Community Engagement and Public Service Activities

Through the MPOP308 coursework, DePaul students engage with the C2E2 (Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo), the largest pop culture convention in Chicago. They explore the convention's impact on the local entertainment scene and the media industry, gaining hands-on experience in event organization for over 100,000 attendees. Students connect with industry professionals, talent managers, and artists, fostering valuable relationships and insights into various career paths. This coursework emphasizes the significance of community involvement in pop culture events and their role in enhancing audience engagement and creativity.

Artists Le’Ana Asher and Chris Pappan, together with DePaul students Angelina Alvarez and Salise Sepulveda from the DePaul Native American & Indigenous Student Association (NAISA), engage in a meaningful dialogue about displacement and the importance of land acknowledgements. They explore how we can recognize and honor the Indigenous peoples of this land within our campus community, discuss ways to involve the community in this ongoing learning process, and reflect on how land acknowledgements can serve as living documents that evolve over time.

This project explored beliefs about the self among Tibetan Buddhist monks in exile, conducted with two monks and three DePaul researchers at the Rato Dratsang Monastery in India. The study examined how self-essentialism relates to well-being, even when the self is seen as an illusion in Tibetan Buddhism. Findings offered insights for both Buddhist scholars and social psychology, while highlighting the experiences of a persecuted cultural group to the scientific community.

Minoritized children face a high risk of severe early childhood caries, often leading to dental surgery under general anesthesia (DGA). To prevent recurrence, PROTECT (Preventing Recurrent Operations Targeting Early Childhood Caries Treatment) introduces a 6-month intervention delivered by community health workers. The program targets critical behaviors—increasing tooth brushing frequency and reducing added sugar consumption—in preschool-aged children. Funded by the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (5UG3DE032003-02), this initiative aims to establish lasting oral health improvements in this vulnerable population.

This activity involves an interdisciplinary collaboration with Missouri sports coaches to develop a comprehensive training program, along with a supporting mobile app, aimed at preventing youth sports injuries. The initiative brings together expertise from multiple partners, including BC Children’s Hospital, Saint Louis University, Washington University in St. Louis, and the Missouri Minority Football Association. Each partner contributes to various aspects of the project such as planning, designing, implementing, and evaluating the program to ensure it is effective and accessible. The collaboration is focused on equipping youth athletes, coaches, and stakeholders with essential tools and knowledge to reduce injury risks and promote safe sports practices.

This independent research initiative empowers low-income and first-generation college students to create meaningful community partnerships. Guided by faculty and staff, participants develop projects that benefit the community, fostering collaboration and impactful outcomes. Conducted during the summer, this experience engages up to five students, supported by the Arnold L. Mitchem Fellowship and Access, Attainment, and TRiO programs.

This presentation showcases the transformative work of DePaul faculty, staff, and students teaching in detention facilities. Using an Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) framework, it highlights how instructors challenge stereotypes, uncover potential, and foster meaningful learning. Through the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program, participants empower incarcerated individuals to advocate for criminal justice reform and shape social policy. The approach emphasizes compassionate pedagogy, humanizes the criminal legal system, and fosters agency and transformation for both educators and students, promoting a more equitable and just society.

WRD 526, a graduate-level course in grant-seeking and grant writing, provides students with hands-on experience in researching and writing grants for nonprofit organizations. In autumn 2024, students partnered with Future Ties, Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archives, The Alliance 98, and The Brown House Experience.

This Community Engaged Learning activity at Bethel New Life focuses on Health and Wellness, with a primary emphasis on serving the senior/elderly population. Integrated into various OT graduate coursework, the activity includes site orientation, directed volunteering, and advocacy projects addressing the unique needs of seniors. Participants develop leadership skills, design occupation-based programs tailored to this population, and engage in practice projects that promote well-being and address local challenges faced by seniors in the community.