EDME 359/559 Community and Advocacy in Education
Professors: Donna Hutchinson-Smyth, M. Ed & Kathy Handorf, M. Ed
Community Partner: St. Vincent DePaul (SVDP)
Community and Advocacy in Education is offered to undergraduate and graduate students in Montessori Education. Taught by Professors Donna Hutchinson-Smyth and Kathy Handorf, the class is designed to help future teachers have a broader sense of the different roles they play not only as educators but community members as well. For the past three years the course has paired engagement in community with instruction and assignments that explore critical issues in early childhood education including insights about children from diverse backgrounds and within different school structures. An emphasis on diversity is interwoven throughout the course to guide future teachers as they learn about the academic, moral, and social development of today’s students and the important role of families and communities in their education. Hutchinson-Smyth notes:
“We try to look at the power and privileges issues that manifest in the classroom. We want the classroom to be an equitable place for everyone, so we wanted this class to create more empathy and understanding across lines of difference.”
As one component of their community experience, students spend a weekend in the West End of Cincinnati hosted by St. Vincent de Paul. The weekend’s theme focuses on how teachers can support families and creatively engage community assets. After settling in, students participate in a poverty simulation designed to illustrate systemic gaps that families face in providing housing, food, clothing, and a safe space for their children every month. Reflection is facilitated by SVDP staff, and faculty and students learn side by side. Past class cohorts before Covid allowed students to participate in home visits with volunteers from Bellarmine Chapel, and assist in determining needs and resources that can be met through St. Vincent de Paul’s services including food, clothing, and the region’s only free pharmacy. This year’s experience adapted and included a walk in the community and engagement with local residents and supportive nonprofits.
Elaine Tracy is a sophomore Early Childhood Education major who participated this spring. She notes:
“The experience at St. Vincent DePaul really gave me a deeper look into what it may be like to live in poverty. This course has really inspired me to do better in my everyday life and be grateful for the situation I was born into - I believe we have a responsibility to each other to be the best versions of ourselves and give back to the communities around us.”
Graduate student, Emma Zangrando agrees:
“I have learned more about Cincinnati in this short time than I have in my entire life living here. It was a wakeup call that just because you live somewhere doesn’t mean that you are an active member of your community. We have to take action and continue our education to make sure that we are all supporting our fellow community members.”
Professor Smyth-Hutchinson considers the integration of immersive experiences an important part of not only helping students successfully obtain course learning outcomes, but to support healthy discernment about their own vocation and path. She says:
“[I want] students to feel empowered to enter their career with a community mindset and do the extra work with neighbors, families outside the classroom, and resources within the community”