Community Psychology at a Regional University: On Engaging Undergraduate Students in Applied Research

Abstract

Engaging students in service learning projects grounded in community psychology values and practices when working in a rural, conservative area provides several challenges and opportunities for faculty members. The authors share processes and outcomes from three case examples taking place between 2010 and 2013: (1) running focus groups and survey development with a local YMCA branch that predominantly serves people of color in low income housing, (2) the development of a strategic plan for the implementation of an art crawl in the local downtown community, and (3) the development and execution of an asset map evaluating supportive resources and spaces available to the local LGBTQA community. The authors reflect on feedback from students and community partners. These case examples highlight the complexity of balancing students’ skillsets, work and other life obligations, and desire to use classroom knowledge in community settings. It also highlights the importance of preparing community partners for working on applied research. We provide recommendations based on each project’s challenges and successes for universities and communities of similar demographics. Working in rural, conservative settings provide their own challenges and opportunities, but are well worth it if implemented in an intentional way, and more research is needed to strengthen our understanding of how best to engage students from a variety of social and political backgrounds.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender-based violence in the United States: Framework and policy recommendations.

“…These themes fall across the SEM. Developing such resources often involves community partnership and following the lead of the people who would benefit from the resources (McKibban & Steltenpohl, 2019). Coalition building, cross-sectoral partnerships, and academic–community partnerships may help increase the likelihood that recommendations be carefully implemented and result in desired change (Allen et al, 2013).…”

When the political is professional: Civil disobedience in psychology.

“…Here we encourage psychologists to consider the work of scholars who have long partnered with communities and collective movements. This includes (but is not limited to) Chavez and colleagues’ framework for community organizing to promote wellbeing (Chavez et al, 2007), Escudero and Pallares’ ethnographic field work with undocumented activists (Escudero & Pallares, 2021) that contextualizes civil disobedience in the U.S. immigrant rights movement, McKibban and Steltenpohl’s, collaboration with the YMCA Caldwell Center (McKibban & Steltenpohl, 2019) that garnered funding in support of racially and economically diverse constituencies, and Vera and colleagues’ partnerships with Chicago urban schools (e.g., Vera et al, 2007) that foster resilience among culturally and linguistically diverse youth and their families. Elsewhere, psychologists seeking more holistic ethical frameworks for social justice in psychology can turn to guidance from Ethnic Minority Psychological Associations (e.g., Association of Black Psychologists, 2019; Straits et al, 2012) the APA Multicultural Guidelines (APA, 2017b), and Nadal (2017).…”