Civic Identity

Benjamin Nelson, Nawfal Kulam, Allison Luntz

What is Civic Identity? (Allison)

A notion of citizenship often through membership, rights, and participation.
Through our trip and interactions with the community and each other, we hoped to gain a greater sense of how our personal skills, abilities, and interests may aide in community development and leadership.

Skills Applied and Skills Learned (Allison)

Prior to the immersion trip, we met as both a large group and small groups to discuss skills that would be valuable throughout our time of service. Some of the skills that we talked about in class that were utilized throughout our trip were communication, teamwork, flexibility and problem solving.

Communication: In order to stay on the same page, we used proper communication skills to completely understand each other. Additionally, we challenged one another's viewpoints to best acknowledge each other.
Teamwork: In order to complete our projects in the most efficient way, we worked as a compatible team. As a team, we encouraged and supported each other.
Flexibility: Although we came into the trip with a plan of action, that plan was constantly changing due to factors of life. With flexibility, we were able to create a plan that created the most learning for us and the biggest impact on the community.
Problem Solving: The projects we were given were not always black and white and were often difficult projects that required problem solving. With the exploration of many solutions and using a variety of skills, we were able to complete the projects given to us.

Along with these skills that we applied on our trip, there were also many skills that we learned along the way, including interacting with diverse communities, and public relations.

Interacting with diverse communities: Although our University is very diverse, we were emerged into a wide variety of cultures in Milwaukee. We were able to learn from the various perspectives we interacted with.
Public Relations: While working with a variety of nonprofits, we were able to represent them for a short time, experiencing what they offer to the community year round.

Interests We Gained (Allison)

Coming into the immersion trip, all of us had some sort of interest in learning about housing and the disparities linked to housing, specifically in Milwaukee. In class, we discussed disparities such as race, class, social economic statues, and gender as all being factors that impact availability to housing. Additionally, we saw how these disparities played a role in Milwaukee, through our common read, Evicted. In the book, many people were turned down opportunities of renting homes due to factors such as race and gender. After reading Evicted, many of us were interested to experience how housing plays a role in the community of Milwaukee, and if these disparities are still proving to be an issue in the community today.

After spending a week in Milwaukee and speaking to a variety of nonprofit organizations and community members, it becomes clear that, indeed, these disparities are still present today. Neighborhoods are often segregated by races, and it was seen, similar to the book, that the poor neighborhoods were often home to African Americans. This is due to many reasons, but is often lead by the lack of opportunity in careers and housing given to these people due to their race.

After experiencing this discrimination through both text and experience on our immersion trip, many of us became interested to see how this will continue into the future. What efforts will be made to combat discrimination in the work place and in neighborhoods? Does this play a role in other areas and neighborhoods around this US? How is it different in those places than in Milwaukee? These are all questions that I am sure much of our group will continue to have interest in.

How Service Impacted Us (Benjamin)

Working with the various housing-focused non-profits allowed our team to get a glimpse at the civic pride the existed in Milwaukee. The individuals we worked with did not have an idealized view of their city, nor did they shy away from the tough problems. Instead, they relished in the opportunity to improve the quality of the community and the lives of the residents who inhabit it. When the organizations speak about the work they do, they almost always recall interactions they have had with an individual or small group that highlights the impact of their work. They also emphasize that their work is not a one-way street, but instead is a part of a cooperation between the organization and the community, where the organization listens to the need of the neighborhood and then responds accordingly.

All of this is mentioned because it emphasizes the method of servant leadership. It is necessary that problems in our communities are not ignored, but are instead embraced so that they may be addressed. When attempting to solve an issue, it is also imperative that dialogue takes place so that the issue can be discussed from a variety of angles; the best solution is one that can hold up to scrutiny from as many perspectives as possible. But here is the emphasis on the 'servant' of 'servant leadership' - change is not meant to be an exercise of individual knowledge or power, but is instead meant to better the lives of those affected by a problem. Seeing the various non-profit organizations practice this form of passionate servant leadership in their everyday work, and having that manifest itself every time they speak, made it easier to sense the importance of this work.

Coming home to Iowa City quite the change of pace from Milwaukee in just about every way, but Milwaukee will always remind us that persistent problems need passionate leaders who will take the time to listen, learn, and they do everything they can to act.

How Service Impacted The Community (Nawfal)

Throughout the trip, we helped out several different community organizations specializing in housing justice. One such example is Revitalize Milwaukee. Revitalize Milwaukee is a construction company that focuses on repairs for low income housing. We helped Revitalize Milwaukee by organizing their warehouse. This helped the community by increasing the efficiency of Revitalize Milwaukee and helping them lower their overhead costs.

We volunteered at Guest House Milwaukee, This non-profit focuses on combating homelessness for men. We impacted their community by cleaning up a local park and removing trash from the streets. This helped improve the community by providing a cleaner environment and more livable community.

We impacted the community in Milwaukee by servicing specific needs desired by the local non-profits. The most important part of providing meaningful service is listening to the specific needs of the community members and striving to fulfill those needs.

Conclusion (Benjamin)

Our Hawkeye Service Team trip to Milwaukee has been eye-opening, to say the least. The week-long immersion in a completely new community allowed us to make incremental change toward making the community a better place. And while the service itself may not amount to much, it streamlines the process of support for the organizations we helped, and it motivates each and every member of our team to continue service into the long-term.

Google Sites

Report abuse