Global Signature Grant

Katie Johnston-Goodstar, Associate Professor at the School of Social Work

Katie Johnston-Goodstar will conduct participatory action research in collaboration with Indigenous youth workers and organizations from the Division of Indian Work (Native Youth Worker Circle), Mentor MN, and the University Y. The research will engage youth workers in culturally sustaining Indigenous youth work programs on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, and gain a deeper understanding of culturally-sustaining youth work, including its goals, practices, and outcomes.

Tania Mitchell, Associate Professor of Higher Education

Tania Mitchell will collaborate with the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (UFES) to explore how shifting in sociopolitical contexts in Brazil, as a result of their recent Presidential election, informs the ways that higher education institutions support students’ leaders and community engagement projects. Throughout this study, she will also facilitate a six-week research workshop for UFES colleagues and students emphasizing critical qualitative research methods. Workshops will engage participants in data collection (primarily through interviews and document analysis) focused on community engagement and student leadership experiences in a post-Bolsonaro sociopolitical context.

Macdonald M Metzger, Director of Outreach and Engagement Direct Course Quality Coordinator from the Institute on Community Integration

Macdonald M Metzger will facilitate training for Community-based Rehabilitation Facilitators and early career caregivers who provide support for adults and children with developmental disabilities in Kigali, Rwanda. This training of trainers’ project aims to improve participants’ ability to train others on facilitating person with disabilities, increase the availability of needed services and supports to persons with disabilities in rural communities and allows them to live in their own homes while receiving therapeutic, person-centered services and support.