Change Projects | Building Community

All degree students in the Center for Creative Change conduct a capstone change project in an organization or community. Change projects enable students to integrate ideas studied in the classroom with real-world experiences of social change.

These student change projects cover a range of issues and approach them in many different ways. Here are examples of student change projects on how to build a sense of community: 

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Dialogues about Sustainability

Amy Barker (Environment and Community) worked with a conservation coalition to bridge the gap between the group and local community members. Using dialogue techniques, she identified their common values and then used these principles to assist the community to make sustainable planning and land-use decisions.

Community Organizing: It's All About Building Relationships

Anteneh Belay (Management) worked with the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association to co-design and launch an innovative communication strategy that enabled the organization to recruit
new members and engage existing ones in more meaningful conversations. His work helped to organize the Ethiopian community
in Seattle.

Growing Community Through Neighborhood-based Design

Tara Brouillet and Eric Dripps (Environment and
Community) served as steering committee members in a
Fremont (Seattle) neighborhood initiative to create a local
organic garden (P-Patch). Their work involved community development, garden design and fund raising.

Building Community Within the Mount Calvary Christian Center

Demetrice Lewis (Organizational Psychology) worked with members of the Mount Calvary Christian Center to create a stronger sense of community within the congregation. She used dialogue to build and strengthen the church community and to pave the way for the creation of deeper and more authentic relationships.

Using Art and Design-Build Principles to Empower Community

Melanie Mercer (Whole Systems Design) was active with
Pomegranate Center in Issaquah, WA, to design and create
community art projects with residents of a new, affordable-housing community. She explored how art and principles of design can be
used to bring people together to create community identity.

Opening a Neighborhood Resource Center

Debbie Paton (Environment and Community) collaborated with a community group to open a neighborhood resource center for the Roosevelt neighborhood in Bellingham, WA. She assisted the group as it prepared to open the doors of the center and began to provide services to the local community.

Internalized Oppression: Breaking the Ties That Bind

Evelyn Thomas Allen (Management) and the Black Dollar Days Task Force helped build a sustainable support network for African-American-owned businesses in Seattle. This work has created greater economic wealth for the African-American community and helped to remedy the historical effects of racism.