Children and Poverty Seminar

Immersion Dates: Friday, March 11 – Saturday, March 19, 2011

Location: New York City 
Size: 12 students
Cost: $265

Program Director: Professor Jay Brandenberger

Seminar Assistant: Debbie Blasko

Course Instructors: Kalsea Koss, Gaoli Saedi, Susan Gundersen

Deadline: 11:59 p.m. EST, Thursday, January 20, 2011

This course involves community based learning, but is not a service learning course. While the opportunity for brief service may be available, the primary emphasis during immersion will be to learn from individuals that work with children living in poverty or those who work to address relevant issues facing these children.

The Children and Poverty Seminar is a unique opportunity for student participants to examine important issues concerning children and youth challenged by urban poverty in the United States. The seminar will focus in particular on early intervention and prevention, education, public policy, and community outreach. Participants will begin their exploration during orientation sessions, where the current state of children in poverty will be examined from multiple perspectives and within different domains. The issues discussed during the orientation sessions will prepare students for visits in with various organizations in New York City who deal with these issues on a daily basis.

During a week of immersion in New York City, participants will learn from individuals and community-based organizations. Visits with both children and program administrators will enable participants to experience first-hand the realities of growing up in poverty. In addition, the learning opportunities uniquely presented by New York City will be jointly utilized to enhance the experience. Each night, participants will have the opportunity to reflect upon their experiences through daily facilitated discussions centered on local children’s organizations and solution-centered outcomes to the problems concerning youth and poverty. Participants are encouraged to examine a particular interest or topics related to children living in poverty and examine this issue throughout the various organizations.

Upon return to Notre Dame/South Bend, follow-up meetings will be conducted to integrate participants’ experiences during the immersion with the overarching course themes.

–Center for Social Concern