The last half of the semester will be focused on a group project that you will choose during Wednesday, March 26's class. We will describe the three projects, and you’ll choose your groups based on your preference. You will “carry out” the project over the remaining weeks of the semester, and then present your project and reflections on it in front of SCSU leadership and Arts Administrators from across the city during our last class on Wednesday, May 7.
The presentations should include some type of visuals (powerpoint, google slides, prezi, etc.), and every member of the group must speak during the presentation (however briefly). Each presentation should be about 15 minutes long.
SPRING 2026 GROUP PROJECT CHOICES:
Work with Richville LLC and The Breed Academy to help envision this year's Black Wall Street Festival. They're looking for a creative way to showcase/display the history and significance of Black Wall Street (Tulsa and other locations) during the festival throughout New Haven. Students can focus on developing a creative strategy on what that display showcase could look like at the festival as a tool for attendee education and engagement (and then a volunteer will implement it this summer) OR students can focus on some historical fact-finding on different Black Wall Streets throughout history and draw connections to New haven's own economic and cultural history that can be presented leading up to and/or during the festival for education and engagement.
Help develop the partnership between the New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) and the Jamaican American Connection (JAC) ahead of the NHSO's June 6th concert that is an orchestral tribute to Bob Marley. Possible ways to make this happen include working with the City of New Haven on different social media engagement, creating a "Bob Marley Day" as designated by New Haven and/or the State of Connecticut, as well as brainstorming other ideas to celebrate New Haven, Bob Marley, and Jamaica.
Collaborate with Ms. IfeMichelle Gardin, Executive Director of Kulturally Lit, as she prepares for the Community Foundation's annual fundraiser, The Great Give. She needs help with writing appeal letters to donors, writing content for the Great Give site, as well as other things like short videos to point people to their page. She will also need some help getting logistics together for LITfest, which will be held on October 17 on SCSU's campus.
SHARED VALUES:
Everyone should have input into a set plan. Create a timeline together, based on bandwidth and schedules.
Schedule checkins with one another. Cross-review your work. Be accountable to yourself and your team.
Play to your strengths.
Be willing to accept constructive feedback. Give constructive feedback with respect.
Manage "up" - make sure to speak up to everyone if you have a busy week coming up and keep them posted on your availability.
Some guiding questions to consider while putting together your presentation:
What was the context for the nonprofit needing your help?
How did you decide who was going to do what?
Did you run into any difficulties or did you have to change course from your original plan?
How did the project tie into themes or ideas we chatted about in the first half of the course?
Were there any "hard outcomes" of your work? (Can you show you "made a difference"?)