Research and Evaluation Digest: Grantee Spotlight, 2022 AmeriCorps Research Grantee Dialogue, and more

AmeriCorps

Research and Evaluation Digest

May 11, 2022

Research and Evaluation Digest:

Summer Edition

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2022 AmeriCorps Research Grantee Dialogue

Embracing the Diversity of Civic Engagement: Opportunities for National Service

Join us for the AmeriCorps Research Grantee Dialogue, Embracing the Diversity of Civic Engagement: Opportunities for National Service. This three half-day virtual event will be hosted Tuesday, May 17 to Thursday, May 19 from noon to 2 pm EST. This event will consist of presentations from AmeriCorps research grantees, reflections from AmeriCorps leadership on how to use expand, innovate, and improve national service programs. Following the presentations and panel discussion, there will be a Q&A.

  • Tuesday, May 17: Volunteering Among Seniors and Volunteering Across Rural/Urban Spaces
  • Wednesday, May 18: Fostering Civic Participation for Refugee Communities
  • Thursday, May 19: African American Youth and Civic Engagement

Join us as we unveil how these findings can be used to increase civic engagement in diverse populations across the country and strengthen civil society. Join the dialogue by first signing-in to your Zoom account to register. If you do not have a Zoom account, it is free to create one

Register

UCLA Young Black Changemakers Team - 2

Changing Perceptions and Supporting Youth Civic Engagement

AmeriCorps research grantees, Laura Wray-Lake, Ph.D. and Laura Abrams, Ph.D. saw a gap in the scholarly research and understanding of Black youth perspectives on what civic engagement looks like and the factors that support Black youth’s civic engagement. With support from a larger research team, Wray-Lake and Abrams developed the "Young Black Changemakers Study" to help close the knowledge gap around civic engagement of urban Black youth in Los Angeles and challenge negative narratives about Black youth that are so prevalent in the public sphere.

The "Young Black Changemakers Study" offers insights on Black youth’s views and experiences of civic engagement that can help improve approaches to service and outcomes for urban youth and communities of color. Through over 40 interviews with young Black changemakers, researchers found that for Black youth, the goals driving their civic engagement included seeking lasting community change for the Black community and pursuing racial justice. Black youth engage in many different actions to pursue these goals, including helping others, joining organizations, and engaging in activism and organizing. Factors that support Black youth’s civic engagement included family inspiration and values, opportunities and scaffolding through community-based organizations, the formation of Black identity, and finding connections within a community.

The "Young Black Changemakers Study" is a resource to help inform funding for civic engagement and service in communities of color, foster deeper understanding between researchers and young Black changemakers, and help organizations to better serve and support Black youth.

The "Young Black Changemakers Study" team will discuss their findings in a book titled "Young Black Changemakers and the Road to Racial Justice" in 2023. Learn more about the "Young Black Changemakers Study" on their new website.

Learn more about this program at the upcoming 2022 AmeriCorps Research Grantee Dialogue by registering for the Tuesday, May 19 session.

Learn More

Now Available! Civic Engagement and Climate Change Mitigation: Exploring Opportunities at the Intersection of Research, Community Participation, and National Service

AmeriCorps Research and Evaluation released a research webinar that focused on civic engagement, climate change mitigation, and actionable community-level solutions. Dana Fisher, Ph.D., professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, set the tone by framing the intersection of civic engagement and climate change. Speakers include research grantees from the University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, University of Houston, Texas Southern University, and the University of Nevada at Reno as well as reflections from Laura Hanson Schlachter, Ph.D., an environmental sociologist, and former AmeriCorps member, Shane Dermanjian. They discussed the importance of local communities and community members becoming active participants and collectively acknowledging their role in the fight against the global climate crisis.

Visit our impact webinar page to watch the webinar recording, presentation slides, and transcription. The recording has English and Spanish captions.


What's New on the Evidence Exchange

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