For my doctoral teaching internship, I co-taught two courses for the Educational Leadership Certificate Program at Minnesota State University - Mankato with Dr. Courtney Bell-Duncan. EDLD 671 Introduction to School Administration and EDLD 672 Policy and Administration are the first two courses that members of this cohort take. These courses are taught in a complementary fashion (essentially combined into one course). There were five 6-hr Zoom sessions, as well as assignments and intersession work.

Dr. Bell-Duncan and I met a total of seven times (from 1-2 hours each time) to plan the overall course and review our plan for each session between the months of May and July. We also frequently communicated via email and text so I could check my thinking regarding the specific parts of the course that I was responsible for. These included presenting critical policy framework content, being interviewed as a policymaker in a fireside chat format, and grading and giving feedback on two of the presentation assignments. I also spent time reading and reviewing the two textbooks for the class and locating policy resources for students. 

This was the first time I have co-taught an educational leadership course, and it was an enriching experience. Dr. Bell-Duncan guided me through how to integrate the readings, videos, discussions, and assignments in a meaningful way that centered the lived experiences of our students and helped them grow in their racial consciousness and leadership acumen. One of the most gratifying parts of the experience for me was sharing my experience as a school board chair regarding policy creation, how to create the conditions for democratic participation in public school settings, and how to enact systemic anti-racist and equity-driven change. I also appreciated the opportunity to give students feedback on their educational issues and policies presentations.

Teaching alongside Dr. Bell-Duncan was an honor. Observing her critical, liberatory andragogical approaches in action inspired me to be bolder and unapologetic in my own anti-racist leadership and teaching. Through this internship, I grew both personally and professionally, and I have walked away with new resources, teaching and leadership strategies, and a renewed commitment to enacting systemic change within public education.

Generation Enhanced Network (GEN)/West Metro Youth Collaborative 2022-2023 Overview

Background

In the summer of 2022, Hennepin County and the City of Hopkins partnered with Hopkins Public Schools to hire a group of 8 young leaders (ages 15-22) as consultants to engage their peers and the community to gather information about what youth in our community need to thrive. This research culminated in the recommendation to create a West Metro Youth Collaborative - an intergovernmental and community-based organization with youth voice at the center. In my capacity as Chair of the Hopkins School Board, I served as a consultant to this group along with Dominique Pierre-Toussaint, Community Engagement Director for ICA Resources. This initial work took place between June and August 2022.

In addition to conducting research that led to a recommendation to establish the West Metro Youth Collaborative formally, the youth consultants created Generation Enhanced Network (GEN). This youth-led initiative serves young people in the Hopkins Schools community and represents an example of innovative programming that could be scaled regionally to serve more youth with greater coordination and resources.

Generation Enhanced Network (GEN) prioritizes “next generation” voices and is shaped by their/your vision. It’s an organization for schools, government organizations, non-profits, businesses, and community organizations to innovate and collaborate to best serve the needs of the next generation in our communities.

Why do we need GEN? 

Our youth and young adults deserve the very best. We are a community with many resources. Change within the community comes from each generation moving forward. The best way to accomplish this change is by working alongside the next generation to ensure they have the resources they need to be successful.

The GEN Team

Our group represents the diversity of youth and young people in our community in terms of race, ethnicity, gender and sexual identity, socio-economic position, career interests, and individual strengths. We started with 8 youth consultants, and this group has grown to include nearly 20 young people in the Hopkins Schools community. 

Our Process

Between the months of June and August 2022, we met weekly as a group to work on collecting information from the community on needs and solutions, ideating on and creating the GEN identity, and spreading awareness of the network. 

As we engaged in this work, we learned that members of our consultant group were experiencing the impacts of systemic injustices and were in need of support. As a group, we practiced the foundational concept of GEN by speaking our truths, connecting each other to resources, identifying possibilities for systemic change, and supporting each other through individual and collective challenges that arose during our time working together. 

GEN Identity

The consultants worked on creating the name Generation Enhanced Network, writing the description for the network, and creating a visual identity (branding). 

Information Gathering 

The consultants gathered information through surveys, interviews, and individual conversations with community members. These general questions informed the survey, interview, and individual conversations. 

If you are a young member of our community, we want to know what your needs and goals are. Is there a challenge you or your family are facing right now (food or housing insecurity, mental or physical health, etc.)? What do you need to pursue your passion (ex. arts, sports, business, academics, etc.)? What do you need to achieve your goals now and into the future (mentorship, internship, community support, etc.)?

If you are a community member with resources to share, we want to know what resources you can bring to the table, what ideas you have for this emerging organization, and how we might collaborate to serve the next generation?

The consultants received 31 survey responses from a cross-section of community members, interviewed 5 community leaders, and engaged in 32 individual conversations with young people in our community. They conducted a qualitative open coding process on the survey, interview, and conversation responses. The results are as follows.

Top needs/gaps identified: 

• Food insecurity

• Housing insecurity

• Mental health resources

• Financial and mentorship support for interests/passions

• Social and emotional support

Top solutions/possibilities identified:    

• Compensating young people to be in decision-making spaces across our community (government, nonprofit, business)

• More robust partnerships with resource providers like ICA, ResourceWest, Relate Counseling

• Partnerships with businesses and individuals who can provide mentorship and professional opportunities for young people

• A young adult (21+) to young person (12-18) mentoring program

Awareness Building

Depot Coffee House Event

The consultants planned a GEN awareness-building and information-gathering event at the Depot Coffee House on August 6th, 2022. Each consultant invited at least 10 people and shared the event on social media. Approximately 40 community members attended, including youth, parents/caregivers, elected officials, nonprofit leaders, business owners, and community leaders. GEN consultant and Hopkins Student Senate President Abhinav Kumar, Hennepin County Commissioner LaTondresse, and Hopkins Mayor Hanlon spoke about the importance of GEN. The GEN team gathered information through conversations with event guests, and all attendees were encouraged to fill out the survey. The GEN visual identity/branding was unveiled at the event, and consultants took photos and videos of the event to use in future GEN communications.

Presentation

The consultants created a multimedia presentation that reflects our work on GEN thus far. This presentation can be shared with potential partners as we continue to build the Generation Enhanced Network. 

Social Media Platforms

The consultants created GEN social media channels and took photos and videos for use on these platforms. 

GEN Activities Since August 2022

While the group’s formal information-gathering phase ended in August 2022, GEN has continued to build momentum as we move toward a more expansive West Metro Youth Collaborative structure. Here are some of the activities GEN members have been engaged in: 

• GEN team members were invited as guest speakers and answered questions during the Ukraine Youth Group visit to the City of Hopkins in August 2022.  

• GEN team members attended the ICA Great Taste Fundraiser in October 2022 to make additional connections in the community and share the work of GEN.

• GEN team members expressed an interest in learning about the behind-the-scenes work of a community podcast. The PARLE podcast launched in December 2022. A professional podcast producer is mentoring GEN members in sound production, photography, videography, etc. Recording of the podcast episodes has been open to the public (registration through Hopkins Community Education).

• GEN team members planned and provided support (music, volunteering, community connections) for the ResourceWest spring fundraiser in March 2023. 

• GEN team members participated in the Harvard Human Flourishing Program’s Leadership Summit in April 2023. 

• GEN team members will be collaborating in August/September 2023 on a youth/young adult art exhibition with the Trilogy Real Estate Group building and the Hallon apartments project on Blake and Excelsior Blvd. 

• GEN team took part in providing music for the State of the City of Hopkins event. 

• GEN team adult consultants continue to connect GEN team members and other youth in our community to mentors, job opportunities, mental health support, and other resources. 

Diversity in Organizations Conference Presentation

On June 22, 2023, I presented this work alongside my collaborator Dominique Pierre-Toussaint at the Diversity in Organizations, Communities, and Nations Conference at Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario. It was meaningful to engage with researchers and practitioners of equity work from around the globe. We came away from the conference with a renewed sense of energy and purpose regarding youth-driven systemic change in our community. 

My doctoral research internship led to the creation and defense of the proposal for my dissertation titled Centering Students of the Global Majority in U.S. Community College Critical Internationalization Programming: An Interpretive Phenomenology.