Advancing Racial Equity Award Program

Careers and Mentorship in Medicine Program (CAMMP), a collaboration with the Department of Medicine, Internal Medicine Residency Program, and the Black Cultural Center

Project Leads:

• Lisa K. Butler, MPA, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator, Department of Medicine
• Chelsea Herbert, DO, Resident, Internal Medicine

Project Abstract: The Department of Medicine, in collaboration with the Black Cultural Center and UIC’s Student National Medical Association (SNMA) chapter, host an initiative aimed to inspire future medical professionals and foster community health awareness. The Careers and Mentorship in Medicine Program (CAMMP) will partner with a local high school to engage aspiring medical professionals, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, through hands on activities, mentorship, and campus visits. Connecting students with residents and other healthcare professionals, the program aspires to demystify the journey to a medical career and provide guidance and support along the way.

CAMMP will culminate with a Community Health Fair to bridge healthcare disparities by providing accessible resources and education to underserved populations. Providing basic health screenings and information on preventive care, mindfulness, and mental health resources to Collaborating with Exercise is Medicine for dance fitness, the fair aims to empower individuals with knowledge and tools for better health outcomes.

This collaborative effort underscores a commitment to holistic community wellness and diversity in healthcare focusing on student recruitment, retention, and graduation while fostering a sense of belonging and connection through engagement with our community to improve access to educational opportunities and clinical care in underserved communities. Combining resources and expertise, the initiative promises to make a meaningful impact on individual lives, the next generation of students and healthcare professionals, and community health. Through outreach, education, empowerment, and mentorship, this event not only addresses immediate health needs but also cultivates a pipeline of diverse talent essential for the future of medicine.

Reading, Rights & Redress: (Re)claiming Banned Books & Black Community Knowledges for Public Education

Project Lead:

• Torica L. Webb, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, Director, Centering Black Lives, Thought, and Liberation, College of Education

Project Abstract: Reading, Rights, and Redress: (Re)Claiming Banned Books and Black Community Knowledges for Public Education (RRR) project proposes a series of collaborations between the Department of Curriculum & Instruction, and the residents of North Lawndale and Auburn-Gresham neighborhoods, respectively. These collaborations promise curricular and instructional intersections between the department, its programs, and predominantly Black Chicago communities through knowledge sharing and knowledge generating activities including banned book reading circles, participant-created podcasts on select banned books, and curriculum development on banned books by students in the BA in Urban Education teacher preparation program. The RRR project meets two of the Chancellor’s University Priorities (2023), and maps directly onto three of the ARE priorities articulated by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (2021). The project will expand on a current CI/College of Education initiative – Centering Black Lives, Thought, and Liberation (CBLTL), founded by CI faculty in 2021. This project directly builds curricula that center community knowledges and the expertise of Black communities, specifically. With the analyses of community knowledges via shared textual and digital media experiences of banned books, this project anticipates a pathway of community collaboration that wraps around the age bands of our college’s student body and extends our work in communities as a facet of their invitations as community members co-construct knowledge with college students and faculty around questions of permission.

Evaluation of Recently-Implemented Racial Equity Initiatives in the Division of Community Health Sciences

Project Leads:

• Stuart Robinson, Associate Director of Academic Services & Faculty Affairs
• Benjamin Shaw, Division Director and Professor

Project Abstract: Following development of our ARE Strategic Plan in AY21-22, Community Health Sciences has implemented a number of student-centered initiatives to meet goals outlined in the plan, including the formation of an ARE Student Working Group, student peer mentoring programs, a semesterly open forum, and a Community Spotlight and Networking Night. While all implemented programs have shown anecdotal success, we wish to implement a comprehensive evaluation and gap analysis to strengthen the ongoing initiatives, determine additional avenues for student support, and compile data that will enable future applications for external funding to sustain and grow our ARE efforts. As skills in evaluation are consistent with the educational goals of our MPH program, we will be able to further address elements from our ARE strategic plan by employing current students to complete the evaluation and gap analysis under the direction of our faculty.

Proposal Leads:

• Daniel Williams, PhD candidate
• Petia Kostadinova, Associate Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies

Project Abstract: This project, through a series of workshops, aims to help develop a ‘professional’ identity among political science majors, 68% of which are unrepresented minorities, 57% – women, and 34% – first generation. Most political science classes often require students to do original research; yet few students go on to submit that research to conferences or undergraduate journals. Many do not think their projects are good enough to present and don’t have the professionalization and confidence to put their research forward. This further disadvantages our students, as they do not develop their professional resumes, skills, or networking that would help them further succeed after graduation. The project’s initiatives would foster a “political science identity” among undergraduate students by encouraging them to see themselves as political scientists with something to contribute to the field by presenting their own original research. We aim to do this by hosting workshops led by underrepresented scholars in the discipline, reflecting aspects such as race, gender, or queer status. Through these workshops students will get exposed to the experiences and professional trajectories of underrepresented scholars, and develop their own paper ideas, in collaboration with each other and with the guest speakers. These workshops will thus help develop specific skills among our undergraduate students and increase their sense of belonging to the profession and to the department. This project speaks thus directly to two ARE initiatives: centering student equity and inclusion and promotion of an atmosphere of care and concern.

Inequities in University-Community Engagement in Urban Landscapes: Bridging Histories, Building Futures

Proposal Team:

• Jori N. Hall, President’s Distinguished Professor College of Education, Department of Educational Psychology

Project Abstract: The historical displacement of Black residents for university expansions has strained the relationship between Black communities and U.S. universities. Recent events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Black violence protests, have exacerbated these tensions, revealing the impact of institutional racism on Black educational and socioeconomic prospects. While higher education institutions seek to improve community relationships, there is limited insight into their impact especially from marginalized communities in urban contexts. This project aims to examine these issues by (a) exploring how the University ofIllinois Chicago (UIC), an urban institution, addresses inequities through community engagement; (b) examining historical and current inequalities for Black communities surrounding UIC; (c) offering recommendations from the viewpoint of Black communities; and (d) employing culturally responsive theories and participatory methods to research university-community engagement. Specifically, the project will use a culturally responsive participatory approach consisting of three phases: (a) an archival investigation to understand how UIC has historically influenced educational and socioeconomic opportunities for Black faculty, students, and surrounding residents; (b) a review of documents produced by Black community members and UIC to gain insights into how community engagement efforts address inequities; and (c) interviews with Black community members surrounding UIC to investigate their experiences with community engagement and to offer recommendations for improvement. The findings from this project are crucial for amplifying the voices of Black community members, especially those who are seldom heard, and for enhancing the cultural responsiveness of UIC’s engagement efforts.

Proposal Team:

• John Holton, PhD, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Center for Social Policy & Research
• Joseph Strickland, PhD, Associate Director, Center for Social Policy & Research
• Chedgzsey T. Smith-McKeever, Visiting Senior Research Specialist, Center for Social Policy & Research

Project Abstract: The Jane Addams Center for Social Policy and Research, a unit of the UIC/Jane Addams College of Social Work (JACSW), is proposing a collaboration with WROAR (Women Reconnecting Organizing Advocating and Responding), a fledgling community organization, to build operational capacity to achieve its mission of preventing violence against African American women and girls. The collaboration is an outgrowth of the Center’s support for community efforts that address violence and the JACSW “Advancing Racial Equity” strategic plan that recommended engagement with Chicago communities as an integral part of the learning process. How we leverage what we do well and identify changes that could improve our capacity to collaborate effectively with community partners is a foundational pillar to identify and support UIC’s most marginalized students. The proposed collaboration also ties in with one of Chancellor Miranda’s five priorities, specifically intended to engage with community stakeholders to increase access to UIC.

The Digital Migrant Chicago App and Radio Program: Towards an Inclusive City

Proposal Team:

• Xóchitl Bada, Associate Professor, Department of Latin American and Latino Studies and affiliate in Sociology
• Soledad Álvarez Velasco, Assistant Professor, Departments of Anthropology and Latin American and Latino Studies
• Andreas E. Feldmann, Associate Professor, Departments of Latin American and Latino Studies and Political Science

Project Abstract: Our applied action interdisciplinary research team seeks to develop a user-friendly bilingual mobile app in Spanish and English, along with a radio series, to support the social integration of newly arrived migrants in Chicago, connecting them to available local services and offering information they can rely on to learn about their rights. In partnership with worker centers, community-based organizations, and labor standards government agencies, we will produce situated, digital knowledge to challenge dominant narratives in mainstream media, often portraying newly arrived migrants in stigmatizing ways. Since August 2022, over 35,000 new migrants have arrived in Chicago. However, the city has struggled to offer essential services to this new workforce, while nongovernmental and grassroots organizations, already stretched thin due to their efforts to assist long-established migrants, have struggled, too. There is no central information hub where migrants can access reliable information in Spanish about services beyond a data dashboard to pair them with shelter space. The award seeks to 1) develop a needs assessment of the migrant population, 2) scale up interactive radio programming to disseminate employment and labor laws among the migrant population, and 3) seed the concept development of a multilingual phone app to connect migrants with services related to mobility resources, worker education, legal aid, health and education rights.

Advancing Racial Equity through Elevating the Voices of Diverse Communities (ARE VOICES)

Proposal Leads:

• Yolanda Suarez-Balcazar, Professor

• Susan Magasi, Professor and Department Head

Proposal Team:

• Faculty: IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Academic Committee Members:
  • Dalmina Arias, Clinical Assistant Professor
  • Jenica Lee, Clinical Associate Professor
  • Mansha Mirza, Associate Professor
  • Ashley Stoffel, Clinical Professor

Faculty & Bridge to Faculty Alum

• Sabrin Rizk, Assistant Professor

• Students:
  • Coalition of Occupational Therapy Advocates for Diversity (COTAD, a student-led chapter) Co-chairs, Asianna Griffin and Katerina Garbis (Entry-level OTD students).
  • Illi-SOTA (Illinois Student Occupational Therapy Association) representative, Elizabeth Hume (ehume2@uic.edu) (Entry-level OTD student).
• Staff:
  • Phanethia Joe
• Community Partner:
  • Raul Montoya (representative from Grupo Salto)

Project Abstract: Across higher education, there is an increased emphasis on ARE among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), especially those with intersectional identities including disabilities. These efforts are particularly important in training the next generation of occupational therapists and other health care professionals. Yet, teaching resources featuring BIPOC are often framed from a deficit perspective, which obscures their strengths, knowledge, and resilience and risks perpetuating implicit biases. Educators, scholars, and students have called for more strength-based approaches to decolonize education and support inclusive pedagogy when teaching about communities of color. Centering the voices of BIPOC fosters a sense of belonging among students of color. Storytelling methodologies elevate the voices of diverse communities. However, there is a lack of resources and intentional efforts to elevate such voices from a strength-based approach. Our team has created an equity-focused collaborative process that brings together community members and graduate students to co-create short videos, that support education and advocacy. The aim of this project is to create a digital library of strengths-based stories related to health and disability. Specifically, we will capture BIPOC and disabled people’s lived experiences of resiliency, spirituality, collective emotional support, family, kinship, and other forms of healing and wellness. The digital library will be used for: (1) teaching in occupational therapy and health sciences disciplines in AHS, (2) academic and community-based presentations, (3) community advocacy, and (4) and recruitment of diverse students into AHS programs. Stories will also be highlighted on AHS and UIC digital platforms, including websites and social media accounts.