The community garden group actually participated in part of the the Action portion of the CRAFT model, sadly, without me. I was sick the day the group was scheduled to meet with the schools and I was not able to partake in that experience. I have been told it was a very positive experience and that we have continued to only be met with appreciation and support from the schools toward this project.
I was surprised when the group reported back all the interest they had from students regarding the community commons project. I am very excited to see so many young people who are interested in helping impact their community in this way. I feel that this support foreshadows exciting things for Mart if even this younger population is interested in bringing the town closer together through this project.
Other forms of Action we have taken as a group are to actually meet with school principals before going to the schools. This was an incredibly positive experience and I was very impressed with their openness in allowing us to present this project to their students. These forms of Action and Research actually merged together from these 2 aspects of the CRAFT model.
I am very excited to see the continued Action steps which will be taken for this project. I know our group will continue to do everything we can and then hand off this exciting project to next semester's class to continue to the Action, Feedback, & Teaching portions of the CRAFT model.
It is great how open the schools are to these projects. Part of the CRAFT model emphasizes teaching art and skills to young people to create sustainability of the projects. I am excited about bringing the students into these projects!
ReplyDeleteAmy:
ReplyDeleteThis is good news and really in line with what we discussed in class a few weeks ago---sometimes the research is about discovering if you've partnered with the best sub-group in the community. Who will most effectively be engaged? In this case, it appears the library wasn't the best partner for cultivating trust, mutual understanding and commitment (Contact) but your team has certainly continued your social change efforts by connecting with the school kids. Good work!