Week 6:

What went well? 

This was the final week of both my Leadership in Action and of the high-school program investigating the pathways of social justice throughout DC. We had community partner visits scheduled throughout the week, and I felt really proud of how engaged the participants were and the kinds of questions that they were asking our partners. I felt like we had prepared them well under the pedagogy of immersion in solidarity with communities rather than working for them, and they really enjoyed seeing how community members gave back to their own communities in various ways.

What could have been done differently?

I felt like following up with our partners after our visits could have been organized differently. We should have been more up-to-date on thank you letters and providing honoraria.

What did I learn about myself while working with others?

I learned that I definitely appreciate reflecting with others on their journey to learning new things, as it makes me reflect on things that I may think I have a complete grasp on and allows me to add perspectives to my knowledge base.

What did I learn about leadership?

I learned that leadership can take a back seat when learning from community members. Recognizing that I am learning new things in addition to my mentees is important to focus the voice of the community partners that we are working with, and modeling the important fact that learning never stops even when in leadership positions.

What do I want to develop or focus on next?

Past this point, I want to take the things I learned from creating this immersive programming and applying it to my Canvas guide on how to begin community-engaged learning projects and research.