Pictured above (from the left) are Olivia Painchaud (Trinity College), Maria Jose Martinez (Trinity College), and Christian Gardner (Capital Community College) presenting their research for the Hurricane Maria: Community Without Limits Project at the Fall 2019 Digital Poster Fair. Photo: Erica Crowley, Director of Community Learning for the Center for Hartford Engagement and Research (CHER).
The Liberal Arts Action Lab is accepting student applications for the Fall 2021 semester. Through the Action Lab, Hartford community partners propose research projects to pursue in collaboration with student and faculty teams. Students earn 2 Trinity credits or 6 Capital Community College credits to learn community-engaged research methods and gain experience in applying them. Students may apply by Friday, April 16th to join any of the Action Lab projects below. Apply online, at action-lab.org/apply/students. More details about each project are on the application page, below the form.
- Frog Hollow Storytelling Project: SINA proposes to document the history of Frog Hollow through the voices of its residents, to recognize and build upon community vitality.
- Community Ownership Project: LISC proposes an analysis of who owns non-owner occupied homes in the North End, to identify recommendations that improve conditions for renters and wealth-building for owner-occupants and community-based investor-owners.
- Neighborhood Investment: The Southwest and Behind the Rocks NRZ proposes an examination of the return on investment from community revitalization projects, in order to advocate for further investment.
- Energy Efficiency Project: Sierra Club CT proposes research to understand Hartford residents’ energy burden (the proportion of income spent on energy bills) and identify programs to reduce costs through energy efficiency.
Action Lab students enroll in two 13-week courses, beginning September 8:
- The LAAL 200 Action Research Methods in Hartford (meets on Monday afternoons, from 1:15-3:55 pm)
- A LAAL 201 Hartford Research Project team that meets either Tuesdays or Thursdays from 1:30-4:10 pm or Wednesdays from 1:15-3:55 pm or 6:30-9:00 pm.
If pandemic conditions allow, classes will be held at Trinity’s downtown campus at 10 Constitution Plaza in Hartford.
Successful students will earn 2 Trinity credits, which is the equivalent of 6 Capital credits. Prospective students from Trinity and Capital are welcome to list up to 4 project preferences. The Action Lab will inform students if they have been matched to a project team by April 19, before pre-registration for the Fall 2021 semester.
Contact the Action Lab’s Communications and Program Assistant Morgan Finn if you have questions about the application process.
