A Clinton School student partnered with an Arkansas nonprofit organization focused on social justice to help facilitate targeted community programming for her final project in her master’s degree program.
Clinton School student Sydney Shearer of Nashville, Tenn. spent the last five months working with Just Communities of Arkansas (JCA) to create an issue-based curriculum catalogue that will facilitate the process of creating specific and targeted community programming.
Since 1965, JCA has actively worked to create inclusive communities throughout Arkansas through programming that engages participants in activities designed to break down stereotypes and promote understanding and respect among community members.
JCA organizes programs, conferences, trainings and consultations for youth, adults, businesses, government, faith groups, schools and other community organizations. JCA customizes its programs to meet the specific needs of specific partner organizations.
Shearer’s issue-based curriculum catalogue includes a collection of classroom exercises and training materials for future JCA volunteers and staff members. The catalogue allows JCA staff to search their collection of activities in a number of categories, including issue-area, age group and activity objectives. Shearer also created a common format for all JCA curriculum pieces that allows for the inclusion of more specific activity objectives and shared notes about specific activities.
“This project will enhance JCA’s capacity as an organization to deliver programming that is customized to address the specific needs of organizations that we partner with,” said Ruth Sheperd, executive director of JCA. “By making activities easy to locate and more specific, this project will allow us to build capacity for our current programs and easily share curriculum pieces with our national affiliates.”
Shearer completed the project as the final Capstone requirement in Clinton School’s Master of Public Service degree program.
Responses