Guest author and Northwestern University student Peter Orsak gives an in-depth view of an inspiring course he took and shares insights from fellow students who also participated.
Since August 2022, over 35,000 asylum seekers have been transported from the US southern border to the city of Chicago, the second most of any sanctuary city in the United States. Many of these migrants have spent months, if not years, traversing from their home countries in South America through the horrors of the Darién Gap. When faced with the arrival of thousands of individuals seeking refuge, how can a community respond?
Laura Pigozzi, an associate professor in the Cook Family Writing Program, decided to collaborate with partners at the Chicago Public Schools, where thousands of migrant families have enrolled their children. Pigozzi created a service learning course for Northwestern Business Institutions students to help the schools learn more about migrant families’ experiences and challenges.
This past fall, ‘English 282-0: Writing and Speaking in Business’ students researched and produced detailed reports in response to the Chicago migrant crisis and its effects on Chicago’s public school system. Split into four groups, the students presented their findings and recommendations to members of the Chicago Public School staff at their executive office in downtown Chicago on November 28.
“The presentations went smoothly, and we got a lot of information across,” said sophomore Daniel Svard, who participated in the project. “They were heavy with facts, and hopefully, some of it stuck with the CPS employees.”
As a part of their research, students had the opportunity to interview migrant families at Carl Von Linne Elementary School about their treacherous journeys to the United States and the challenges they encountered while adapting to the US. With the help of an interpreter, students gained a deep understanding of the experiences of these families.
“This class helped me realize my capacity to help those in need,” said junior Nancy Zhen. “The experience felt very raw––I could put a face, name, feelings, emotions, and experiences into the news that I see on TV about the migrant crisis. As obvious as it may seem, what surprised me was how vulnerable I was to the experience.”
Pigozzi, a former Service Learning Fellow at the University of Minnesota, believes service learning teaches something unattainable from a textbook.
“Service learning is a pedagogical approach that incorporates community work and reflection to teach and experience the course outcomes,” Pigozzi explained. “Students in our class found the service-learning experience useful in terms of learning as well as inspiring. Several students remarked, with some surprise, on how deeply the experience affected them.”
Pigozzi noted that service learning highlights the importance of civic responsibility and helps students understand the root causes of particular social problems––in this case, poverty and injustice globally.
Svard was one of many students deeply impacted by this course: “Because of this experience with service learning,” Svard said, “I am a much more open-minded and trusting person.”
Through weekly research reports, interviews, and data analysis, students gradually chipped away at their final deliverable: a comprehensive website report and slide deck on an emphasis area of their choosing to present to Chicago Public School staff (Explore each student team’s research and solutions they presented to CPS in their websites: Team 1, Team 2, and Team 3).
“Our group focused on what infrastructure is in place to help the CPS system welcome and integrate incoming migrants,” said senior Charlotte Konopko. “Through our research, we found that the migrant students were lacking mental health resources and emotional support both inside and outside the classroom.”
Northwestern student recommendations included implementing resource referral systems/volunteer portals, enhancing after-care programs, requiring awareness and sensitivity training for educators, increasing the number of Spanish-speaking counselors/therapists, reconsidering migrant student placement, and more.
“I was surprised by the gratitude the CPS administrators showed after our presentations,” said junior Megan Mallgrave. “I felt severely underqualified to be offering recommendations, but seeing how well they were received was exciting.”
Service learning mirrors the unpredictability of the real world, training students for the messiness of the workplace. Many students loved the service learning aspect of this course, but some found it difficult to plan ahead.
“Service learning is messy and stressful as clear assignment schedules are not always available,” Svard said. “Flexibility is very much needed. In the end, I appreciate the lessons we have learned, and the work we have done has been very satisfying, but the process is challenging.“
With the class’s overall success, Pigozzi has continued the service learning element of her course, partnering with Children’s First Fund for this winter quarter. Combining elements of both standard academic materials with service learning opportunities provides a unique experience that many former students are grateful for.
“Each assignment had a real-world application, which made them more exciting,” junior Kelsey Kwon said. “I loved that the whole quarter we were building to a tangible recommendation report for the migrant families.”