A number of Grand Valley State University students spent a semester engaging with city leaders and working at internships with community organizations. They recently shared their experiences. One of those behind the program talks about the benefits students receive.
“Semester in Grand Rapids is a cohort-based program, where students, live in the area, take courses together about Grand Rapids from a social justice lens and do community engaged internships in the city of Grand Rapids.”
That’s GVSU’s Kristin Moretto, Director of the Office for Community Partnerships and Student Professional Development, which is housed in the Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies. She says students recently wrapped up the pilot year of the Semester in Grand Rapids, or SIGR; She says students spent the summer taking classes, doing intern ships, taking field trips and more around the city. It’s based on the semester in Detroit model at the University of Michigan. Moretto says the goal, for one, is to gain a better understanding of Urban communities.
“And, some of the issues of equity in those communities. So, as cities transform, who has access to resources and who doesn’t and who benefits from that transformation and who doesn’t. In addition, I think in going through a program like this, students learn more about community leadership, how cities function, how to be involved in their communities.”
Moretto says the program is designed to help students fulfill their requirements, but at the same time, it fosters development of civic engagement and leadership competencies. Plus she says students have told her they feel more connected to Grand Rapids as a result of this program.
“I think the end hope is that students have an idea of complexities of an urban spot like Grand Rapids and how they can get involved in change. How they might get involved in a positive way, whether it’s this city or another city.”
Moretto adds they already have plans to run the program again next year. And if year two goes well, she says they hope to expand the program even more.
