UC Diversity Conference 2012 - Jessica King & Debbie Brawn, University Honors Program

1. Classroom, Community,
and Connections:
Exploring Cincinnati and Global
Diversity through Honors Seminars
Debbie Brawn & Jessica King
University of Cincinnati Honors Program
UC Diversity Conference 2012

2. Guiding Framework
“I feel that one of the most
important things I learned
was though it may not seem
so, everyone shares similar
experiences and struggles
that can be
related, especially in the
same area; this is so
important as these things
that connect us are what
make us a community.”

3. University Honors Program
University Honors is
committed to helping
students maximize their
educational opportunities
at UC while discovering and
pursuing their passions in
life and using their gifts and
talents to make meaningful
contributions to society.

4. Vision
• Emphasis on experiential learning
• Develop and link students to best practices
• Focus on four thematic areas – community
engagement, global studies, leadership, and
research/creative arts.
• Innovation and Transformation

5. Current UHP Service-Learning Programs
Course or Program UC2019 Operational Principles Objective
(other than Community)
Alternative Break in Learning/Collaboration Students explore rural Appalachian culture through an alternative break trip to Southeastern KY, working with a non-
Appalachian KY profit to build and/or rehab homes for underserved residents.
Community Engagement Learning Provides students a forum to explore their place within our campus and city communities. UC’s urban environment
Gateway: Exploring provides advantages and confronts us with challenges as we seek to enhance community. Class is held at various
Cincinnati locations on and around campus and Cincinnati.
Communication and Civic Learning Focused on a particular civic context each term. Most recently, the civic context was the Freestore Foodbank, their core
Engagement values, and the communities that they serve. Designed to integrate civic topics/issues from multiple disciplines and
engage students in civic discourse.
Leaders in Action Learning/Collaboration Designed to give students a practical understanding of what makes great leaders – characteristics as well as skills – and
experience in developing their own leadership skills. Students will design and carry out a community service project.
Faces of the Future: Learning/Collaboration Employs fiction, films, essays, speakers and experiential learning to examine the crisis of bettered youth and
Challenges and Costs of organizational attempts at intervention. Included is a weekend service trip to an Eastern Kentucky non-profit
Battered Youth residential facility for abused young people.
Sociocultural Psychology of Learning Examines aspects of the journeys of immigrant children to the US, including development, acculturation, identity,
Immigrant Children health, family relations, culturally-responsive approaches, and the child's countries of origin.
Take the Challenge for Learning, Discovery, Sustainability Students work with virtual teams overseas to design a product/service that serves a social cause and develop a
Sustainable Development business model around that product or service. They will compete with US universities in the Acara challenge.
Social Entrepreneurship and Learning, Discovery, Sustainability Introduces and promotes entrepreneurial thinking for effectively responding to key global challenges. Centers on
Global Challenges global issues such as environment, health, poverty, education, trade, and migration/immigration. The focus is on
developing a product or service responsive to a societal need while making a nominal profit.
The Achievement Gap Learning, Collaboration Inspired by the dialogue resulting from the movie, “Waiting for Superman,” this course explores the educational
inequalities related to the “achievement gap”. Visits to local public schools serve as the backdrop for discussions,
resources and projects related to the social structure of and path to educational opportunities.
Beyond IQ Learning, Collaboration Research indicates that Emotional Intelligence can be measured, can be developed over our life spans, and can have a
significant impact on both academic success and life success and happiness in general. Students will have the
opportunity to explore the concept of emotional intelligence and teach some of the skills and competencies to
Cincinnati Public School students.
Sustainable Urbanism Learning This interdisciplinary research seminar is focused on Cincinnati as a case study, introducing basic theories and methods
relevant to understanding sustainable cities and communities. Students conduct field studies. Documenting and
illustrating these findings is a key outcome.

6. Community Engagement
Learning Objectives
• Possesses awareness of purpose of service, including
need for reciprocity, understanding of social issues,
and ability to see those issues from multiple
perspectives
• Recognizes how public policies and practices, and
power and privilege, have an influence on social
issues. Explores ways to alter public policy and/or
identify solutions
• Relates, communicates, and works effectively with
others towards sustainable social change
• Participates in community and understands own role
as citizen of community

7. Thinking About Community
• What communities are we part of on a daily
basis?
• Based on your experiences, what are students’
perceptions of these communities:
• University of Cincinnati
• City of Cincinnati
• United States
• Global community at-large
• What is “community” and how does our
understanding of community impact our
perceptions and daily interactions?

8. Community Engagement Gateway
Coursework and experiential learning activities
provide students with a forum to explore their
place within our campus and city communities.
UC’s urban environment provides many
advantages and confronts us with many
challenges as we seek to enhance community.
This course strives to introduce students to
these elements as they relate to community
engagement.

9. Student Learning Outcomes
• Explore community assets, strengths, and needs
• Define, analyze, and foster “community” both within
and outside of the classroom
• Think critically about identity, values, and history
• Begin to develop relationships with community
agencies and constituents
• Acquire and demonstrate a broad, thorough
understanding of Cincinnati and its current
position, culturally, socially, regionally, etc.
• Question preconceived “truths” about
self, community, and the nature of social relations

10. Recurring Course Topics
• History of the city of Cincinnati and UC
• Educational inequality
• Social class, poverty, and homelessness
• Race, ethnicity, and culture
• Gentrification and urban renewal
• Current topics/events
• Tea Party Movement
• Planned Parenthood

11. Field Experiences
Visit locations and class session meeting
spaces, often negotiated in collaboration with
students, have included:
• Nat’l Underground Railroad Freedom Center
(Downtown)
• 3CDC (Over-the-Rhine)
• Elementz Hip Hop Youth Arts Center (West End)
• Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (Mason)
• Regional Chamber of Commerce (Downtown)
• Aiken College and Career High School (North College
Hill)
• Gay & Lesbian Community Center (Northside)
• Cincinnati Public Library (Corryville)
• Stowe House (Walnut Hills)

12. Elementz
“I would never have visited
Elementz or the Islamic
Center on my own, just
because it’s not a part of my
every day community. I
think there’s definitely
something to be said about
being able to step out of
your comfort zone and
experience something new
in order to inform your
opinion or stance on an
issue.”

13. Cincinnati Public Schools
“This class was an eye-
opening experience for me
and showed me how
diverse Cincinnati really is.
I enjoyed interacting with
my classmates, listening to
guest lecturers, and I
especially enjoyed seeing
how our relationship has
progressed with the Aiken
High School community.”

14. Teaching Hope
“Despite the saddening things like the
hardships the Aiken students have to live
with daily, the empty Corryville library, the
heart-wrenching stories of the Freedom
Writers and many others, there were lots
of heart-warming moments as well. I had
fun running around with the Aiken
students as we got locked out of the school
in mid-tour, it was a blast being taught how
to ‘dougie,’ it was eye-opening to hear the
truth about Islam from a strong and
successful Muslim woman, it was
empowering to facilitate and witness
history being made at the Freedom Writers
event; all of these moments and more were
evidence of us ’creat[ing] a positive
learning environment through a mutual
exchange of ideas and perspectives’.”

15. Student Projects
• Community Installation
Project, DAAPworks
• CenterCourt: Images from a
case study
• In a Word: How do you define
community?
• The Role of Hip Hop in
Restoring Urban
Communities
• Awareness-raising flyers

16. Understanding Community
“This course has made me create new and
rethink some thought points I had on topics...
When looking at the trips to the Islamic
Center, Aiken High School, and Elementz these
are experiences that I would never have dared to
experience on my own. But with a supporting
community around you, these trips were easier
to digest and experience… the purpose is to
broaden ourselves and what is really all around
us as a community.”

17. Current UHP Study Abroad Programs
Country UC2019 Operational Principles (other Course Title Objective
than Global)
Nicaragua Learning/Community Nicaraguan Culture and Social Service Hone Spanish speaking skills through classes and social service
India Collaboration/Sustainability Integrated Approach to Rural Development Multidisciplinary approach to solve critical rural development issues
(e.g., potable water). Collaborates with Indian NGO.
Ghana Community Women, Population and Development Study issues of population in developing countries through an
emphasis on women’s health and education
Italy Learning/Collaboration The Roman Experience Multidisciplinary approach to link art, architecture and music in Italy.
France Learning Contemporary Paris Study of contemporary Paris with emphasis on its citizens, language,
and culture
Trinidad Discovery Landscape and Environmental Change: Trinidad Study aspects of how humans have influenced Trinidad’s landscapes
and how they will continue to in the coming years; will be
considered from geologic and anthropologic perspectives.
South Africa Mission-Based Health Care Public Health and Infectious Diseases: the South African Provide students with hands-on, real word exposure to public health
Experience and infectious disease research in South Africa with a focus on
HIV/AIDS.
Brazil Sustainability Research in Natural Laboratories: Brazilian Amazon Examines the sustainability of endangered tropical ecosystems and
its potential impact on world climate.
Tanzania Sustainability/Collaboration Humanitarian Design Investigates emerging field of humanitarian design. Students
develop project that benefit non-profit working in impoverished
communities in Tanzania.
Greece/Turkey Learning Mediterranean Roots of Western Civilization: A Influence of early Greek and Turkish thoughts on western civilization
Contemporary Perspective
France Learning Study French Language A longer study abroad experience in France for students to improve
their language skills
Japan Learning Japanese Language and Culture Experience Improve Japanese language skills and cultural competence through
class and home stays.

18. Global Studies
Learning Objectives
• Possess global literacy, including knowledge of
geography, history, current world issues and
similarities and differences among cultures.
• Recognize the interdependence of world
economies, political systems and the environment.
• Interact with individuals from different cultures and
express a sensitivity, appreciation and respect for the
complex range of experiences of diverse peoples.
• Participate in a global society and understand the role
of a global citizen.

19. Integrated Approach to
Rural Development: India

20. Nicaraguan Culture and Social Service

21. Humanitarian Design: Tanzania

22. Questions?
“This class has provided an excellent medium by which
students can explore the positive potential of the city of
Cincinnati and the transformative power of a supportive,
engaged community. In this way, we are able to truly
create a community that is directed towards the
betterment of ourselves and the world around us.”
“The University Honors Trips to India and the Galapagos
Islands have influenced my decision to apply to the Peace
Corps. If it were not for those trips I would have never
considered the Peace Corps as an option. I was
nominated to work in Africa in February, 2011.”
~Ed Corbett