Post written by Tiffany Garcia, Civic House Program Assistant
For the March 2021 Civic House Saturday, students expanded their understanding of community engaged learning and research, as well as the role of self reflection in service, with the assistance of Civic House alumni, other GW student leaders, and each other.
This Civic House Saturday left students energized about their Spring service partnerships and wanting to explore their future paths in community development. Traditionally, students’ Civic House Saturdays were held in person, but this year’s event kept students just as engaged as if it had been in person with multiple speakers and activities.
Students in attendance at March’s Civic House Saturday had the experience of listening to Civic House 2016-2017 alumni Dylan Tally, who now works as a consultant for various nonprofits and community organizations throughout the District. Tally, who also founded the Nashman Center for Civic Engagement’s Community Engagement Consulting program, walked students through the online workspace collaboration site Mural.Co.
Students were guided through the reflection activity, where they were prompted to talk about their passions and purposes. In their discussion, students reflected on how their major, community service and community engagement work related to their purposes, to better understand themselves.
The event also featured a group of four students from the Nashman Center’s Rethinking D.C. Youth and Policing Project, aimed at researching D.C. policing and youth diversion. The group of researchers held an open Q&A about their research projects and how they are engaged with D.C.
Overall, students really benefited and enjoyed themselves at this month’s event. And they can’t wait for next month’s event.
First-year student Rohit Kotha, an environmental science major, said the D.C. Youth and Policing project presentation held by the students was “inspiring and very informative.” He said he thought both speakers who came to visit were amazing.
“This Civic House Saturday was very informative,” Kotha said. “I learned a lot about myself through Tally's mural activity as well as policing and youth from the DC Youth and Policing Project.”
First-year student Jaida Rogers, an international affairs major and a student in the cohort this year, said she enjoyed listening to the speakers who came to discuss their work with various community organizations.
“I really liked the encouragement we received from Dylan,” Rogers said. “I also thoroughly enjoyed seeing Community-Engaged Research being lived out and creating immense impact through Rethinking D.C.”
