Activity 2: What is Your Experience in Community?

(30 min)

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In this activity, students will convene as a class to define key terms that help to identify their role as participants within their own communities. Once completed, students will share their own experiences and ways in which they have embodied that role.

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First, define the following terms as a class. To do so, provide students with this chart so that they can keep track of the definitions.

 

Next, in smaller groups, have students share about their own role in the communities they are part of. For example, students may be:

• Leaders – Are they leaders? How are they leaders? What are their roles/responsibilities?

• Learners – Who do they learn from? What do they learn? How can they apply that knowledge as they navigate through institutions?

• Allies – How do they stand with their communities?

• Advocates – How do they support their communities’ endeavors?

 

Students should include each example they identify in the student example column of the chart. There are also three additional rows in which students may add any additional terms that relate to different roles someone might play in a community.

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Extension Activity: Community Interviews

(45 min; involves homework outside of class)

 

This activity is an optional continuation of the in-person and online community mapping exercise (section above). This activity does require work outside the classroom.

 

Ask students to reach out to 1 or 2 people who are part of their local or online communities (as identified in the Mapping Exercise). The students should ask these community members to complete the Mapping Exercise from their perspective. Have the students compare these community maps to their own and answer the following questions:

 

• Are the two maps similar and different?

• What are their points of contact?

• How do the students and their community members expand on each others reach and networks?

• What social media facilitate this connection?