Designing Dialogues for School and Community Transformation: A Model of University-Community Planning for College Access

• In Event: Philanthropy and Community Partnerships

Abstract

This paper documents a model of collaboration between Education and Design scholars intended to create a co-participatory space for Latino and African American youth and families to both literally and figuratively “map” the realities of and dreams for their neighborhoods. These neighborhoods are part of the ISU 4U Promise, an innovative early commitment partnership between Iowa State University and two urban elementary schools in Des Moines. Using a novel form of data collection, this paper describes the maps created by youth in response to questions about themselves as learners and their neighborhoods as learning places, as well as the responses of their parents to the youth’s mapping of their worlds. How these data inform partnership development will be described.

Authors

• Katherine R. Bruna, Iowa State University

• Jane Rongerude, Iowa State University

• Glennda M. Bivens, Iowa State University

• Kim Greder

• Carla A. McNelly, Iowa State University

• Jacqueline Nester