Interact-to-Innovate Curriculum

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Initiative Description

With a grant from the Association of American Colleges & Universities Bringing Theory to Practice as well as one from the Kettering Foundation, the UHD CPD will be sponsoring a three-year Interact-to-Innovate (“I-to-I”) initiative, a curriculum developed by its founding director, Windy Y. Lawrence, Ph.D.

This curriculum is designed to bridge more intentionally deliberation with service learning.

The I-to-I framework incorporates the best practices in dialogue, deliberation, and public action practices into an innovative, high –impact college curriculum that engages not only UHD students, Lone Star College and University of Houston Clear Lake Students, but also many members outside of the traditional college classroom.

I-to-I Four Step Process:

1. Issues are identified that are viewed as critical by Houstonians. (We created a survey and also looked at the survey administered by the City of Houston). Results of the qualitative and quantitative survey were then discussed and put to a range vote by a diverse committee made up of the I-to-I research team, students, and current participating community members.
2. Based on our “naming” and “framing” process, the issue of access to quality education was identified as a critical issue to take on for the I-to-I process. An I-to-I participation guide was then designed by Windy Lawrence and her Public Deliberation Students. Dr. Lawrence and her students organized diverse community conversations made up of over 100 students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members in order to inform the development of the participation guide.
3. We are currently in the third step of the process, which entails seeking out community partners, administrators, faculty, staff, and students who would be interested in acting to address the issue of access to quality education.
4. Beginning in October, partners and participants will engage in student-led dialogue, deliberation, and public action. Participants will work together in structured two-way communication to:
   • exchange experiences and perspectives,
   • analyze problems with data
   • imagine our best and ideal future, and
   • implement collaborative action in order to participate in the betterment of our Houston communities.

Initiative Goals

1. Grow more connected, mutually beneficial relationships with community members, partners and institutions (including non-profits and corporations) external to higher education.
2. Build active, democratic engagement skills in our college students, such as collaborative decision-making, critical thinking, public judgment, and self-knowledge.
3. Hone “transferable skills” or “soft skills,” the skills that employers rate as most essential for college graduates they hire.
4. Foster a mutually beneficial relationship between service learning and democratic engagement.
5. Create an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary emphasis on the skills of democratic engagement.

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Current Community Partners:

City of Houston, Office of Education
Kettering Foundation
American Association of Colleges & Universities Bringing Practice to Theory
Shirin Herman, Multilingual Programs, HISD
Center for Houston’s Future
Texan French Alliance for the Arts
Alliance for Multicultural Community Services
College Community Career
Harris County Public Libraries
Lone Star College – University Park

Partnering UHD Centers:

Center for Public Deliberation (Grant Lead & Organizer)
Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning
Center for Critical Race Studies
Center for Public Service and Community Research
Center for Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
Institute for Business Ethics and Public Discourse

Core Research & Implementation Team:

Windy Lawrence, Ph. D.
CPD Directory & Associate Professor of Communication Studies

Caroline Ashe, Ph.D.
Professor of Management, Marketing & Business Administration, Director of Institute for Business, Ethics, & Public Issues

Ron Beebe, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Chair of Urban Education

Betsy Broyles Breier
Director, Programs and Planning for Center for Houston's Future

Jerry Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant VP, Research and Sponsored Programs

Poonam Gulati, Ph.D.
Director, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning (CCESL), Associate Professor, Microbiology & Biology

Lisa Morano, Ph.D.
Professor, Natural Sciences

Vida Robertson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Director for Center for Critical Race Studies

Kristi Turnquest
Assistant Director, Community Engagement and Service Learning Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

UHD Students enrolled in COMM 3318: Public Deliberation

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Session 1: Relationship Building. Mon., March 5, 2018, 10 am - 11:15 am,  Milam Travis Room

Session 3: Mind Mapping. Mon., March 19, 2018, 10 am - 11:15 am, Milam Travis Room

Session 4: Action. Wed., March 21, 2018, 10 am - 11:15 am, Milam Travis Room

Action Meeting 1, Wed., Mar. 28, 2018, 10 am - 11:15 am.  Milam Travis Room

Action Meeting 2, Wed., Apr. 4, 10 am - 11:15 am, CSB C-100

Action Meeting 3, Wed., Apr. 11, 10 am - 11:15 am, Milam Travis Room

Action Meeting 4, Wed., Apr. 18, 10 am - 11:15 am, Milam Travis Room

Public Celebration, May 9, 2018, 10am – 12:30, Milam Travis Room

 

2017 Timeline:

October 11, 2017. I-to-I Meeting 1: Relationship building & Understanding the Problem. UHD Main building, N420. 11:15 am – 2:30 pm.

October 18, 2017. I-to-I Meeting 2: Visioning a Future & Moving to Public Action. UHD Main building N420, 9:45 am – 1:00 pm.

October 25, 2017. Community-Wide Action Forum. The entire community will be invited to attend. Wilhelmina Cullen Robertson Auditorium. 11:15 am – 12:45 pm.

November 1, 2017. I-to-I Meeting 3: Mind Mapping & Action. UHD Main building, N420. 11:15 am -12:45 pm.

Nov 3 – 5: LOCAL ELECTIONS EARLY VOTING IN HOUSTON Nov. 6: VOTING DAY IN HOUSTON

November 8, 2017.  I-to-I Meeting 4: Action Planning. UHD Main building, N420.  11:15 am -12:45 pm.

November 15, 2017. I-to-I Meeting 5: Implementation. UHD Main building, N420. 11:15 am -12:45 pm.

Presentations TBA.

 

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