Student Testimonials

“Participating in CCC’s community projects has helped me to learn how to facilitate community members’ participation in decision-making processes...By inviting community change scholars and professionals, CCC has helped me to think more broadly and deeply about the questions I confront in my research and community-based projects...Both the theoretical and practical components of CCC have helped me tremendously in framing my dissertation research questions and methodology.  Being a member of the CCC has given me numerous opportunities to meet with experts on community change from different fields of study, geographical areas, and theoretical orientations.” – Neda Moayerian, Ph.D. candidate, Planning, Governance, and Globalization (PGG) and CCC Member (2015-2020)

“The Community Change Collaborative has given me a venue to engage in theory-driven practice that I would not have otherwise accessed via coursework and research. Working with Dr. Max Stephenson, Andrew Morikawa, and colleagues from across the University has allowed me to engage in deep reflection about community-based work, including discussions about ethics, engagement, politics and participation. These reflections both preceding and following our community-based work allow me to develop as a conscientious practitioner, aware of the potential pitfalls and micropolitics inherent to this type of work. Further, the forums, speaker series, interviews, and literature reviews that we engage in as a group have added invaluable interdisciplinary texture to my academic development. The ideas I gather from our meetings complement and synergize with my learning experiences in the classroom, in research settings, and in the community. CCC also provides me with a safe setting to explore and hone myself as a leader, a participant, and a learner.” – Garland Mason, Ph.D. candidate, Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education (ALCE) and CCC Member (2014-2020)