The Journey to Community-Based Policy Making
Last week Wednesday marked the first class for the Winter 2019 EverGreen & Munk course. Different from the traditional Munk courses, students were required to participate in a series of activities, that in my opinion, entailed methods of non-traditional teaching and learning strategies. Based off the class exercises, I Immediately knew this course would require a level of engagement and critical thinking that not only incorporated theoretical approaches to problem-solving but also would require concrete and practical application.
The class began with an exercise that required each student to share a vulnerable experience in which they felt the impact of public policy. This activity was quite moving as it demonstrated that irrespective of an individual’s socio-economic status, education, race, age, etc., public policy impacts and shapes everyone’s lives differently. As we spend the next 6 weeks engaging and understanding the complex environments of communities, this activity has challenged me to think about community needs from different perspectives. As I move forward in this course, I challenge myself and each of my peers to engage in each assignment, activity and field trip with a different perspective other than our own.
“Community”, as discussed in class is much more complex than we think. When asked to define the term, each group had similar yet subtle differences in their explanation that made their definitions unique. We never quite came to a consensus on what the term truly entails and I believe this is in part due to our own unique and lived experiences. By the end of this course I may not have all the answers to what a community is, but I am hopeful that the next 6 weeks will take me on a journey that will expand my horizons on community-based policy making.
