Major in Community, Youth, and Education Studies (B.A.)

Program Overview

The Community, Youth, and Education Studies major at Clark University equips students to become advocates for social justice and examine the transformative power of school and community programs. Through activism, community engagement, and action research, students develop a strong foundation in youth, urban studies, and education, preparing them for careers in fields such as community organizing, education, and social work.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Name:

Major in Community, Youth, and Education Studies (B.A.)

Overview:

• The Community, Youth, and Education Studies major provides a strong background in youth, urban studies, and education.
• It equips students to become effective advocates for social justice and to examine how school and community programs can transform current inequities.

Objectives:

• To prepare students to merge classroom learning with action in both Clark's campus and the Worcester community.
• To enable students to address systemic inequality near and far while examining their own identity and place in the world.

Program Description:

• The program emphasizes activism and community engagement, with students participating in afterschool arts and poetry programs or volunteering with English language learners in Worcester.
• It involves conducting community-based action research and working with leading professors to examine critical issues such as the achievement gap and mass incarceration.
• Students complete a digital portfolio outlining their accomplishments, work for change, and a final reflection and practice project presented before graduation.

Outline:

Curriculum:

• The major consists of 11 courses, drawn from the departments of education; history; international development, community, and environment; and sociology.
• The curriculum includes:
• One foundation course
• Three theories of understanding courses
• One participatory action research methods course
• Three elective courses
• Three courses that support the praxis project and portfolio defense
• Students develop their portfolios as part of their digital resumes.

Course Schedule and Modules:

• EDUC 152: Complexities of Urban Schooling: Examines the history, goals, and challenges of schooling in the U.S., particularly in urban communities, and explores the influence of theory and policy on student outcomes.
• ID 203: Youth Work: Practice and Social Justice: Focuses on the positive impact of community-based youth organizations on youth development and provides opportunities for community-based learning experiences with youth workers.
• HIST 016: American Race and Ethnicity: Explores the influence of diverse populations and cultures on American history, from colonial times to the present, using first-person accounts.
• EDUC 254: Education in Film: Media Representations of Race, Class, Gender and Schooling: Critically analyzes Hollywood film representations of education to identify dominant educational ideologies and examine the role of film in American society and culture.

Assessment:

Methods:

• Evaluation of social, cultural, political, and educational inequities
• Examination of identity and reflexive exploration of personal location within social contexts
• Development of theories of social change
• Construction of knowledge with community members through action research
• Engagement in collaborative community organizing

Criteria:

• Completion of a senior thesis and portfolio through required praxis courses
• Final assessment of work as incomplete
  ot pass (with instructions for revision), pass, or pass with honors

Teaching:

Methods:

• Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP), connecting classroom learning with action through world and workplace experiences
• Emphasis on hands-on learning, co-curricular events, and internships

Faculty:

• Expertise in youth work, urban education, critical pedagogy, participatory action research, immigrant academic literacy, and teacher research and inquiry, among others.

Careers:

Potential Career Paths:

• Activist
• Adjustment Counselor
• Coach
• Community Organizer
• Community/Adult Educator
• Career/College Counselor
• Lawyer
• Media Producer
• Peace Corps Volunteer
• Public Policy Advocate
• Public Health Worker
• Refugee Worker
• Social Entrepreneur
• Social Worker
• Teacher
• Union Organizer
• Urban Planner
• Volunteer Coordinator
• Youth Worker