About Us
Why We Do This Work
We do this work
Because we believe...
We do this work because we believe a better, more just and democratic world is necessary and achievable, but only if we all work continually at making it better, in little and big ways. The work needed to reshape our culture will happen when every day people begin to think about, understand, and learn to take responsibility for the state of their community. The first step in this process is to reclaim a sense of place and possibility.
For the Engaged University, this sense of place can be fostered in the university-assisted community school. We work with youth in schools and undergraduates in the classroom and community because we know that profound transformations occur when students and their life histories and experiences are placed at the center of teaching and learning.
When we collectively engage in a critical analysis of oppression and power relations in the university, in our communities, in the larger society and in the world, we create a common text for collaborative action. The critical analysis that we undertake necessarily brings our differences to the fore, even as it creates common ground between us. We strive to appreciate difference, because we believe that diversity is at the core of a thriving democracy.
At the same time, we seek to prevent these differences from becoming the obstacles to forging common ground and living productively with one another and in harmony with nature. We consciously work to create a shared ”third“ place where people of all ages, ethnicities, races, abilities, genders and persuasions will listen and be heard, explore and discover, think and problem solve, teach and learn, work and play, contemplate and sweat together.
Because we want to understand and promote change...
Despite its reputed affluence, Prince George’s County experiences discrimination based on its perceived racial make-up compared to surrounding counties with majority white populations, and has difficulty attracting high-end investments.
The local public schools struggle with inadequate resources to manage the substantial needs of its very diverse student population. Many residents of the low-income neighborhoods surrounding our university do not have access to the quality of education, livable wage employment, nutritious food, affordable health care and decent housing necessary to provide for the health and well being of themselves and their families. (Click here for more information.)
At the same time, far too many of us are disconnected from our neighbors, families and communities. Our homes are places to escape from — rather than engage with — others. Television, radio, telephones, computers, and private automobiles have become surrogates for connection with the world outside our doors. Our town centers lack a distinctive character; instead they are nearly identical shopping zones that reflect a mass culture where our distinctive experiences and stories are lost.
And yet there is a persistent craving for more meaning in our lives, for more engagement with the world, for greater connection to something larger than ourselves and more enduring than today. The Engaged University is committed to improving the quality of life for all members of our shared community, within and surrounding the university.
Because we want to be the best that we can be...
A good University does a great job at educating its students; a great University takes responsibility for educating the entire community of which it is an inextricable part. We do this work because we want to make the University of Maryland greater than the sum of all its many excellent parts and a powerful force for social justice and democracy locally and beyond.