On Friday, February 10, BTC students visited the Newseum, a remarkable museum in the heart of D.C. which features exhibits dealing with the press throughout history. I was lucky enough to be one of the students, and I spent a full four hours there wandering around the exhibits – I learned so much!

Highlights definitely included touching the Berlin Wall. There is a section of the wall in the museum, and a separate chunk next to it for visitors to touch. The exhibit on the wall was one of the first we visited, and was fascinating, I found it hard to believe that such a thin piece of stone pulled the entire world apart for so long, and during the lifetime of many of my professors.

The author and three of her fellow Beyond the Classroom students posing in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall. The wall dividing East and West Berlin fell in 1989, and the Newseum has a piece to commemorate its existence. The museum also offers comprehensive, interactive online exhibits about the wall (click the photo to visit the exhibit site).

One of my favorite exhibits was the Pulitzer Prize winning photographs, I stopped and looked at each and every one (I felt bad, I think I made some of the other students mad that they were waiting for me). There was an awesome video where the Newseum had interviewed the photographers many years later, and it was really interesting to hear that, at least for the majority of the pictures, they were taken completely with luck and by chance. Makes me rethink this whole professional photography thing….

There was an exhibit as well on September 11, which included the front pages of what must of been hundreds of newspapers from around the world the day after the attacks. It was really interesting to see how, now that I am a bit older and able to comprehend the enormity of what happened, the entire world seemed to unite. I remember only vaguely what happened that day.  I was only in 5th grade, and I teared up walking through the artifacts, which included letters from family members of victims. The exhibit also had a video, which showed news coverage and reflections from many of the journalists who were on the scene while it happened. As a journalism major, and as an American, I was really proud of the work that they did, and impressed at the ability of the journalists to get as much coverage as possible, given the physical and emotional circumstances. For example, one of the shots was from the camera man literally running for his life down the street.

There was an exhibit on the ever-changing media business, which had a room that was running the most recent “Colbert Report” and “The Daily Show” episodes. They were hilarious, and a nice breather after the 9/11 exhibit.

I barely had time to get to every floor, and I was literally running up to the 6th floor to see my favorite part of the museum: the door from Watergate. THE DOOR. There is a funny sign on it that reads, “This door is to remain closed at all times,” and a handwritten statement after it, directing confused people to a specific person within the department.

I feel like I needed more time, that I barely got a taste of what this remarkable museum has to offer, and I will definitely be going back. I challenge all BTC students to add the Newseum to their list of things to do in DC before they graduate. Maybe I’ll run into one of you there!

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This story was edited by Dr. Caitlin Haugen, Assistant Director, Beyond the Classroom.

by Anne Regan, Beyond the Classroom Student

The author, posing by a picture she painted in a boy's bathroom on her Alternative Break trip to Gaston, North Carolina.

When I was in the first grade, I decided I wanted to be a teacher after showing one of my sisters how to write her name. She was so proud of herself and went around making her mark on every windowsill in the house with a brown crayon. You can still see her name at a few of the windows to this day. Over the next twelve years she became increasingly interested in art and architecture and I became increasingly interested in teaching. As I applied for colleges and people started to ask me what I planned on majoring in I got mixed reactions. Most people were excited for me, but then there were the others who told me I was too smart to be a “glorified babysitter.” Harsh comments like these thatinspire me to be a better person and a better teacher because, as corny as it sounds, children are the future. For that reason, everyone should be heavily invested in building stronger, better informed teachers. I take every opportunity I can to broaden my perspective of the world so that I will be well prepared for when I graduate and set out to change the world through education.

I joined Beyond the Classroom because of the focus on civic engagement and social change. Education is something that is affected by everything and at the same time effects everything, so therefore, I want to know a little bit about everything. BTC was a good place to look for a taste of everything because of the diversity of topics discussed and unique people in the classes. Constantly talking about world problems and potential solutions reminds me to think outside of Prince George’s County Public Schools and the American Public School System in general. There are an infinite number of ways to be educated.

In further search of perspective, I decided to go on an Alternative Winter Break trip where I would have the opportunity to intern at a KIPP Charter School in poor, rural Gaston, North Carolina. KIPP students go to school 65% more than students in public school and since Gaston is such a remote rural area, some students have a two hour commute to and from school each day. This means that some students wake up at five, get on the bus at six, get to school at eight, leave school at five, and get home at seven, but that is only if they don’t participate in after school sports. One high school senior explained to me how he usually gets home around ten every night and then has to start his homework, but that it was all worth it because he could have a positive future. He plans to be the first person in his family to graduate from college and dreams of being a chemical engineer.

A Great Gatsby bulletin board that Regan and the other students on her Alternative Winter Breaks trip completed for an 11th grade teacher. According to the Gaston County Schools website, high school graduation rates have gone up, but nearly 25% of students dropped out of high school last year in Gaston.

During the course of this trip, our group challenged KIPP’s philosophy of education and discussed the future of the public schooling. Since KIPP opened in Gaston eleven years ago, so many students have been taken out of mainstream schooling that several public schools have been forced to shut down. The charter schools seem to be working. Will they eventually replace public schools all together? Will every child in the United States have the opportunity to attend a quality school with invested teachers? A lottery currently determines which lucky students get to attend charter schools. While this is great for the students who have devoted, motivated parents who work to get them into the lottery, what happens to the students whose parents do not put a high value on education and don’t push their children academically? How can the United States change education policy to facilitate learning in every single child? No one has the answer to these questions yet, but the outlook is not as hopeless as some would make it seem. Schools like KIPP, dedicated to changing the face of education by providing a solid school with high expectations for students who live in impoverished areas with poor school systems, are making great strides.

When parents, teachers, and students all buy into the values of education, the rest of the community joins in, creating the social change the United States needs to stay competitive in the global economy. I know that I will be able to continue exploring these problems with civic engagement and social justice with Beyond the Classroom. There are always new ways of gaining insight and unique ideas for change. It is my hope that the American education system will change drastically in my lifetime and that if I have anything to do with it the changes I make will have been inspired chiefly through the variety of experiences I’ve had in college, including BTC and Alternative Breaks.

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Edited by Dr. Caitlin Haugen, Assistant Director, Beyond the Classroom
Special thanks to Anne Regan for being the first author in this series, for providing the photos, and for sharing her experiences.

Many Beyond the Classroom students approach their required internship as just that:  a requirement.  After working in the non-profit and civil society sector for a semester, however, they get a lot more than they bargained for.  They find that they gain real skills that help them transition to their professional lives or pursue further study.  More importantly, they come away with strong commitments to understanding and solving salient social issues.

The one-credit Beyond the Classroom seminar(listed as UNIV326) is designed to support students during their internships.  At the end of the semester, students give class presentations about their host organizations and what they learned in their internships.  Last semester, students shared that they learned real professional skills such as specific computer programs, how to present themselves professionally on the phone and in the workplace, networking, time management, communication skills, persuasive writing, taking initiative, and active listening.

Biology major Amanda Kovar worked as an intern the Supporter Care Department at Greenpeace. Her experience inspired her to consider graduate school to study environmental policy or public health.

BTC prides itself in being a multidisciplinary program.  The diversity of internships and organizations clearly reflected students’ varied majors and interests.  Participants interned at Greenpeace, UMD’s Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, a Veteran’s Administration Hospital, the African Immigrant and Refugee Foundation, and the Saylor Foundation – to name a few.

Students reported that they learned skills more specific to their majors or future careers.  Communication major Emily Kleinman learned how to write fact sheets and make a pitch as the Community Relations Intern for the Rape and Incest National Network (RAINN).  As the Public Policy and Advocacy Intern for the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations, psychology major Nonney Onyekwelli gained a better understanding for state politics and presenting research for non-academic audience.  Erica Stern learned how to facilitate children’s self-discovery, develop age appropriate activities, and apply theories she learned as an education major in her internship as a teacher’s aide at UMD’s Center for Young Children.

History major Andrew Gruenberger became the Saylor Foundation's first intern to telecommute. This responsibility required him to create an accounting system to record time worked. His system was adopted by the organization for future interns.

These internship experiences also expose students to social issues, learning that BTC students report they will use in their professional lives.  Psychology major Seth Myers said his internship with America Counts taught him that factors outside school greatly affect students learning and health – valuable learning for his future career as a pediatrician.  Loretta Bacon, a Government and Politics major who is considering working as a social worker or lawyer, reported that her Investigative Legal Intern position with the Baltimore City Public Defenders Office taught her, “Not all people in the criminal justice system are criminals.  There are underlying social issues that lead people there.”  Addressing those issues is the best way to address crime.  Erica Hamilton – a psychology major also considering social work – said her Client Relations internship with A Wider Circle showed her, “It is a civic responsibility to end poverty.”

Students share one lesson, expressed by Family Sciences major Stacy Rivkin, who served as a Mental Health Associate with the Montgomery County Crisis Hotline.  “I learned the importance of having an internship,” she noted in her presentation.  She also encouraged all students to get internships, especially “hands-on internships, interacting with people,” valuable advice as BTC kicks off a new semester and students begin securing internships for the spring.

To really top off the semester, participants of the BTC seminar “Beyond the Financial Crisis,” traveled to Bethesda to learn about a progressive, non-profit approach to redeveloping tomorrow’s economy.  David Feldman, Executive Director of Bethesda Green, graciously hosted our group and presented us his vision of what businesses should aim to be like.  This non-profit operates as a small-business incubator with a green twist.  Bethesda Green’s mission statement encompasses three key stake-holders in our economy: business, government, and community.  By utilizing these three parties, the success of Bethesda Green’s model will prove that by going green and conducting business and living one’s life sustainably is the way of the future.

Several green business leaders addressed students during their visit to Bethesda Green. Mike Kennedy, owner and founder of Green Savings Co-Op, told students, "Bethesda Green connects us to a really big part of the green community. You never know where your next idea or piece of support will come from next."

Feldman’s strategy for developing a successful, sustainable, and green business is a three-pronged approach: Incubate, Educate, and Initiate.  In this manner, Bethesda Green supports entrepreneurs with a solid, professional network, as well as the necessary infrastructure for a business to grow – such as support services and office space.  According to the business owners working with the incubator, the greatest benefit of being part of this organization is the collective knowledge and creativity that each entrepreneur brings.  Members meet monthly and give helpful ideas and critiques to their peers about how to develop their businesses.  Many of the businesses also work together as their missions share similar, green goals.

To give us an idea of what kind of creative business models Bethesda Green supports, John Jabara, founder of Savenia Labs, spoke to us about his company.  His business – a certified benefit corporation – aims to inform consumers about the actual energy consumption of common, household appliances and electronics.  Larger appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators are rated with the US Government’s Energy Star rating system, but not smaller appliances like toaster ovens.  Jabara demonstrated how with three different coffee makers, the amount of energy consumed by similarly priced appliances range from between $36 and $500 – a huge difference in cost and energy consumption.

Casey Willson, Retail Industry and Sustainable Program Manager at UMD's Small Business Development Center, co-instructed the "Beyond the Financial Crisis" seminar with BTC Director Dr. Jim Riker. Willson, pictured left, organized the learning trip and poses in the incubator's front hall with his colleague Jess Beurkens, Systems Analyst with UMD's SBDC.

Seeing a need for ratings for smaller appliances, Jabara teamed up with the UMD’s own Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering (CALCE) Labs to create a rating system and analyze a variety of these appliances.  The final product is a label that Jabara hopes will soon be available to large range of consumers.  Inefficient and, subsequently, unsustainable appliances’ ratings will have consumers giving their purchases a second thought.  Jabara argues that his business model is an “everybody wins situation.”  The manufacturer with the most efficient appliance would see an increase in sales, shoppers would go to specific stores containing Savenia Labs ratings, Jabara makes money, and, in the end, the environment wins as well because of reduced carbon emissions.  He has so far piloted his rating system in two hardware stores in Maryland.

Jabara’s business model is exactly the kind of creativity that Bethesda Green hopes to attract.  With so much innovation, many of the course participants really got to thinking about their own green ideas.  The Bethesda Green incubator is located just down the street, and hopes to make our world better – one business at a time.

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This article was edited by Dr. Caitlin Haugen, Assistant Director, Beyond the Classroom.

Beyond the Classroom courses and programs challenge students to reassess the information they learn every day.  Beyond the Classroom, as the name infers, challenges participants to go “beyond” their everyday learning and rethink how they see the world.  This semester’s experiential learning seminar is no exception.  Titled “Beyond the Financial Crisis:  From Wall Street to Main Street, Toward a New Agenda for Prosperity,” the seminar walked students through events and actions that led to the recent financial crisis, the results of the crisis, and then introduced them to the innovations by industry leaders that has led or will lead to new economic prosperity in this country and the world.

BTC partnered with the Maryland Small Business Development Center to develop this seminar series.

The course grew out of a partnership between BTC and the UMD Maryland Small Business Development Center. It was co-taught by BTC’s Director Dr. Jim Riker and Casey Willson, the Retail Industry and Sustainable Program Manager at the center.  Riker and Willson used BTC’s signature documentary films to introduce many issues.  They also invited several guest speakers to introduce ideas and allow students to reexamine how alternative economic prosperity might happen in this country and outside its borders.  Some of the films included “American Casino” a documentary that likens the decisions made on Wall Street to a casino and the American public as losing bidders, and “The Flaw: What Happens When The Rich Get Richer?” that highlights key mistakes of then Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan and the effects of those errors.  Later features highlighted positive change in the business world.  For instance, the documentary “So Right So Smart” detailed the efforts of  early pioneers in the green business industry who are developing products and services that are environmentally sound and resource conserving, and promoting social well-being in the broader community.

The 1 BNote bill. Alternative currencies like this one launched in Baltimore promote local business and help communities grow.

Guest speakers enriched student learning by presenting real-life examples of how new business models might change the financial landscape in this country.  For example, Baltimore Green Currency Association’s Director Jeff Dicken shared the impressive story about how he and a group of committed business owners and community members created the BNote – (an alternative currency in Baltimore) with few resources from the ground up.  According to the Association’s website, “Dollars are universal, but they don’t have the same power that local currencies have, to promote and grow a local economy, in ways that benefit the people and not banks.”  Dicken shared how BNotes are promoting the growth of local businesses and brought examples of the notes, which are now accepted at over 150 businesses.

Director of Research and Economic Development at the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) and author of The Small Mart Revolution:  How Small Businesses are Beating the Global Competition Michael Shuman spoke about alternative business and economic models that have the potential to transform this country’s economy.  He shared examples such as the farm and grocery cooperatives, alternative stock markets, and pioneering companies such as the “The Merc” – a store in Powell, Wyoming that started when local citizens invested small shares to create a local retailer that allowed them to circumvent big-box stores in nearby towns that sucked money out of their local economy.

CEO Tom Loveland from Mind Over Machines facilitated a grassroots effort to repeal Maryland's 6% tax on the computer services industry. His vision for a 21st century connected city led Baltimore's mayor to appoint him Charm City's first "Broadband Czar."

Attorney Laura Jordan spoke about benefit corporations and Tom Loveland, CEO of Mind Over Machines, shared his experience heading up Baltimore’s bid in a Google sponsored competition to be completely wired for broadband.  After taking to the streets and leading a major effort to repeal Maryland’s 6% tax on the computer services industry, Loveland was appointed the broadband “czar” of Baltimore by the mayor and tasked with heading up the city’s pitch to Google.   The CEO explained the importance of broadband and how it can stimulate growth by attracting business to communities and allowing people to work from home.  While Baltimore was shortlisted in the competition that vetted over 1,000 cities, it eventually lost to Kansas City.  On an positive note, however, Maryland was awarded the second largest stimulus grant to install state-wide broadband, and Charm City will most likely benefit.

The course also had a distinct Maryland angle.  Many of the speakers focused on what our state is doing to promote alternative economic growth.  Jordan explained how Maryland was the first to pass legislation that allows benefit corporations, and the only one to allow for these companies to be limited liability corporations (LLCs).  Loveland noted that the new stimulus grant will allow Maryland to be the first state to connect all of its counties by high speed broadband.  Many of the sessions also highlighted what students can do in trying economic times.  Dicken and Shuman encouraged participants to “vote” with their dollars by spending in local businesses as much as possible to encourage sustainable, healthy, local economies.  In a lecture, Willson noted that with growing technology, environmental degradation, and an economic slump,  “change is going to happen so fast…with this pace of change [students] are in for a rocket ship ride, and there is real opportunity” for them to come up with innovative ideas to grow strong businesses.  Loveland supported this insight, stating, “I encourage everyone to become an entrepreneur.”

Students could register for course credit, but all sessions were open to the general public.  Many BTC students benefitted from the sessions.  BTC student Shefali Kanna shared her reactions to Jordon’s presentation in a previous blog post.  Khris-Ann Small and Swati Singhania, students who joined the program in Fall 2011, both commented on being impressed with a broadband speed demonstration presented by Loveland.  Small was also surprised that, “Baltimore didn’t win the Google competition.  It…has so much to offer.”

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Thanks to Dr. Jim Riker, Director of Beyond the Classroom for his contributions to this article.

by Shefali Khanna, Beyond the Classroom Student

BTC hosted Laura Jordan who shared her experiece working with Benefit Corporations in Maryland. She has the distinction of incorporating the first company of its kind in the United States.

As a part of the film and faculty series on “Critical Conversations on Civic Issues: Beyond the Financial Crisis,” BTC hosted Laura Jordan, Managing Principal, Capital Law Firm, PLCC on November 14.   Her discussion focused on benefit corporations. According to Jordan, these are corporations that strive to maximize shareholder profits and create a “general public benefit,” which is explicitly included in the corporation’s charter. The specific public benefits could include preserving the environment, improving human health, or providing economic opportunity to individuals and communities beyond job creation. These activities are annually measured against a third party standard that is developed by an independent entity. At the end of each fiscal year, the corporation will deliver an annual benefit report to each stockholder that contains detailed information on ways in which the benefit corporation pursued a general public benefit during the year and an assessment of the societal and environmental performance achieved by the corporation. By law, this report must be made publicly available.

The speaker is an admirable attorney and concerned citizen who helped her clients develop this path-breaking sustainable industry model. Maryland is the first state to have legalized benefit corporations. At the event, she convinced a large part of the audience that benefit corporations increase market efficiency by facilitating a close alignment between the true costs and benefits of consumers’ purchase decisions. The portion of profits spent on activities that provide a public benefit are not taxed, and these corporations now have an extra marketing tool that gives them a competitive advantage. Finally, it is clear that these benefits enhance freedom of choice and limit government intrusion, which would make the concept appealing to policymakers on either side of the spectrum.

The Big Bad Woof, now with two locations in Maryland, was the first benefit corporation in the United States.

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Edited for clarity and length by Dr. Caitlin Haugen, Assistant Director, Beyond the Classroom

Research has a major part to play in education reform, according to Dr. Robert Slavin, Director for the Center for Research and Reform in Education at Johns Hopkins University.  While this statement seems logical or even simple, Slavin argues that often politics and marketing push education reform.  This, in turn, leads to reform efforts that feel like a pendulum to administrators, educators, parents, and students on the ground – swinging back and forth as various efforts fall in and out of favor in schools.  This was the major theme highlighted in Slavin’s presentation at last Friday’s Educational Policy Forum luncheon.  Several Beyond the Classroom students attended the presentation, titled “Achieving Education Success for All.”

Beyond the Classroom students enjoying lunch and listening to Dr. Slavin's presentation at the policy forum.

Slavin advocated for a change in educational reform, calling for research-based efforts to “create a dynamic of progressive improvement.”  His Center is working to create a network of professionals who can share programs that have been deemed effective through extensive research.  Teachers and administrators seeking to find a program that may help improve student performance can access the “Best Evidence Encyclopedia.”  The encyclopedia is a digest of programs and practices, researched and rated by the center’s extensive network of professional and academic reviewers.  The Center also publishes its findings and cutting edge educational research in its free publication,  Better.   Slavin cautioned, however, that research-based evidence “does not prove that a certain program is guaranteed to work in any particular setting.”

BTC students stand on the steps of the Sumner School after the policy forum.

During the question and answer period following the presentation, BTC student Evan McQuirns posed a question.  He noted that Slavin had discussed changes in curriculum and improving teacher quality, but asked about reaching out beyond the classroom to reach children in severely under served communities in order to support schools’ teaching efforts.  Slavin answered that technology offers promising opportunities to facilitate linkages between home and school, citing examples of parents using videos at home to support classroom learning.  BTC student Nicole Cutler challenged the presenter further.  She said that while videos certainly helped, she asked how these best practices might also include outside considerations like adequate housing, nutrition, and parent support to ensure students are able to learn.  Slavin explained that some schools are attempting to address those issues, and that the BEE has examples of programs that attempt to address school-home linkages.

The event was held at the Sumner School in downtown Washington, DC and was sponsored by the American Educational Research Association (AERA), one of the country’s leading educational research associations.  According to the association’s website , AERA’s nearly 25,000 members include educators, administrators, academics, and educational researchers from local, state, and federal agencies.  The disciplines represented by its membership include education, psychology, sociology, statistics, history, economics, philosophy, anthropology, and political science.

The role of research in education reform is, evidently, a timely one.  Early last week, The Brookings Institution’s Brown Center on Education Policy recently published the testimony of Grover (Russ) Whitehurst, former Director of the Institute of Education Sciences, on the federal role of research in education reform.