Collaborative Inquiry (AUS C3)

CCC 521: Methods of Collaborative Inquiry: This course focuses on deepening student’s knowledge and practical expertise within their specific Area of Interest around social change. Students work independently in their studies; however they collaborate with their peers through a sustained dialogue around the theory and practice of animating social change. Central to the focus of this course is to prepare students to create and conduct social change projects in Reflective Practicum 2. Course Learning Goals: (1) Extend the practical skills and conceptual capacities to engage as effective change agents in organizations and communities; (2) Deepen the ability to learn and lead collaboratively as part of an evolving adult learning community; (3) Deepen understanding of methods for critical consciousness as tools to design and facilitate adult learning and social change; (4) Prepare to create and conduct social change projects in Reflective Practicum 2.

Shimon Alkon

The Open Network: To collaborate on the creation of an open network of communication for those involved in creating change around the world. The network would function as a container for the conversations of those involved in creating natural and social change as well as those people interested in learning about the different methods available to them to create change themselves.

Kim Altomare

Education and Democracy: In the United States, the No Child Left Behind Act focuses on outcome-based education, standardization and performance. Educational philosophers and theorists throughout time have argued for democratic and transformative learning using critical pedagogy as a means to “teach.” I am interested in the motivation behind the standardization of education in the United States, as well as our apparent disregard for democracy in education.

Micah Anderson

Successful Grant Writing Strategies for Nonprofit Organizations: Nonprofit organizations have a great potential for addressing our society’s most challenging social and environmental problems and for delivering critical services to local communities. In turn, these organizations often rely on grants from foundations, corporations, and government agencies to help fund their activities and social change efforts. Through this course I hope to develop skills and gain practical experience in the process of grant writing while serving the needs of a local nonprofit organization whose mission I identify with and value.

Kathy Cooper

Building Youth Community: The acceptance and tolerance of sexual minorities has evolved over the years. It is more common to see same sex partners holding hands as they walk down the street or to watch a television show with a gay character or theme. Despite the perceived open-mindedness of society, coming out as gay or lesbian can prove to be quite traumatic, especially if you are a student in grade school or high school. Hardy and Laszloffy (2002) discussed three aggravating factors queer youths deal with which can lead to suppressed rage, which is often the precursor to violence (towards self and/or others). First, queer youth experience devaluation when their “dignity and worth are assaulted or denigrated” (Hardy & Laszloffy, 2002, p.9). Second, youths often experience the disruption/erosion of community when they disclose their sexual identities to others. Third, queer youths deal with the dehumanization of loss, which encompasses the loss of romantic relationships, friendships, family support, “normal” teenage dating experiences, and economic security (Bernal, 2005).

Tres Heffron

The Basis of Storytelling: Transcending Boundaries and Building Community: Storytelling has been an essential thread in the fabric of social history dating back to its earliest origins. While serving as entertainment, it has also connected people to one another across space and generations. There are few cultural habits more integral to our being. In today's world storytelling has largely been deemphasized as a community building exercise. Yet it remains a powerful tool for communication of ideas. Understanding storytelling as a tool requires going back in time and deep into the human psyche in order to determine why it works. This study is the basis for an extensive investigation into the entire sphere of storytelling, with a focus on the origins of the medium as a social tool. It seeks to determine why storytelling works with the intention of setting the context and language for further learning.

Karna Humphrey

World Water Week: Progress and Prospects on Water: World Water Week in Stockholm is considered the leading annual global meeting place for capacity-building, partnership-building, and follow-up on the implementation of international processes and programs in water and development. The theme of this year’s conference is “progress and prospects on water: striving for sustainability in a changing world.” Prior to attending the conference, I would like to target some core areas surrounding water issues, read, study, and find some connections in Seattle/Pacific Northwest surrounding these issues.

Todd Hunsdorfer

Creating Attractive Incentives; The offspring of Hollywood and the Environment: A 2006 study from UCLA identified the entertainment industry as the second largest polluter in the state of California. This year’s Academy Awards focused on the environment, from stars who arrived in hybrid cars, to gift baskets featuring eco-friendly products, to the success of An Inconvenient Truth. The entertainment industry is notorious for talking the talk when it comes to being green, and yet very little work is actually being done to establish procedures and incentives for films to reducing their environmental impact. By working with The Washington State Film Office, I plan on being a part of this necessary shift in worldviews. The selected reading will add alternative dimensions to, and arguments against, the current methods governing this well established sector of U.S. industry.

Daniel Klempner

Duwamish River Visioning: Plans to clean up the lower Duwamish River, which is on the federal Superfund list, are currently being undertaken by various government, business and community organizations. The Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition (DRCC) is facilitating a visioning project that will advise in the cleanup in order to insure that it reflects the needs and the goals of the local residents, businesses and others whose lives are centered in the Duwamish Valley. While this project will naturally include the usual business and community stakeholders, my study will focus particularly on those groups who have been historically left off of the agenda or the planning process, yet have been a constant part of Duwamish life. Connecting with the more disenfranchised Duwamish populations will be a challenge in cross-cultural communication as much as it will be with access, but it is crucial that these voices become an active component of the planning process for the sake of human health, economic and environmental justice.

McKenna Lang

Foundations in Ombudsing: The profession of ombudsing, a form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), is often traced back to King Charles XII of Sweden. Curiously, Chuck was a bellicose dude. Older multicultural roots are alluded to in influencing King Charles – but finding research and/or documentation on this is very difficult. In conjunction with formal Ombudsing training through the International Ombudsing Association I would like to explore history, roots and core issues.

Sidnie O'Connell

Learning Through Education: I am deeply interested in the area of Alternative Education, specifically that of an ‘open schooling’ nature: student-directed, self-assessed, developmentally appropriate. In addition, I believe this learning style contributes positively toward a more participatory and democratic culture. However, this educational philosophy runs contrary to current mainstream education that emphasizes standardized testing in a limited number of subject areas. As part of my interest in this field, I have helped co-found a nonprofit organization called the Authentic Learning Network that promotes this open-type education practice.

Kathy Pryor

A Strategic Approach to Modern Publishing: This course will explore power and authority in the publishing industry from a systemic perspective. The course will explore what happens in modern publishing, and how, and seek to identify the “gatekeepers” through which one could gain access.

Bill Ratcliffe

Ecology and Communication: I will be taking a 3 week course at Schumacher College in England: EARTH AND THE SACRED: THE PERSONAL AND THE PLANETARY with Rupert Sheldrake, Alastair McIntosh, Verene Nicolas & Marianne Williamson.

Marnie Schaetti

Being Well While Contributing Meaningfully: For many years, I have worked very long hours and have become accustomed to living under constant stress. The past three quarters in C3 have illuminated this habit of living in crisis, allowed me to reflect on it, and supported me in adopting a new paradigm. I am changing my modus operandi and I am passionate about it. At the same time, I have realized that I am not alone in this habit of stressful living. Many millions of others are feeling the damage that overwork does to their physical and emotional health. They too are experiencing the tremendous strain overwork places on the relationships that matter most. It is an individual problem, yes, but it is also systemic. My area of interest, therefore, is to look at this problem and, more interestingly, at its solution(s). I want to know how to be well while working to contribute meaningfully in the world. The definition of "meaningfully" is obviously dependent on the person involved, but I use the word "contribution" because I am specifically talking about people who engage actively and work in the world. I am not as interested in the overwork issues faced by people who live in leisure! I am a consultant and so my specific focus will be how consultants stay well, energized and engaged with their work.

Vickie Strand

Creating Change from the Ground-up: Encouraging cultural shift through physical and environment elements: Sacred places can hold a magnetic energy for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years. There are people who can immediately sense the past energy of a room or a house. The energy of place is a powerful element in the human experience, and people are drawn to places of positive energy. Physical environment then, can contribute greatly to the process of social and cultural change. Years after an effective workshop, a participant can remember the place – the sounds, sights and even smells and tastes of the event hold powerful memories of the potential for change. I am interested in exploring the connections between place, spirit and community: the elements of design that support creative cultural change. Permaculture says that the edges are where things really happen – elements of both systems allow a much richer environment for the surrounding communities; holding sustenance and nourishment for both systems. Intentional design can build rich, successful, life-filled edges for both the earth and our communities. Examples to be studied and explored may range from the Center for Ethical Leadership, Moonshadow Farms (a CSA), the Multi-Service Center of Redmond and (optionally) other organizations that have successfully designed edges that nourish more than one community system.

Hannah Swee

Case Study, Take it Back Network: The objective of this study is to conduct an in-depth case study on the Take it Back Network (TIBN) developed by the Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation (WCRC). I want to gain a strong overview and understanding of the network and learn the “how’s” and “why’s” of it – how did the program get started and why? Why has it been successful or what has hindered its success? In addition, I want to compare Washington states’ TIBN to other similar programs across the county to achieve stronger insights and draw stronger conclusions about the TIBN in Washington. Lastly, a main objective for conducting this case study is to help me move forward with my change project. The TIBN is a step toward reaching Product Stewardship, which is my area of interest for my change project. The network is a way to fill the gap between manufacturers and their products until they become completely responsible for the collection of their products at the end of their use. By conducting a case study on the TIBN I will better understand the concepts behind product stewardship as well as the techniques, methods and tools needed to make the shift toward product stewardship successful.

Marilyn Watkins

Taking Action to Reverse the Obesity and Diabetes Epidemic: The purpose of this study is to establish a plan of action to begin the process of establishing a grassroots movement to address a set of inter-related health issues related to excessive consumption of high fructose corn syrup and other non-nutritious foods.