About 1.25 million Americans have type 1 diabetes. Statistically, there should be around 150 students at the University of Washington and around 14,60 in the greater Seattle area with type 1. Because diabetes is a chronic condition that requires 24/7 management, it can be extremely burdensome and lead to high rates of stress and depression. Yet, there is no community for type 1 diabetics at the University of Washington. This leads me to my question: How can I build a community for Type 1 diabetics at UW while also making an impact in the fight against diabetes? For my senior capstone, I have conducted research on support groups, developed a plan to increase membership, and built relationships with other diabetic organizations in the attempt of answering this question. My goals were to 1) offer a network to type one diabetics at UW 2) to build connections between the members and the greater Seattle diabetic community and to 3) increase awareness for diabetes by raising at least $5,000. Through this process, I have created a manual for the next leader that outlines “How to Prosper the Community for Type 1’s at UW” to ensure long term success for the leaders of the group.
Archives: Projects
Engaging the Original Seattleites
Over two-thirds of Native Americans live in urban metropolitan areas, but they are often underrepresented through existing urban planning outreach methods and events. Cities must be planned with the needs of Native Americans in mind. If ignored, cities will be a barrier to the continuation of Native American culture and enforce oppressive colonization culture. Currently, little public outreach is geared towards urban Native Americans. Common methods of conducting outreach are not culturally appropriate for Native American communities. Altering current outreach methods, such as town hall and open houses, to more culturally appropriate methods is one solution to effectively engaging urban Native Americans. I applied communication and event structure recommendations from public health researchers and narrative interview facilitators to urban planning outreach events by altering the way the event facilitator interacted and guided the conversations. To determine the effectiveness of the communication recommendations, I conducted follow up surveys with participants. Participants indicated that the test outreach events were comfortable environments to voice their opinions because they felt their opinions were heard and valued. Additionally, the demographics of those attending the event and group size were indicated as important factors in creating that comfortable environment. Implementing these recommendations in future outreach events could lead to more engaged participation by urban Native American populations. More effective engagement will allow cities to better meet the needs of their Native American communities.
Memories of a Dish: Personal and Cultural Identities Expressed Through Food
Food practices (cooking and eating) are a reflection of a culture or country. Food is born out of available ingredients and is therefore tied to a geographical location and its established societies. Seattle attracts people from all over the world who bring with them their food culture creating diverse neighborhoods and populations. I explore diverse communities in Seattle through the lens of cooking and eating. I interviewed Seattle residents and university students whose cultural identities differ from the dominant white American one. Based on these narratives, I put together a cookbook made up of first-person stories and corresponding recipes. By documenting diverse food memories into the form of a story-based cookbook, I hope to understand the importance that culinary traditions play in the identity of an individual. I aim to celebrate diverse food narratives through story-telling and the tactile approach of cooking, eating, and sharing food. Through interviews, I found that individuals connect to their culture and identity via food practices. The experience of immigrating or growing up in a culture that is different from one’s own drastically changes a person’s cultural practices, and food is a way to express past and present identities. A dish cooked today may date back 30 or 300 years, holding historic memory. Food is a political, public expression of where people shop, where they choose to eat, and what their tastes and preferences are. In some cases, communities are known primarily for their cuisines in mainstream American culture. In a country of so many divides, perhaps food can help us heal.
We’re Trying to Reach You!
Tension can grow between local community groups and people perceived as having the power to make large-scale changes (like city government employees, commissions, and boards) when community members feel that their input is not considered or that they are not reaching City of Seattle officials through the correct methods.
This project identifies the strategies currently used by various nonprofits and citizen groups to collect feedback and pass community knowledge to local planning officials, then compares those to theoretical outreach strategies. It consists of a literature review addressing the importance of citizen engagement; a collection of the best practices for outreach to local communities; a series of interviews with employees of nonprofit organizations operating in the Seattle area; and a matrix of City of Seattle public outreach policies. The purpose of this project is to mitigate future tensions by providing recommendations for how best to provide the city with feedback that uses the time of staff members at local community organizations efficiently.
Solution to Urban Traffic: Analyzing Road Space Rationing Policies in Beijing
Increasing Environmental Appreciation through Photography in Public Schools
There is a current lack of art and outdoor environmental education within the public school system in Seattle. Outdoor education refers to any topic that is taught outside, while environmental education concerns the natural environment and issues that pertain to the natural environment. Students are often taught about problems relating to our environment, but they are rarely taught to simply appreciate it. Art can be used as a tool to give students enjoyable hands-on environmental learning in an outdoor setting. By using photography students are able to interact with their environment, show others how they see the world, and feel a deeper sense of appreciation towards nature. This project was inspired by the Literacy Through Photography program at Duke University and will address the question of how photography in an outdoor curriculum can increase a student’s environmental awareness within public schools. To begin answering this question I have compiled a comprehensive literature review and taught a pilot curriculum activity with a K/1 class at Leschi Elementary School that incorporates being outdoors, the environment, and photography. My literature review and observation results suggest that students enjoy interactive activities outside and that outdoor and environmental education is beneficial for student health, environmental awareness, and happiness. In the future, these findings could be studied further with more pilot programs in a variety of school locations, such as within intercity schools where nature is lacking.
Amplifying Stories of Women, Art, & Politics
“Makers” is a podcast series featuring six local female artists answering the basic question “Does art have the power to make political change?” The interviewed artists practice a variety of artistic mediums including theater, music, graphic design, dance, and film. In the podcast, each woman speaks of her experiences as a female artist, of her opinions of the legitimacy of political art, and of her position as a woman in a male-dominated political society. We speak about the strength of storytelling, the power of politicians versus artists, and the vulnerability of artistic expression. The research culminates in a podcast product that acts as inspiration and activism for other women while also providing a platform for artists often silenced or underestimated. The driving intentions of my senior project are to answer personal questions I have about the power of art, to glean wisdom from female artists I respect, and to provide a pertinent podcast for anyone who’s contemplated the potential for art to create social movement.
Community Development through Freedom of Space: Public Spaces and Cultural Identities
Hindering Hunger: Destigmatizing Social Services with a Targeted Outreach Strategy
CEP: Comitted to Equity in Planning
CEP: Committed to Equity in Planning addresses the lack of racial diversity in the Community, Environment & Planning (CEP) program at the University of Washington. This project produces a formal equity plan for CEP, ensuring that future programmatic efforts touch as many racially diverse communities on campus as possible and establishes CEP students as leaders in social equity and inclusion. This project evaluates the undergraduate experience and addresses issues of race in a university setting. A qualitative survey addressing internal CEP stakeholders found that there is a desire within the program to learn more about racial equity and to increase the racial diversity of admitted students. Additionally, a quantitative comparison of CEP racial demographics to those of the University of Washington revealed that CEP is a disproportionately white program compared to the undergraduate population. An exploration into current diversity plans, definitions of diversity, equality, equity and outreach best practices helped identify how to build an equity plan that incorporates best practices and accountability measures. This plan reaffirms CEP’s commitment to equity and encourages CEP students and alumni to take control of their education, learn about racial equity issues, and apply methods to improve the equity of the only student-run program on campus.