Creating a ‘welcoming community’

What makes you feel welcome in a community? It's a deceptively simple question that the Center for Community Engagement and Learning (CCEL) is addressing with a slate of events during UAA's ENGAGE Week, Nov. 2-7. Keynote speaker Dr. Jeff Hou, a landscape architect, creative placemaker, author and department chair from University of Washington, plans to speak on Monday evening, Nov. 3, about inclusive practices that can help to gel a community.

Hou has worked for years on community design projects in Taiwan, China, Japan and North America and authored Insurgent Public Space: Guerrilla Urbanism and the Remaking of Contemporary Cities and Transcultural Cities: Border-crossing and Placemaking. He continues to roll up his sleeves and get involved in community projects with his students, whether it's a neighborhood garden or a revisioning of a courtyard in UW's campus housing community.

"A big part of it is involving communities," he said. "We want to build capacity for a community to be more involved. We want to make the design of places more reflective of the cultures that live there." What that means is working across languages and cultures, sometimes partnering with bilingual high school students to serve as a bridge between his team and neighborhood communities.

His work often involves connecting with policy makers, educational institutions and social service organizations, all key players in shaping a welcoming community.

This will be his first visit to Anchorage and he's looking forward to sharing successful strategies and projects with ENGAGE Week participants.

"I hope what I do in other places can give people some ideas about what can happen in Alaska," he said. "Oftentimes until people see actual examples from other places, it's hard for them to realize, 'this is not so difficult.'"

Take a dip in the 'Think Tank'

One thing CCEL is short on? Cynicism. They're in the business of forging connections and helping students engage with the world in a meaningful way. ENGAGE Week was sparked by the enthusiasm of a single student four years ago, said CCEL director Dr. Judith Owens-Manley.

Every year, CCEL helps undergrads who want to supplement their degree program with a non-traditional educational experience by awarding the Second Bridge Scholarship. Yep, they fund adventure. Recent Second Bridge alumni Rachel Wintz and Megan Marquis will be sharing their cross-cultural experiences on Tuesday, Nov. 4, as part of ENGAGE Week.

CCEL also sends civic-minded students to The Washington Center every year. You can hear about life in D.C. from Washington Center alumni on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Owens-Manley is excited that this month's CCEL Think Tank discussion dovetails perfectly with the ENGAGE Week theme, "A Welcoming Community." Jessica Kovarik, director of Refugee Assistance & Immigration Services in Alaska, will be leading the discussion and presenting participants with a refugee assistance and immigration policy question to chew on in brainstorming sessions. Here's another story about the work Kovarik is doing that will help get the gears turning in your mind for the upcoming Think Tank session.

Another bit of serendipity: Last month, through the work of CCEL and community collaborators, the Anchorage Municipal Assembly voted in favor of becoming a member of the national Welcoming Cities and Counties Initiative.

"What makes a welcoming city?" mulled Owens-Manley. "A lot of cities emphasize being a place where refugees and immigrants can come and feel welcome. Other cities, including Anchorage, have expanded that to include the LGBTQ community. We just want to open our arms and be the kind of community that welcomes people who want to live here, the kind of place that people feel welcome to be themselves."

Join the conversation Nov. 2-7. More information and a full schedule of events on the CCEL website.

Written by Jamie Gonzales, UAA Office of University Advancement