Civic & Cultural Identity

What is Cultural Identity?

The feeling one has of belonging to a group. It is related to one's ethnicity, nationality, social class, generation, or any social group.

What is Civic Identity?

"Locating Self in Community."

Civic identity means applying each person's personal values, beliefs, experiences, and knowledge to benefit the community as a whole.

Iowa City's Identities

Socioeconomic Status

Median Income: $50,497

Per Capita Income: $34,479

Racial Demographics

White 74%

Black 8.3%

Asian 7.5%

Hispanic 5.9%

Education (25+)

High school or higher: 97.1%

Bachelor's degree or higher: 62.1%

Graduate or professional degree: 32.0%

Our Class's Identities

Similarities

Hawkeyes

Midwesterners

Students

Healthcare Interest

Service Oriented

Differences

Majors

Hometowns

Religious/Spiritual Beliefs

Personal Experiences

Political Beliefs

Applying Cultural Identity

United Action for Youth

The mission of UAY is to "work with young people and their families through PREVENTION and INTERVENTION services to help them reach their goals." Their PREVENTION Programming consists of out-of-school activities that encourage youth to connect and express themselves through creativity. The INTERVENTION Programming offers support, advocacy, counseling, and community referrals to youth and families facing adversity.


Our team learned about UAY's impact on the community and the support they provide for youth of all cultural backgrounds. This organization offers a transitional living program for homeless youth. They provide counseling and mediation programs for youth caught in conflict. UAY also offers support to young parents and LGBTQIAA youth. We put together victim advocacy kits that will be given to youth who are seeking support.

Applying Civic Identity

National Alliance on Mental Illness

NAMI is dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy. This was a place where our team used our personal skills, interests, and experiences to aid in our service. Some people could brainstorm big picture ideas, others took on the mindset of a target population, while others had an eye for design. Each of these skills helped in this project that will help NAMI and impact our community.

Ronald McDonald House

The mission of the Ronald McDonald House is to offer strength and hope, each day, every day. They aim to come alongside parents to provide support as well as promote the health and well-being of the children. Our service there required us to use our individual gifts as well. Students with experience in the kitchen were assets when it came to cooking dinners for RMHC guests. Those of us who are skilled in crafting were a great help when making blankets to comfort the families of the sick children.

Healthy Kids Clinic

We worked on a fundraising project for this organization to supply necessary medications and healthcare for students who are unable to access affordable healthcare. Some students used their artistic abilities and attention to detail to create informational graphics for the clinic to distribute online and in-person. Other students worked to compile a comprehensive list of community and campus partners that would potentially be willing to donate time, money, and additional resources.

Applying Cultural & Civic Identity in our Own Lives

Throughout our trip, we learned about various organizations aiding children’s health and wellness in their unique approaches providing care. We have also learned that we each have skills, interests, experiences, and identities that we can use to impact our community.


As students, leadership members, and community members, we can apply the knowledge we learned and bring it to our own organizations and community at the University of Iowa, the Iowa City area, and our hometowns. After graduation, members of our team will be able to take the information gained on this trip and apply it in their professional lives and workplaces.


We can further apply Cultural and Civic Identities to our own lives by looking for volunteer opportunities, practicing mindfulness, and understanding and respecting others.