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[ourtomorrow]

Conversations Across Difference

By: LeeAnne Sipe, University of New Orleans, & Nicole Caridad Ralston, Tulane University

The University of New Orleans and Tulane University’s “Conversations Across Difference” started as a conversation between us as friends and colleagues and became a reality thanks to Campus Compact’s Fund for Positive Engagement. The 12-week series was designed to prepare students for empathetic and effective dialogue to foster understanding and empower one another to create positive change on campus and in the community. We wanted to encourage self-reflection about (1) one’s attitudes, (2) the impact one has on a community based on their social identities, (3) ways to engage one’s intercultural stress points to promote growth, and (4) creating change for an inclusive and equitable community. If you’re interested in more details about the program, you can read our final report here.

Lots of us are trying to find ways to engage our students, to help them lean into divergent perspectives with empathy and understanding. Our program discussions were heavily impacted by our city: New Orleans. What works for your students might look very different than what we tried—if you’re beginning this kind of work on your campus, here are some surprises that we encountered that might help you along the way!

Surprise #1: Students' hesitation to engage in online spaces.

Despite research on Generation Z living with iPhones in hand, very few respondents reported feeling "digitally hyperconnected." Participants reported that they’d prefer more in-person meetings if the program continues. While we also enjoyed our time together in person, we feel that effectively engaging intercultural stresspoints in digital spaces is particularly difficult and therefore all the more important to practice. We are exploring other online spaces for discussions to take place that feel less academic.

Surprise #2: Limited gender diversity.

While men's campus involvement is in decline nationally, we were surprised that so few men applied and that those who were accepted dropped the program so quickly. In informal discussions with participants as to why they thought men might not want to participate in the program, we had useful discussion about men's socialization not to self-reflect or engage in considering others' thought and feelings. They might not want to participate, or they might not know how. If the program continues, we will meet with students to discuss why they would see value in such a program or not.

Surprise #3: The degree of students' growth.

The tool we used indicates that roughly 50 hours of intentional work through an intercultural development plan is required to move from one classification on the intercultural development continuum (IDC) to the next. Because the program required about 25 hours, we were shocked to see so many students move so far up the continuum.

Surprise #4: Participant melt.

While we anticipated melt in the program because it heavily relied on student self-direction, it was interesting to see that all of the students who dropped the program fell within the same two orientations on the IDC (denial or minimization). While both orientations are at different developmental levels, they share the concept of not seeing culture or minimizing culture as a relevant factor in situations. Without knowing their results, it would make sense that these students might miss the value in the program since engaging deeply in culture might not yet be an interest they have.

Surprise #5: The need for over-communication.

Because the program was primarily self-directed -- as was explained to students at the start -- we were shocked at the degree of over-communication that participants required of us. We reminded them about meetings. We reminded them about each post. We reminded them about engaging in their intercultural development plans. We spent much of our time serving the same purpose as a calendar notification. We'd made assumptions that students who would participate in such a program would be self-motivated. Turns out we needed to nudge that a little bit.

Every campus is different. In your work to foster effective and empathetic civic engagement, open yourself to surprises and change course accordingly.

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Forging Campus Connections: Sustainability & Service

By: Lexi Reynolds, ISSP Sustainability Associate, Rider University

At the core of sustainability are three pillars: People, planet, and profit. Each one relies on the next for the planning of a sustainable future, which moves towards actions that account for the needs of present populations while keeping our future generations in mind. Being sustainable in our thoughts and actions depends on more than recycling and turning off lights, and requires us think about how we impact tomorrow in the way we live today.

To conclude our participation in the eight-week, national RecycleMania competition at Rider University, the Office of Sustainability teamed up with the Office of Service Learning to host our first ever Service Day of Service event in March. In an effort to get students thinking globally and acting locally, we brought together a service fair with a sustainability focus for the first time.

Students got to be involved in hands-on efforts to turn waste into sustainable solutions through on-site service projects, and learn from local non-profit organizations about how they can get involved in efforts taking place in the local community. Tabling organizations from the area included the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, United Way of Greater Mercer County, and the Kisses for Kyle Foundation. These groups work diligently towards relieving the impacts of poverty and childhood cancer for the people in the New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania area, by providing services like free meals, health screenings, literacy programs, and support for families dealing with cancer.

Rider’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity hosted a denim collection for recycling jeans into housing insulation through the Blue Jeans Go Green organization, which donates a portion of their product back to Habitat projects around the nation. The Rider Service Leaders helped students make their own planters from upcycled single-use plastic bottles, to bring air quality improving plants into their dorm rooms. Brothers of Alpha Phi Omega led participants in a “plarning” project, in which yarn is created from upcycled plastic shopping bags to be knit into durable and waterproof blankets that are sent to homeless shelters. Old freshman orientation shirts also got a new life at Circle K’s project table, where fabric scraps were upcycled into dog toys for a local dog shelter.

Opportunities were available to sign up for upcoming civic engagement events in the community, like the seasonal Clean Ocean Action Beach Sweeps and the 2018 NJ March for Science. People who attended also got the chance to pick up a free ceramic mug by taking a “Mug Shot” and pledging that they would make the swap to reusable cups, to help reduce the amount of waste we are generating as a society as a result of disposable conveniences.

Making sustainable personal choices is the first step towards a healthier planet for all. But we can’t stop at bringing fabric totes to the grocery store. Opportunities to learn about and get involved with organizations and activities that help to better the community and alleviate the impacts of societal issues like hunger, homelessness, lack of access to educational resources, and environmental health hazards are absolutely necessary to work towards a better tomorrow.

The process of fixing systematic problems that damage the environment, and harm the people living in it, starts with taking action in your community and pitching in to better the quality of life for all.

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Let’s Talk: Finding Common Ground

By Katie Wullert, PhD candidate, Stanford University

The growing political divide in this country is news to no one, but we are often able to avoid the ramifications of this in our private lives by surrounding ourselves with like-minded people and inhabiting ideologically homogeneous social spaces online and in the real world. Every year on the fourth Thursday in November, however, it becomes hard to prevent the political divide from intruding into our private lives as liberal nieces go toe-to-toe with conservative uncles and conservative cousins face off against progressive aunts. 

This political showdown is not playing out in Washington or on Fox or MSNBC, but in our own homes. What do we do about this contention when it is finally right in front of our faces? If we follow the model of Saturday Night Live, perhaps we play Adele to soothe the room and prevent any conflict from escalating. But what if, instead, we dug into that tension?

That was the premise behind a series of three, hour-long dinner conversations held at the Haas Center for Public Service  at Stanford University in February. Students with differing political perspectives were brought together to discuss issues that we often do not talk about across political divides. The conversations covered the American Dream, immigration, and freedom of speech vs. controlling hate speech, and students were asked to present their views thoughtfully and listen to the views of others around them. My role in this was to facilitate, provide guiding questions, make sure there was food and the room was ready, and let the conversation unfold as it did. 

From my perspective as an observer of each of the conversations, one theme clearly emerged: Finding common ground is easier than digging into divisions.

As the participants got more comfortable with each other and with the conversations, greater disagreement did emerge, but it is hard to break down the walls of kindness that suggest we should not butt heads with others, and it is comforting to find that the conversation fit into a groove in which people can fundamentally agree. After each dialogue, students expressed their surprise at the fact that there was so much agreement. On one hand, this was a real positive. Students discovered that people they had assumed to hold one opinion actually believed something very different, and two individuals who might have been presumed to be at odds were in fact much more in alignment with each other than expected. On the other hand, the students also noted that they felt there was more there that was never fully discussed, points of contention that were never brought out fully in the open but remained under the surface as if Adele was softly singing to keep tempers in check.

Around another dinner table, the conversations certainly might have looked very different, but the experience of this dinner table left me with one question: when we attempt to come together across political divides, what is the goal? Are we searching for agreement to remind ourselves we are all people? There’s value to that, but also the very real risk of dismissing disagreement that should not just be brushed aside and ignoring views that perhaps can never be reconciled but have immense impact on people’s lives and experiences. Are we instead looking to debate and perhaps even let our tempers flare up as we speak passionately about issues we care about? This ensures we do not ignore important divisions, but also may make us miss places where we do agree as we presume that by knowing one opinion someone has, we know every political view they hold. After watching and reflecting on these three dialogues, the best answer I could come to is that we have to start the conversation and then let it unfold as it does. That is what this group of students did; they were honest and open, and even if certain things were left unsaid, they came out having learned something and hopefully feeling readier for the next conversation and wherever that takes them.

Katie is a third year PhD student in sociology studying gender and labor market inequality. She is currently a Graduate Public Service Fellow at the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University.

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#OurTomorrow 2018: Community. Dialogue. Connection.

Engagement matters. When we connect with others, we encounter diverse perspectives. When we build community, we learn to listen and understand our role and impact in the world around us. How are you bringing people together for #OurTomorrow? How do you stand with community? How are you connecting with others? Share a photo or story about your engagement as part of #OurTomorrow 2018. 

Between January 28 and February 10, 2018, individuals, centers, colleges and universities will again join together to show that young people do have the power to make change through service and civic engagement. Use #OurTomorrow to show how you and your students are bringing people together - in service, at an event, through activities, with each other, on campus, in the community, the list goes on and on!

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Engagement Matters!

Formed by a collaboration of universities from across the U.S., #OurTomorrow aimed to bring together campus voices to highlight the power of service and civic engagement at this important moment in time.

Starting on January 14, the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the campaign began to take shape. Universities shared posts, individuals shared experiences, students shared reflections. Folks shared how they are making a difference for #OurTomorrow.

As the year progressed, so did the social media campaign. New partners joined and new stories were told. A video bringing together messages of why we engage connected campuses and programs took shape. From days of service and community volunteering, to days of action and campus activism, #OurTomorrow captured the many ways people - students, staff, faculty - engaged this academic year. 

We are grateful for the support and continued contributions to #OurTomorrow. It shows that we are part of a national community of public-minded people. As we get together this summer to continue learning from each other and to talk about the future, we’ll be thinking about new ways to keep this conversation going. 

In the meantime, keep sharing and keep engaging for #OurTomorrow!

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Join the conversation

How are you making a difference or supporting others? Use #OurTomorrow to share what actions you are taking and why it matters to you now more than ever.

Posts shared on this site are moderated by university service and civic engagement centers from across the U.S. Respect for each other is essential in preserving a spirit of community. Posts that violate the law, falsely defame a specific individual, represent abusive or harassing behavior, or constitute a genuine threat or harassment, will not be shared. 

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Life's most persistent and urgent question is 'What are you doing for others?'

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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Small acts when multiplied by millions of people can transform the world.

Howard Zinn