CIRAL Group Project

Project Description (purpose, etc.)

The goal of the CIRAL is to create a student lead and run class/organization that encourages and teaches social action for the betterment of not just our society, but those around the world. The focus will be primarily working with local organizations. The hope is that this class will last between 2-10 years, although longer would be preferred.

Among the goals of this project are;

• To create a culture of lifelong education
• Building the skills necessary to be effective citizens
• Integrate community with university, starting locally but expanding in later years
• Integrate social theories with social practice
• Explore and encourage social innovations

Stakeholders (needs, roles, and responsibilities)

As we flesh out the Implementation Model we'll be able to get a better idea of who we need involved in what capacity. This may become more than just a description of who will be involved in what capacity. Part of our consideration should be how do we get these people involved and excited about CIRAL.

• Students in Patterns of Intelligence program
• Potential CIRAL students
• Potential CIRAL community members
• Center for Community-based Learning and Action
• Evergreen Faculty members
• Evergreen administration
• Others??

Implementation Models

All models will include a core class which;

• Teaches basics of understanding ideas in a group context
• Enables people on different contracts/projects to communicate, share ideas, compare and enhance their own projects

4 Credit Core Model

• Votes (3)

4 Credit Main Class

• Bi-weekly meetings to collaborate and learn the skills for starting or enhancing civic intelligence programs

Student Contracts

• 4-8 credit individual and/or group contracts added onto the class.
  • These contracts will either work with local organizations already in place, or help create new ones
  • Contracts will be predetermined for first quarter, with intent of letting students decide in later semesters.
• Contracts should cover a variety of interests

2 Credit Core Model

• Votes (0)

2 credit Main Class

• Weekly meetings to collaborate and to learn skills, trade different projects ideas.
• 2 credit modules added on
  • 2 credit Math, Science, etc. modules to cover full classes.

16 Credit Full Year Model

• Core Curriculum as defined above.
• Community work defined during the first quarter and carried on throughout the year.

16 Credit Quarterly Model

• Core Curriculum.
• Community work either predefined or loosely defined at the beginning of each quarter.

Non-Program/Course Models?

Models of CIRAL(or aspects of CIRAL) as a supplement to current programs and groups within Evergreen that deal with Civic Intelligence. Any model of CIRAL as something other than a program or course.

Curricular Areas

This is a brainstorm of topics that should (or could) be covered in the core class

Please add to this list

• Facilitation skills
• Planning and Management
• Social Change -- Theory and Practice
• Ethnography
• Writing Evergreen Learning Contracts
• Modules in specific areas of interest
  • Sociology
  • Grant writing
  • Visual/public arts
  • Applied mathematics
  • Use of patterns for innovation and design

Think Tank / Ongoing Research and Other Work in "Home Office"

"Home Office" / "Think Tank"

In addition to preparing people to go into the field (which includes cultural competency, skill-building, etc.), the following research and related activities could be undertaken as part of the research work in what we might call the "home office" or "think-tank" . Athough these activities are specifically listed in relation to Evergreen's Gateways project, that supports education for incarcerated youth at Green Hill, they are generally applicable to other projects as well.

• Policy research and development work
• PSA & other public awareness work
• Research on economic impacts of incarceration (now about 60 - 70 billion dollars direct expenses yearly in US)
• institutional memory of the project
• Curricular development or other training and educational programs for Gateway and Evergreen community members
• Educational philosophy of the project and Evergreen's support
• Institutionalization of the project, in general and at Evergreen
• Exporting model (to other schools and other regions)
• Researching other relevant approaches (in other regions, countries, departments, etc.)
• Placement in jobs, education
• Surveys and other approaches to understanding the problem and evaluation
• Technical support to project, e.g. logistics, computer, administration, planning, facilitating design
• Mapping and community studies (e.g. of places students come from)
• Understanding problem domain, history, economic and political contexts,
• Maintain relevant reference (etc.) library or other resource
• Identifying resources and securing them
• Facilitating conversations, conferences, working sessions, etc. about the problem and possible solutions

Project Explorations

This section should evolve into at least five projects that students could engage in through the lab. In the four credit core model, these projects could be proposed as individual/group learning contracts that students could sing on to during the first week of class.

Plan

• Roles
• Task descriptions
  • Add your own task
• Timeline

Status

Project in infancy