Proposal for Partnership Between CRE and ENGAGE

Because ENGAGE’s work in the region has been rooted in its Human Rights Working Group, ENGAGE members working on the ground with Kentucky partners have been transitory and voluntary, oft

Proposal for Partnership between the Center for Regional Engagement (CRE) at Morehead State University and the Educational Network for Global and Grassroots Exchange (ENGAGE)

July 9, 2010

Background for Partnership

The following is an outline of a proposed partnership between ENGAGE and the CRE We hope that through creating a collaborative program that both programs can better understand how we can empower Morehead State students to develop the Appalachian region during their tenure at MSU and beyond We, ENGAGE, have recognized a dearth of opportunity within the region for youth to be

entrepreneurs and community leaders We think that by approaching regional issues through an

interdisciplinary, experiential, and holistic learning process both ENGAGE and the CRE can achieve their collective goals of supporting youth through Appalachia’s transition to a healthier economy This

proposed program is flexible, and we hope it can be adapted to suit CRE and MSU’s regional needs

Purposes for CRE-ENGAGE Alliance

Currently, Central Appalachia is a fundamental component of ENGAGE Other ENGAGE bases focus on popular, experiential education and alliance building based around themes of local food, place-based education, local economies, and human rights We are attempting to create this base here to enhance this national picture Through a formal ENGAGE-MSU partnership, both parties can share regional and national awareness in order to better Eastern Kentucky and a national understanding of Appalachia

As a network, ENGAGE’s awareness of Eastern Kentucky – both its assets and the challenges the region faces – has increased over the past year and a half, largely through its partnership with

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth ENGAGE successfully produced and in 2010 began distribution of a human rights report This summer, we are in the process of creating a second report, focusing on the transition movement in the region away from extractive, outside industry coming in, towards local economic growth from the ground up

Because ENGAGE’s work in the region has been rooted in its Human Rights Working Group, ENGAGE members working on the ground with Kentucky partners have been transitory and voluntary, often working remotely We believe that if ENGAGE has the opportunity and the place to build a base in Kentucky, we can strengthen education and social change initiatives that already exist in the region through our youth-led, national network We have learned from our recent work that there is a dire need for economic opportunities in the region so that youth have the choice to remain in Appalachia It

is our goal to support to youth who are currently facing obstacles based on a disempowering system to create grassroots change

We have been impressed by Morehead’s commitment to high quality education in Eastern Kentucky Our experience with dedicated and energetic faculty, staff, and students attracts us to the prospect of working with the Morehead community With a large population of students from Eastern Kentucky, Morehead is an ideal source of talented youth who are interested in cultivating more vital communities in their region Morehead’s interest in Appalachia provides an excellent context for ENGAGE’s work in the area The Appalachian Studies program lays a valuable foundation of research, instructors, and knowledge about the region Perhaps more importantly, the Center for Regional

Engagement’s mission to foster a mutually beneficial connection between the University and the region matches ENGAGE’s values, strengths, and goals We too believe that when students bring their academic learning into the community and their learning in the community into the classroom, a powerful

experience with great potential for good is created

Goals

The following are overarching goals we would like to accomplish by creating an ENGAGE base in partnership with the CRE

 Solidify a geographically focused ENGAGE base in Eastern Kentucky, which can serve to align ENGAGE’s presence in Kentucky with local needs while providing the space for ENGAGE to learn from issues and efforts in the region

 Explore community engagement at Morehead, and experiment with ways we can promote regional engagement through programming with faculty and students

 Introduce Morehead faculty and students to popular education styles of teaching and learning (education based on life experience and driven by students and communities, that promotes inter and intra personal development, including group building, in order to create a more active learning community)

 Develop youth with skills to facilitate their peers and home communities in a participatory process of leadership, entrepreneurship, and skill development

 Increase confidence in students to act and make change effectively, especially locally

 Build capacity for Morehead students from Eastern Kentucky to create and execute projects that develop their home communities

 Connect with and build partnerships with groups in the region striving for similar or supportive goals Through these partnerships connect students to a regional awareness and regional resources, providing post-graduate opportunities for MSU students in Appalachia

 Through the ENGAGE network, connect students to a national awareness and national resources

The Project

A student-centered group, class, or extra-curricular program, which strives to fulfill the above goals through strategy that serves multiple goals and multiple partners:

The program will be coordinated and facilitated by an ENGAGE-CRE staff person, will be student-driven, and will be inclusive of faculty as mentors We expect the program to start small – with five to ten students selected based on their commitment to improving conditions (which they identify) in Eastern Kentucky, ideally from Eastern Kentucky, themselves, and individuals who can bring different disciplinary perspectives and interests to the program

The Curriculum will have six phases:

I Orientation to:

o Educational approach

o Community building skills

o Personal reflection

II Growing group’s awareness of the current assets and issues existing in the region and the need

to grow locally-led, sustainable solutions Awareness will be built through:

o Sharing personal experiences and group discussions

o Guest lectures and readings

o Human rights trainings

o Conversations with community members and organizations in the region (and possibly government officials)

III Home Community Collaboration, where students interview several community members in their home community These interviews will:

o Situate the program learning in students’ own communities

o Build awareness in students’ home communities of the CRE program

o Bring communities into the student visioning process

o Create project ideas through these conversations

IV Visioning:

o Through individuals sharing their ideal future for the region, group comes to a collective vision

V Project Planning

o During project planning ENGAGE –CRE provides support with connecting the project to people, organizations, funding, and other resources, including Regional Engagement Student Fellowships

VI Project Execution

o The group will complete a project over the summer or during the academic year at Morehead (as the program grows in capacity, multiple projects may be taken on)

o During project execution ENGAGE intern(s) provide support for the project, traveling to various projects, coordinating meetings, etc.)

ENGAGE-CRE Program Coordinator

Should be:

 An ENGAGE member, preferably a member who has demonstrated leadership within ENGAGE and has the skills to work independently and collaboratively

 Preferably someone with experience developing curriculum and/or building groups

 Interested in and preferably has had experience with Appalachia

Application process will be jointly determined between ENGAGE and CRE, and program coordinator will have ENGAGE mentoring and support within all job responsibilities Supervision of the coordinator will be taken on jointly by ENGAGE National Coordinators and CRE.

Responsibilities of coordinator vary according to the phase of the program Ideally, the

coordinator will be funded for a full-time position During the academic year, the coordinator could then

take on 15-20 hours of CRE-specific work in addition to programming work and some ENGAGE-specific work During the summer, the coordinator will spend full time on ENGAGE intern coordination and ensuring that the MSU student project is successful

Continuous Responsibilities include:

 Coordinating exchanges between Morehead and regional partners (2 hours per week)

 Creating and maintaining a structure for partnerships in the region (6 hours per week)

 Representation on ENGAGE Steering Committee and with ENGAGE communication tools (2 hours per week)

 Coordinating with other ENGAGE volunteer supporters of Kentucky CRE base, so as to delegate work out that can be done remotely or on short visits to Kentucky

Curriculum Building (Phases I-IV) Responsibilities include:

 Planning and execution of 4 hours of student time a week (10 hours per week)

 Office hours, or 1-on-1 time with group members (3 hours per week)

Project Planning and Execution (Phases V and VI) Responsibilities include:

 Coordinate and find resources for student projects (10 hours per week)

ENGAGE-related, which are not continuous:

 Coordinate ENGAGE internship (part of full-time responsibilities during the summer, which also includes student project(s) oversight)

 Coordinate ENGAGE exchanges with Morehead and other partners in the region (timing will be planned with ENGAGE ahead of time)

Timeline

The following is an ideal timeline, which would begin as soon as this proposal is approved This timeline

is only a year long, as the future of the program would be shaped very much by the student project(s) and need for continuation of those projects We envision the program as something that in the future can be facilitated by former program participants, and maybe even spread to other schools in the region.

August

 Develop plans with CRE and Morehead faculty and students, through the meeting Dr Sue Tallichet is helping to coordinate

 Create application process for the program

Fall

 Develop curriculum

 Finalize logistics with MSU and EKY partners

December

 Choose Student group

 Have first student group meeting

January through February

 Orientation and Awareness Building

March

 Community Exchanges

April through May

 Visioning

 Project Planning

Summer

 Project implementation

Early Fall

 Evaluation and Next Steps

Costs

Recommended stipend for CRE-ENGAGE Program Coordinator: $18,000 Budget for program to be discussed