Social Movements and Change

Students in Professor Kara Neu's "Social Movements and Change" course had the opportunity to consider how largely academic and often large-scale theories apply to organizations working on issues in the Denver area. After spending the first half of the quarter studying social movements' emergence and effectiveness on an international scale, students selected one of three community organizations to partner with in making change at a local level. 

The first, Casa de Paz, supports asylum seekers and new refugees and immigrants. Students visited folks in detention, which provided them an opportunity to see the workings of the federal immigration system and the detainees a chance for conversation and connection.

 The second, Warm Cookies of the Revolution, supports civic engagement for traditionally-underrepresented people. Students completed a project with their "House Party" program, specifically designing a "bootcamp" for residents to learn more about their city and how it works. Lastly, Justice for Black Coloradans aims to reduce racial disparities in Colorado through legislation and other policies. Students did research on racial reparations for their ongoing racial equity study. 

Throughout these diverse projects, students were able to draw on their experiences - the challenges, achievements, and everything in between - for new insights on social movements generally. For example, they gained a much better understanding of what “success” looks like and how it varies depending on an organization’s size, resources, politics, and goals. Personal reflection was another important component of the course. In their final submissions, students expressed gratitude for the chance to get outside the classroom and into their community. Engagement with their partners generated knowledge they wouldn’t have otherwise gotten and appreciation for the impact they can have while at DU.