Spencer Foundation Equitable Civic Engagement Initiative

Spencer Foundation Equitable Civic Engagement Initiative

Funder: Spencer Foundation (Chicago-based)

Focus Areas:

Equitable civic engagement

Community-based learning and civic participation

Understanding how civic, business, and community dimensions affect students' sense of belonging and well-being

Persistence toward graduation and academic success

Reducing achievement gaps for students of color

Creating welcoming spaces and improving education access

Geographic Scope

ACM member colleges

Initiative Components

Workshop (November 2023): "Empathetic Design for Equitable Civic Engagement"

Hosted at Lake Forest College

Two-day event

Over 30 ACM faculty and staff from 12 ACM campuses

Focus on case studies of ACM-funded projects

Discussion of community-based initiatives demonstrating equitable principles and outcomes

Featured Project Sessions:

"Mapping Diversity: Understanding What Makes Spaces Welcoming or Unwelcoming" - Collaboration among Grinnell, Lake Forest, and Luther Colleges

Prison Learning Initiative presentation (Coe College)

Keynote: "Collaborative Community Partnership Research as an Avenue for Civic Engagement" by Mesmin Destin (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Northwestern University)

Evidence-based outcomes highlighting importance of building effective learning environments

Research on student-of-color achievement gaps and teacher expectations

Findings on academic success through equitable and aspirational guidance

Research Focus

• Student experiences in physical campus spaces
• Factors affecting sense of belonging by student identity
• Teacher expectations and student outcomes
• Deficit-based vs. aspirational guidance approaches