Urban and community outreach touches on race, women, and prisons

Submitted by Regina George | Published May 22, 2013

The College of Education's (COE) Office of Urban, Community, and International Outreach (OUCIO) sponsored several events over the past few months. Following is a brief wrap-up:

  • The OUCIO, along with the U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity co-sponsored an event in partnership with the Understanding Race Project. "Biases: Conscious and Unconscious" was the title of two Community Conversations held on February 19 and 20, 2013 on Eastern's campus. Approximately 100 students, staff, and community members attended the event and participated in three hours of active engagement. This project will be developed and extended for the 2013 academic year at Eastern.
  • Over the winter semester, the Minority Achievement, Retention and Success (M.A.R.S.) program, designed to serve minority students enrolled in teacher preparation programs, hosted monthly meetings for student support. M.A.R.S. also held its annual banquet on April 19, 2013 to recognize graduates and welcome back alumni.
  • In March 2013, City Year, an education-focused nonprofit organization held two recruiting visits to Eastern's campus. Eastern was the first higher educational institute in Michigan to be a "give a year" partner with City Year. UPDATE: EMU's partnership with City Year ended on May 1, 2014.
  • The Department of Diversity and Community Involvement hosted a forum on the Privatization of Prisons held on April 13, 2013. Over 300 people from around the state attended, along with elected officials, community organizers, attorneys, faith leaders, social workers and educators. Three panels presented background on policy and programming, community and social services and share personal experiences.
  • The OUCIO, along with Natalia Harris, community outreach coordinator for the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office helped bring groups of middle and high school students from Willow Run to the EMU Convocation Center to attend basketball games during February and March 2013.
  • The Minority Women in Leadership Commission, an EMU student organization, hosted a hair show in March 2013 and sponsored 10 middle and high school students from the Willow Run School District.