Nashville Civic Design Center

FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, OUR NONPROFIT HAS WORKED TOWARDS CREATING A MORE BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL NASHVILLE FOR ALL AND TO TO ADVOCATE FOR CIVIC DESIGN VISIONS AND ACTIONABLE CHANGE IN COMMUNITIES TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL. THIS BEGAN WITH A LARGE-SCALE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROJECT THAT CULMINATED IN A COMPREHENSIVE VISION FOR THE CITY. AS NASHVILLE GROWS INTO A GLOBAL INFLUENCE, WE AIM TO WORK LOCALLY SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY MAY SET AN EXAMPLE FOR DESIGN EQUITY AROUND THE WORLD.

"DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD (DYN) IS AN EDUCATION INITIATIVE WITHIN THE CIVIC DESIGN CENTER THAT ENGAGES YOUTH IN ADDRESSING COMMUNITY ISSUES BY PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH A CLASSROOM CURRICULUM INTEGRATED INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL ART, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, STEAM, ENGLISH, AND MATHEMATICS COURSES ACROSS METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS; DYN TEACHES THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY DESIGN, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE CURRICULUM IS AIMED AT EMPOWERING YOUTH TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES WITHIN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. TO SUPPORT TEACHERS, DYN OFFERS TRAININGS, CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS, AND PROJECT MATERIALS. ADDITIONALLY, DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED A PARTNERSHIP WITH WEGO PUBLIC TRANSIT AND SIX MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHERS TO FEATURE ARTWORK CREATED BY STUDENTS THAT SHOWCASE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS IDENTITY.. THE ARTWORK IS CURRENTLY PLACED ON WEGO BUS STOP BENCHES AND INTERIOR BUS CARDS IN SCHOOLS NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS AN EXCITING WAY FOR STUDENTS TO FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, SHOW OFF THEIR CREATIVITY, AND HAVE SOME PHYSICAL PRESENCE DURING A TIME WHEN MOST THINGS ARE VIRTUAL. DYN IS GROWING THIS PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR WITH A GOAL OF HAVING 30 PIECES OF STUDENT ARTWORK ON BUS STOP BENCHES IN MAY 2022.DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS PARTNERED WITH A RESEARCH TEAM AT VANDERBILT PEABODY COLLEGE PRODUCING A LONGITUDINAL STUDY TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF DESIGN-BASED EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM ON IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUTH PARTICIPANTS. THE RESEARCH TEAM ADMINISTERED PRE AND POST SURVEYS TO STUDENTS. ALTHOUGH HAMPERED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN GRANTED AN EXTENSION FOR SURVEYS TO CONTINUE ONCE STUDENTS ARE IN-PERSON AGAIN. RESULTS FROM THE INITIAL FOCUS GROUP SHOWED TWO ESSENTIAL THEMES IN PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSION OF THE CURRICULUM AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. YOUTH DESCRIBED THE WAYS IN WHICH PLACE-BASED ACTION CIVICS INCREASED THEIR OWN AWARENESS OF LOCAL ISSUES THAT ARE ROOTED IN STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY (1) AND INDICATED AN INTEREST IN EDUCATING OTHERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO THEY PERCEIVE TO HOLD POSITIONS OF RELATIVE AUTHORITY, ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSES OF THESE INJUSTICES (2). THERE WERE ALSO THREE TOP STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN I FIND IT VERY EASY TO TALK IN FRONT OF A GROUP (1), I CAN VERY EASILY ORGANIZE PEERS TO GET THINGS DONE (2), AND IN GROUPS, I AM OFTEN A LEADER (3). "

"DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD (DYN) IS AN EDUCATION INITIATIVE WITHIN THE CIVIC DESIGN CENTER THAT ENGAGES YOUTH IN ADDRESSING COMMUNITY ISSUES BY PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT. THROUGH A CLASSROOM CURRICULUM INTEGRATED INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL ART, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, STEAM, ENGLISH, AND MATHEMATICS COURSES ACROSS METRO NASHVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS; DYN TEACHES THE PRINCIPLES OF COMMUNITY DESIGN, SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. THE CURRICULUM IS AIMED AT EMPOWERING YOUTH TO ADDRESS INEQUITIES WITHIN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT, PARTICULARLY WITHIN THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES. TO SUPPORT TEACHERS, DYN OFFERS TRAININGS, CLASSROOM VOLUNTEERS, AND PROJECT MATERIALS. ADDITIONALLY, DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SUCCESSFULLY PILOTED A PARTNERSHIP WITH WEGO PUBLIC TRANSIT AND SIX MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHERS TO FEATURE ARTWORK CREATED BY STUDENTS THAT SHOWCASE THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS IDENTITY.. THE ARTWORK IS CURRENTLY PLACED ON WEGO BUS STOP BENCHES AND INTERIOR BUS CARDS IN SCHOOLS NEIGHBORHOODS. THIS IS AN EXCITING WAY FOR STUDENTS TO FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THEIR COMMUNITIES, SHOW OFF THEIR CREATIVITY, AND HAVE SOME PHYSICAL PRESENCE DURING A TIME WHEN MOST THINGS ARE VIRTUAL. DYN IS GROWING THIS PARTNERSHIP FOR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR WITH A GOAL OF HAVING 30 PIECES OF STUDENT ARTWORK ON BUS STOP BENCHES IN MAY 2022.DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS PARTNERED WITH A RESEARCH TEAM AT VANDERBILT PEABODY COLLEGE PRODUCING A LONGITUDINAL STUDY TO DETERMINE EFFECTS OF DESIGN-BASED EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM ON IMPROVING COMMUNITY HEALTH, EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT FOR YOUTH PARTICIPANTS. THE RESEARCH TEAM ADMINISTERED PRE AND POST SURVEYS TO STUDENTS. ALTHOUGH HAMPERED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, THE RESEARCH HAS BEEN GRANTED AN EXTENSION FOR SURVEYS TO CONTINUE ONCE STUDENTS ARE IN-PERSON AGAIN. RESULTS FROM THE INITIAL FOCUS GROUP SHOWED TWO ESSENTIAL THEMES IN PARTICIPANTS DISCUSSION OF THE CURRICULUM AS A CATALYST FOR SOCIAL CHANGE. YOUTH DESCRIBED THE WAYS IN WHICH PLACE-BASED ACTION CIVICS INCREASED THEIR OWN AWARENESS OF LOCAL ISSUES THAT ARE ROOTED IN STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY (1) AND INDICATED AN INTEREST IN EDUCATING OTHERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO THEY PERCEIVE TO HOLD POSITIONS OF RELATIVE AUTHORITY, ABOUT THE ROOT CAUSES OF THESE INJUSTICES (2). THERE WERE ALSO THREE TOP STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN I FIND IT VERY EASY TO TALK IN FRONT OF A GROUP (1), I CAN VERY EASILY ORGANIZE PEERS TO GET THINGS DONE (2), AND IN GROUPS, I AM OFTEN A LEADER (3). "