Navigating Success: The Community Engineer Model

• In Event: 30.036 - Community and University Partnerships to Enhance the Academic Success and Well-Being of African American Youth

Abstract

Objective. It is not always about removing obstacles; sometimes it is about how we maneuver around the mountain, or even through it. The objective of this paper, then, is to highlight a creative case management model that is currently being implemented in San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Oakland Unified School District (OUSD). The objective of the model is to help design a path to success, as well assess what the best path might be; to identify and help students prepare for potential obstacles and barriers; to help students use the proper tools to navigate around barriers and provide support along the journey.

Perspective. This case management model is rooted in the African American tradition of faith, high expectation and perseverance. These traditions are intertwined and true to the spirit of resilience. The idea of faith, the notion that we believe when no one else believes; that we keep believing even when it looks bleak; that is the resiliency exemplified in the African American experience; the community engineer includes that in the planning.

Methods. There are four steps in this case management model that help all get to the empower stage of development: 1) Expect; 2) Expose; 3) Educate; 4) Equip; 5) Empower. In this model, we begin with expectations not as the solution, but part of the formula, or part of the equation that helps solve or address larger issues that require students to feel empowered to make a difference in their own lives and their communities. SFUSD and OUSD working in partnership with one another has resulted in 100s of students who have been, are currently and will be impacted by a robust case management system that allows school districts, families, and community-based organizations (CBO) to communicate in a more seamless fashion and, thus, allowing for more timely and targeted student support. A mixed methods evaluation is being performed during the 2016-2017 school year that will highlight what has worked well and what is in need of improvement. Ultimately, it is hoped that the case management system can be replicated in other school districts throughout the Bay Area and, ultimately, in other urban areas with similar issues as San Francisco and Oakland.

Scholarly Significance. This work represents an important contribution to the literature for a number of reasons. First, the case management system was developed by a community member with a keen sense of student issues, as opposed to a professor who is far removed from students’ daily lives and associated issues. In addition, the entire process of forming the community-university partnership was documented and has the potential to serve as a blueprint for faculty, in particular, who are interested in authentically collaborating with CBOs—those serving African American youth and adults, in particular.

Author

• Malik S. Henfield, University of San Francisco