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Course-Based Civic Engagement at Pratt

By Michael Kelly, Irine Le, and Ewa Miano

"This display will showcase the range and reach of Pratt Institute’s expansive course-based civic engagement work with community partners and organizations, which allows students to explore social responsibility and community engagement across all of our schools and multiple disciplines. This connection of students at all levels with partners that have missions centered on sustainability, social justice, and other far-reaching causes, has a rich history at Pratt and remains a unique opportunity for professional and personal development.

The range of this work at Pratt will be communicated through the display of previous research and visualizations showing the various factors that are balanced in conducting such initiatives, as well as some of the platforms (e.g. online tool kit, newsletters) that have been used to make connections in that space. Its reach — at local, regional and global scale — will be shared through an in-progress mapping of partner communities and organizations that have benefitted from working with Pratt students in a class structure (in turn benefitting the students as well). Attendees will have the opportunity to examine the prototype and connect to have their course-based work shared on future maps.

This builds on previous work by faculty and students exploring the varied initiatives at Pratt, as well as at other AICAD institutions, to make connections and find our commonalities. The further exploration and dissemination of this work through visual platforms will help inform how we at Pratt and elsewhere can tell the story of course-based civic engagement moving forward. "

A digital interface displaying a "CE Tool Kit (Beta)" page. The top section shows a navigation menu, and beneath it, there are colorful graphic icons: two intersecting pipes on a pink background, one light blue pipe on a blue background, and one grey pipe. Below the graphics, there's a title "Course-Based Civic Engagement Tool Kit 1.0" with an introductory text discussing the resource's purpose. The layout features options for sharing, exporting, and adjusting zoom levels on the side.
A digital prototype map displays a 3D view of the Earth, highlighting locations in North America, particularly around New York City. On the left, there is information about the project, including a navigation menu with options like "Architecture," "Design," "Information," and "Liberal Arts and Sciences." The map indicates user interaction for engaging with various projects related to civic engagement, emphasizing the community partnerships involved. A button labeled "Jump to Pratt (Brooklyn)" is also visible.
A web interface displaying a prototype map with sections labeled "GLobe," "U.S.," and "N.Y.C." On the left, there is information about the RETI Center, including a link to the partner website and a brief description in Latin. The map shows a section of a waterfront area with two pink dots indicating selectable locations, alongside various labeled streets and a green area.
A digital map of New York City, featuring various colored markers indicating locations related to civic engagement. On the left side, there is a navigation panel with options for viewing different engagement categories: Architecture, Design, Information, and Urban Arts and Sciences. The overall layout is designed to facilitate interaction, encouraging users to click on dots to view detailed information about each engagement. The map has a light color scheme with water bodies clearly visible.
  • A man with a bald head and a thick, graying beard looks out of frame while sitting indoors. He wears large dark-framed glasses and a textured cardigan over a white shirt. The lighting is soft, and the photo is in black and white.

    Michael Kelly

    Michael L Kelly is a Brooklyn-based designer, educator, and writer who does everything he can to make those roles overlap, ideally with civic engagement somewhere in the mix. He has worked…

  • Irine Le

  • Ewa Miano