enhancing our shared social spaces. Moreover, collaborations between students and community groups that promote socio-economic, cultural, and technological initiatives through engagement and advocacy can make a tangible difference in addressing these issues.
Our panelists will elaborate on how their assignments transcend typical service-learning opportunities (where interactions often end with the completion of the assignment, thus terminating the relationship) to address both parties' current and future needs, fostering mutually beneficial and ongoing interactions. In this context, our panel aligns with NCA First Vice President, Dr. Jeanetta D. Sims’ call to embrace, “the three-fold nature of our collective, magnificent stewardship of communication for greater regard: (1) greater regard for what has been before us, (2) greater regard for what is presently around us, and (3) greater regard for what will be beyond us.”
Learning Objectives
- Attendees will learn about courses designed to foster community partnerships for ongoing relationships as panelists suggest ways to design courses and assignments for experiential learning in community projects.
- Panelists will discuss strategies for addressing complex and potentially challenging classroom topics, such as socioeconomic disparities, race, gender discrimination, immigration, and politics, through their instruction and the structuring of integrated community partnerships.
Presentations
- From Rust Belt to Revitalization: Designing a Collaborative, Community-initiative Communication Course by Kasey Hudak, Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington
- Make Tomorrow Yours: A Nonprofit Certification Program for Incarcerated Individuals by Carolina Brown, Salisbury University
- Bridging Boundaries: Strengthening Community Connections through Innovative Partnerships in Communication Courses by Rachel Diana Davidson and Jenny Moss, Hanover College
- Courageous Conversations: Finding Common Ground on Community and Social Concerns by Renee Hobbs, University of Rhode Island
- Mobilizing Students for Food Security and Justice: Challenges and Opportunities for Community Partnerships by Jasmine Linabary, University of Arizona
- Becoming Change Agents in Their Communities: Empowering Students through Embedded Community Engagement Projects by Hyunsook Youn, California State University, Channel Islands
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