News

December, 2024 - SIA/CBL Faculty Member, Prof. Sarah Luria, featured in HC Magazine Article, "Development without Displacement"

Read the recent HC Magazine story about Prof. Sarah Luria's (English and Environmental Studies) research with the Green Island neighborhood, Prof. Luria's CBL courses, as well as her SIA seed grant work, connect her and her students with Green Island residents to explore how the neighborhood has changed over time, particularly how revitalization efforts in Worcester has been impacting the neighborhood. Her and her students' work lead to the creation of a 'Zine to tell the story of the neighborhood. 泭

December 4, 2024 - Read the latest news from the J.D. Power Center!

The December '24 J.D. Power Center contains Donelan Office and Center happenings, including the CBL Intern Blog and our latest news stories.泭

November 19, 2024 - Jumi Hayaki and Isabelle Jenkins publish article on CBL泭

Read Prof. Jumi Hayaki (Dean of Faculty Development and Professor of Psychology) and Dr. Isabelle Jenkins' (Director, Donelan Office) publication, ! This article, recently published in The Journal of Community Engagement and Higher Education, presents the case study of Prof. Hayaki's course on susbstance use recovery that leverages CBL to dismantle stereotypes, humanize a highly stigmatized mental health problem facing society, and afford students the opportunity to consider their own privilege and positionality.

November 14, 2024 - Students and faculty present about Spanish CBL at New England Conference

This past weekend, five 17勛圖厙 students (including one CBL Intern!) and two Spanish Department faculty presented together at a community-based learning roundtable called Learning In and With Our Communities" and the New England Council of Latin American Studies conference. Congratulations, Profs. Franco and Ugarte, and students, Angel Collazo 26, Dayle Cowan 25, Ruth Lopez Espinoza 25, Miyuki Oblitas 27, and Jamileisha Trejo 27.

October 10, 2024 - Read the latest news from the J.D. Power Center!

The Fall '24 J.D. Power Center contains Donelan Office and Center happenings, including the CBL Intern Blog and our latest news stories.泭

September 26, 2024 - 17勛圖厙 Night at the Museum: Celebrating Worcesters History, Community, and Scholarship

On September 26th, The Donelan Office of Community-Based Learning, Teaching, and Engaged Scholarship partnered with the Worcester Historical Museum to host a community event, 17勛圖厙 Night at the Museum, showcasing two powerful exhibits: "Somos Worcester" and :The Chin Family of Worcester." These exhibits are the result of collaborative, community-engaged research led by 17勛圖厙 faculty members Justin Poche, Cynthia Stone, and Ke Ren. In partnership with the Latino History Project and the Chin Family, this work highlights the resilience, stories, and legacies of Worcesters diverse communities of color.

Supported by the Donelan Office's Scholarship in Action (SIA) program, the research reflected 17勛圖厙s commitment to fostering equitable partnerships between faculty, students, and local community stakeholders. These partnerships help preserve and celebrate often overlooked histories, actively addressing the erasure of certain narratives from Worcester's past.

The event drew a vibrant crowd! Attendees had the opportunity to hear from and explore the exhibits alongside Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty, 17勛圖厙 President Vincent D. Rougeau, other SIA scholars, 17勛圖厙 students, and community members. Together, they witnessed the impact of community-engaged scholarship that honors the voices and experiences that have shaped Worcester, while also seeing firsthand the powerful collaboration between the community and 17勛圖厙.

17勛圖厙 Night at the Museum demonstrated the Colleges long-standing relationship with the Worcester Historical Museum and reinforced the importance of community engaged research in advancing a more inclusive understanding of history.

We are proud of the research and partnerships that made this night possible, and we look forward to future opportunities to elevate the stories that define our shared community!

Dr. Ke Ren speaks with 17勛圖厙 student and Mayor Joseph Petty about the Chin Family of Worcester Exhibit

August, 2024 - SIA Project Featured in 17勛圖厙 Magazine Article, "City, College Partnership Grows Worcester Works in Progress"

Last December, Prof. Kyle Frisina and Worcester Cultural Coalition (WCC) were awarded one of the last two 3-year SIA Mellon grants for their project, "HC x WCC: Creative Residencies for Worcester Arts at the Prior." The funds will go to bringing in local artists for short residencies at the Prior during three summers (2024, 2025, 2026). This summer, the residencies include, Cyrille Vincent Ndomakette Samba and Daniel Gay. Cyrille is a filmmaker who is spending time working on his film, "WHIRLWIND," which tells the story of Worcester native and 1899 World Bicycling Champion Major Taylor. Daniel is a musician who will be working on a large musical work titled, Around the World: Worcester Immigrant Diasporas in Musical Tapestry. Daniel's project for solo piano, guitar, and accordion aims to document the cultural contributions and attributes of his students in the Worcester Public School system. Both residencies are featured in the HC Magazine Article, "City, College Partnership Grows Worcester Works in Progress." Read the . The Donelan Office congratulates Prof. Frisina and WCC on a successful start to their SIA grant!泭

June 15, 2024 - CBL Faculty, Prof. Amy Finstein (Visual Arts) Receives Buchanan Award for Community Engaged Teaching/Research Project at the Vernacular Architecture Forum

The Donelan Office congratulates Prof. Amy Finstein on receiving the Buchanan Award from the Vernacular Architecture Forum at their 2024 conference. The award recognizes Prof. Finstein's project, "Before Displacement: An Urban History," which she developed for her Spring 2021 and Fall 2022 "Making the Modern City" CBL course. The committee shared the following about Prof. Finstein's project: "The Buchanan Award recognizes contributions to the study and preservation of vernacular architecture and the cultural landscape that do not take the form of books or published work. The award is named for Paul E. Buchanan, who served for over thirty years as the Director of Architectural Research at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Buchanan set the standard for architectural fieldwork in America. The 2024 Buchanan Award recipient is 'Before Displacement: an Urban History,' which was submitted by Amy Finstein, Associate Professor of Architectural and Urban History at 17勛圖厙 in Massachusetts. The project captures the essence of the study of vernacular architecture in a way that not only records and gives voice to people and places but also provides a roadmap to others aspiring to do the same. It is also a testament to the power of student engagement. The project memorializes the evolving urban history and built environment of the one-and-a-half-mile corridor in Boston that was cleared for highway construction in the 1950s and later redeveloped as the Rose Kennedy Greenway via the 'Big Dig.' Using multi-disciplinary research and documentation methods, and in the face of the pandemic, the project was executed collaboratively by 50 undergraduate students and their professorial leadership. The project team performed in-depth archival research, undertook on-site survey work, and developed interactive tools that not only document and give identity to the built environment but amplify the voices of the people, cultures, and businesses that breathed life into the landscape over time. In addition to the volume of work and degree of collaboration involved, they brought these methods to bear to make accessible a conversation about changing urban landscapes, the movement of marginalized populations, and the often-politicized topic of displacement in urban landscapes. Insodoing, they also developed a model of memorializing urban landscapes that can be further expanded and applied to new urban environments. Perhaps most important, the project reinforced the value and power of student learning, critical thinking, and engagement that, when applied to the built environment, is the future of preservation." Review the project . Congratulations, Prof. Finstein!

June 6, 2024 - Senior CBL Intern featured in Worcester Magazine article, "The Power of 10: Worcester-area students, grads active as community members"

Recently graduated CBL Intern, Delaney Walch '24 was featured in Worcester Magazine in the article, "The Power of 10: Worcester-area students, grads active as community members." The article featured a senior from each of the Worcester-area higher education institutions, and Delaney was selected as the 17勛圖厙 student! Delaney's Worcester involvement was highlighted in the article, including her volunteering with Summit Agency and the WPS Transition Program.