Our November Collab Lab explored placed-based engagement–what it can offer students, and the ways we might engage students around particular places in their neighborhood, their lives, or the broader community. Discussion We started the conversation by asking participants to describe for their tablemates a public space that holds meaning for them. We then asked each group to identify the what helped create that sense of meaning. Across our discussion groups, several key themes emerged: The opportunity to experience a place over an extended period of time– within a single visit or across multiple visits The sense of agency/ownership/belonging/feeling of welcome individuals had within those places A feeling of connection to a place’s history, their own experience within it, or with the people of that place The ability of participants to experience a place through multiple senses, bring their own knowledge or experience to their understanding of a place, physically engage with or within a place, or recognize a feeling of peace (or danger), all add to the ways we find meaning or a sense of magic and wonder in a place. From there we asked participants to identify what they came to understand about places which hold meaning for them, that a casual observer, or one who had not spent much time in the place would miss. Here, the temporal experience of places came to the fore– how it changes during the day, with the seasons or over the years; how it evolves or adapts physically, in how it is used, and the meaning it holds for those who inhabit or care for the place. Participants also recognized that much of the meaning a place has for them is a product of what they bring to the place, that there are multiple ways of experiencing the same place, and often unwritten rules which guide one’s conduct within it. As a final point of discussion, we asked how students might gain that sense of meaning, or a deeper understanding of places within Milwaukee. Here, we found clear agreement across the discussion groups– “Get out of the way”. Students need time and the freedom to experience and explore places on their own terms. The meaning of a place can’t be proscribed for students, it needs to grow organically from their experience, knowledge, and understanding of that place. We can however help set up the conditions that can allow that to happen: Don’t fill or control every minute of a field trip or field experience, leave time for students to explore and experience the place you’ve brought them to on their own terms. Build a classroom culture that welcomes reflection, understanding of the experience of others, self exploration, and a willingness to share ideas Leverage the fact that each student comes with their own experience of the city and connections to different parts of it Start with places students do know and care about, and let them explore outward from there Allow students to engage with new places in the context of issues they care about Participants recognize that curriculum, access, proximity, and time all pose constraints as we seek to engage students in building a deeper understanding and connection of places within Milwaukee. But there was also a hopeful thread of thought that looked to kindle a re-enchantment with the world for students and a recognition that one can find wonder and meaning within the most mundane places. That starts with simply creating the opportunity and getting out of the way. Thanks A big thanks to all who were able to join us for the discussion, and especially our Featured Participants: Lauren Instenes— Project Coordinator for the MKE Roots Project, Marquette University Joseph Kaltenberg — MKE Parks Manager, City of Milwaukee – Department of Public Works Arijit Sen — Associate Professor of History and Urban Studies, UW Milwaukee Angela Vickio — Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Thanks also to MSOE’s STEM Center for hosting us. Resources We didn’t get much time to talk through Arijit Sen’s Field School project, but he did share several links to that work with us: The Field School web site Stories from the Milwaukee Garden Network The Milwaukee Environmental Justice Lab The Washington Park Collaborative J.B Jackson’s work looking at ordinary landscapes was also mention. Here’s a link for further reading https://daily.jstor.org/j-b-jackson-and-the-ordinary-american-landscape/
