The
core
activities
of CRCP
are
organized
around
long-term
community
partnerships
and
the
integration
of CRCP’s
involvement
with
its
community
partners
into
DUSP,
through
both
inquiry-based
practice
and
applied
research.
The
focus
of our
work
with
community
partners
in the
next
5-10
years
will
be on
activities
in 2-3
communities,
which
started
in the
summer
of 2001
with
Springfield,
MA.
Current
Activities
CRCP offers
a
variety
of
study,
research,
and
teaching
opportunities
for
MIT
students
and
faculty:
Springfield
Design Studio – The
design studio provides opportunities
for MIT students to work with
community residents on specific
problems. It also serves as
a platform for place-based studios
offered by other MIT faculty.
Teaching – CRCP
staff are engaged in teaching
several courses that build on
the work of CRCP. This year,
courses include Media Technology & Community
Development (Ceasar McDowell,
Anne Spirn), Connecting Research
to Social Change (Joy Amulya),
and a course on race relations
at MIT (Ceasar McDowell)
Community
Practice Exploratorium – Once
a year, CRCP conducts an open
forum for reviewing the work
in progress, knowledge, and
products emerging from seminars,
studios, and fellowships. The
Exploratorium is open to DUSP
students and faculty, funders,
participants in the CRCP Reflective
Practice Seminars and members
of our partner communities.
Research
Projects – CRCP
conducts ongoing research projects
in close conjunction with its
core activities, examining the
process and outcomes of introducing
reflection tools and practices
into varying community, organizational,
and geographical settings.
Other
current
CRCP
activities
include:
Community
Fellows Reflection Groups–CRCP
sponsors groups of community practitioners
to develop about effective ways
to learn from their work in relationship
with each other and the community.
The groups use collective and
individual reflective practice
techniques, storytelling (including
digital storytelling), and technology
for documenting, storing and cross
-linking community stories.
Reflective
Practice Seminars–These
intensive seminars assist practitioners
in using reflective practice
processes and tools in the context
of community social justice
work. Seminar topics are aimed
at generating bodies of knowledge
in specific practice areas for
wider dissemination and helping
community leaders develop practices
that support them in revealing
the tacit knowledge that informs
their practice. (Current focus:
The Craft of Organizing)
Funders’ Seminar – CRCP
hosts reflection seminars for
its funding partners aimed
at examining the issues of bringing
reflective practice into grant
making organizations, and reviewing
tools and strategies for supporting
reflective practice among grantees.
Research & Development – CRCP
research fellows are
currently working
on the development
of an online tool
that supports the
creation, storage
and sharing of digital
stories by communities.
For
more information about CRCP, please
see our
website or
contact us at (617)
253-3216 or by email crcp@mit.edu.
