"It Takes a Village": The Big Buddy Program Parents' Perspectives

• In Event: Fostering University-Community-School Partnerships

Abstract

The Big Buddy Program connects K-8 children experiencing homelessness in Queens county, New York, with undergraduate students to provide authentic mentoring experiences. We document the perspectives of parents, after one academic year, within a social justice framework, applying concepts of empowerment, critical consciousness, and systemic injustice. Our data source was a focus group interview. Using constant comparison as an analytical framework, three themes emerged that addressed empowerment and critical consciousness and five themes emerged that addressed systemic injustices. Findings show how critical service-learning experiences supported families, as they navigated systemic social, economic, and ecological inequities. We offer implications for ongoing research and program improvement. We suggest dialogic next steps for including families and communities to improve the work we do.

Authors

• Theodore B. Kesler, Queens College, CUNY

• Karla R Manning, Queens College