Choosing a Community + Topic
As students begin projects, or think about projects for next year, they must choose a topic, issue, or area of focus and decide how to define the scope of the community they intend to impact.
Having trouble sparking ideas? Browse local headlines, interview local community organizers, survey your community! The Creative and Critical Thinking Tools for CmPS publication, found here, has other great ideas and graphic organizers for all the steps in the CmPS process.
As students are making choices about their focus, consider these questions:
- Is the topic/area of concern student initiated?
- Is the team inspired to make real change?
- Will this topic sustain interest for the long term, or the entire school year?
- Is the team passionate about this?
- Do they see a pathway to make a measurable impact?
- Will there be community support for the project?
Remember, possible communities may include (but are not limited to):
- neighborhood
- school
- local community (city, town, village)
- region (county, larger metro area)
- state/province
- nation
- world
And, while choosing a community to focus on, students should consider:
- What do they know about the community that has been identified?
- What community organizations may be also working on this issue?
- Will they be able to measure impact of their actions on this community?
- Are there any major barriers to working with this community?
These questions are adapted from the 2023-2024 CmPS Project Information for Coaches and Students!
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