LEARNING TOGETHER DURING COVID-19

Friday, August 28, 2020 | 11:00am to 12:15pm

Welcome back to the start of another semester! The Institute for Social Concerns is excited to join you in a semester of innovative community-university partnerships. During the past several months we have been blessed to visit with many of you on and off-campus. These conversations have highlighted the ongoing opportunities for effective community-engaged research, teaching, and learning. We have compiled many of these opportunities into the Community Partner and COVID-19 Updates Sheet, but we know that other potential projects and partnerships exist.

Please join us to explore together what community engagement can look like during the pandemic. Come meet campus and community leaders from South Bend and join the conversation about what we have all learned (and are learning) about effective community-university partnerships during COVID-19. This event will be highly interactive, so come ready to make new connections!

BUILDING CIVIC LEARNING: LESSONS FROM THE 19TH AMENDMENT IN THE CONTEXT OF NOVEMBER’S ELECTION

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 | 10:00am to 11:15am | Virtual Event

Dr. Christina Wolbrecht, Department of Political Science, Dr. Jay Brandenberger, Ph.D., Institute for Social Concerns, and Lulama (Lulu) Moyo, Institute for Social Concerns

Christina Wolbrecht, Ph.D., will discuss historical and current electoral trends in the context of the anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the coming national election. What can history tell us about the struggle for voting rights today? How can previous elections help us understand the historic 2020 election? How can we help our students make sense of this specific political moment, what some have called a ‘stunningly teachable moment about the importance of democracy”?

Christina Wolbrecht is professor of political science and director of the Rooney Center for the Study of American Democracy. Her recent co-authored book, A Century of Votes for Women: American Elections Since Suffrage (Cambridge 2020), examines how women voted across the first 100 years since the ratification of the 19th Amendment. Two of her earlier works were recognized with national book awards. Wolbrecht has authored articles on women as political role models, the representation of women, and partisan position-taking on education policy. She is co-editor of the journal Politics & Gender. 

SUSTAINABILITY OF A COMMUNITY-PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

Wednesday, October 14, 2020 | 11:00am to 12:15pm | Virtual Event

Maria Alexandrova, M.D., Ph.D., Eck Institute for Global Health, Dave Lassen, Institute for Social Concerns, and Lulama (Lulu) Moyo, Institute for Social Concerns

This session will explore major setbacks and adaptations when implementing a community-engaged, public health research project during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project explored HPV-prevention strategies in St. Joseph County. Successful strategies focused on proactive adjustment to the anticipated timeline and open communication with stakeholders. Future steps will also be discussed, including data sharing and communication plans.

SPANISH CBL @ 10!

Thursday, November 5, 2020 | 11:30am to 12:45pm | Virtual Event

Rachel Rivers Parroquin, Ph.D., Director, Spanish Community-Based Learning
Elena Mangione-Lora, MA., Teaching Professor, Spanish
Amber Grimmer, ’20, Student Researcher, Spanish Community-Based Learning
Cynthia Trujillo, ’21, Student Researcher, Spanish Community-Based Learning

Spanish Community-Based Learning (CBL) is in its 11th year of partnership between the Institute for Social Concerns and the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures. Hear how the cohort of six faculty have worked with three key community partners to develop deep learning opportunities for students and help create positive impact in the community. 

Rachel Rivers Parroquín will give a brief overview of the past decade’s work. Elena Mangione-Lora will discuss the newest Spanish CBL course—an introduction to translation and interpretation with a community translation focus. Student researchers Amber Grimmer, ’20, and Cynthia Trujillo, ’21, will present on community impact research being conducted that gives voice to the community partners’ perspectives on our work.