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USA
| Metro Urban Studies Term
2
of 5 reflections
Learning
about urban poverty and inequality can
be very overwhelming. It was especially
frustrating to learn about the structures
that perpetuate the unequal allocation
of wealth that is so prevalent in the
U.S.
The MUST program was very empowering because
it not only introduced me to organizations
that work to create social change, but
we could also experience first-hand what
it was like to be an agent of change at
our internship sites. We learned about
the strategies that could be implemented
to create change, and we also became active
participants. We also gained a sense of
empowerment in the classroom when we brainstormed
ideas of what we would like to change.
For example, when talking about urban/community
development, we came up with job training
programs to train residents for employment
in local organizations, developing a community
garden (or a greenhouse for the cold MN
winters!) where local community members
could produce their own food. We also
thought of supporting local business incubators
where local businesses could collectively
share resources and space to reduce their
costs.
Encouraging
participation and listening to our ideas
made MUST a more challenging program,
both academically and personally.
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