Honors Scholars' Collaborative Launches Growing Number of Community Impact Projects

"Having degrees in liberal arts and business, I’ve always believed that these two academic backgrounds are intended to complement each other rather than compete. Successful businesses need employees who are not only technical thinkers but who also excel in human, social and cultural skills developed through interdisciplinary thinking, such communication, flexibility, creativity, critical analysis and teamwork. These skillsets are even more significant in today’s competitive landscape because they are drivers of innovation, and innovation has become key to solving many new world problems. However, many businesses and organizations struggle to foster and execute innovation and product development effectively. As the first part of a two-semester project, this course is intended to develop essential innovation skills using a human-centered approach. During this semester students will grapple with the challenges of developing research questions and learn the values of business consulting, quality research, creativity, and design thinking. Working with a client organization, students will create compelling and actionable problem statements or design challenges that will serve as the foundation for the second part of the course during the following semester." Jeff Overby, Director of the Center for International Business and Associate Professor of Marketing at Belmont University

"Although the use of sport to impact communities has a long history, only recently has sport been used within the international development sector as a tool to empower underserved communities. In 2005, the United Nations identified sport as a tool for sustainable development and a strategy for social change, highlighting its unique ability to unite diverse groups, instill confidence, and promote inclusion for historically marginalized communities. In this course, students will learn about the fields of sport for development and social justice by working directly with two international sport for development organizations. (1) Sittruli Foundation’s (India) mission is to create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in sports and to promote inclusion into community life. (2) Dale Vuelta (Mexico) is a purpose-driven company using the power of multimedia communication and digital platforms to bridge the gap between women and girls who want to practice sport and organizations willing to provide safe facilities. Students will partner with Sittruli Foundation and Dale Vuelta to collaborate and to create project proposals and sustainable deliverables to further each organization’s mission and promote the use of sport to empower women, girls, and people with disabilities worldwide." Carolyn Spellings, Assistant Director of University of Tennessee Center for Sport, Peace, and Society

"In this Honors Scholars Collaborative, we will think about the transformative power of storytelling, particularly for those on the margins whose voices are often silenced. Our goal is to study the ways we can partner with those on the margins--specifically in recovery and refugee programs--to listen and learn from their experiences to help shape a better, more just community. We will consider the following questions to begin: Can writing change the world? Can storytelling change minds, introduce solutions to old problems, and help us become more engaged in our communities and our disciplines?" Amy Hodges Hamilton, Professor of English at Belmont University

"This course offers a unique exploration into the intersection of sport, culture, society, and community. Through an interdisciplinary lens, students will analyze how sport serves as both a mirror and a catalyst for social change, exploring topics such as race, gender, class, and power dynamics within sporting contexts. Students will examine the role of sport as a vehicle for social change and explore strategies for leveraging it to address issues such as inequality, discrimination, and community well-being. Furthermore, students will be equipped with various research methods techniques, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, and will apply their knowledge and skills to develop and implement a research-informed proposal aimed at addressing a specific community need or challenge with a Nashville-based sport organization (e.g., Special Olympics, The First Tee). By actively participating in this course, students will not only deepen their understanding of the complexities of sport and society but also contribute to tangible, positive change within Nashville communities." Robbie Matz, Assistant Professor of Sport Administration

"Historian Jennifer Allen argues that cultural and historic spaces 'mean things because we make them mean things.' In other words, the past is socially constructed, and this construction is based on a set of complex and fluid criteria that changes over time. Our memories and histories are represented by built environments and symbolic interpretations that provide meaning to our lives and shape our identities. What do we choose to memorialize and why? Who chooses what is important? Who interprets and assigns value? These are but a few of the questions that should be answered when considering how history and memory combine to create and transfer meaning to a public audience, as well as larger society. In this class, we will discuss, explore (literally), research, and identity important moments and places in time. Ultimately, we will work with internal and/or external partner(s) to execute projects of your design." Mary Ellen Pethel, Associate Director of Honors program within the Interdisciplinary Studies and Global Education

"How can creativity be useful in addressing the most pressing issues in the world today? What strengths lie in shifting perspectives and imagination? What, if any, role does beauty play? To borrow the term popularized by Brian Eno, what are the advantages of an 'oblique strategy', lateral and abstract thinking when considering how to address one of the 17 UN Sustainability Goals? In this course we will work collaboratively and broadly at first, identifying a core topic and then work together to create a plan and project to address our goal. Our tools and approaches will be diverse and experimental. Our interconnectedness and diversity will be our biggest strength. We may choose to partner with an off campus organization or not. Please note: you do not have to be an artist to thrive in this class! Just a willingness to embrace creative/arts-based approaches to community work and research. My interests include environmental concerns (broadly), photography, culture, history, archives, storytelling." Christine Rogers, Associate Professor of Photography

"Community engagement activities are grounded in the desire to improve the community around them and oftentimes this messy work can lose its focus on the community partner’s needs. Sustaining and maintaining those community partnerships is challenging due to a host of factors (Blouin & Perry, 2009; Cronley, 2015; Weerts & Sandmann, 2008). Critical to this work has been the partnerships involved in serving this community, which include multiple individuals at the partner organization and surrounding schools and resources (Gazley, 2013). In this course, students will explore how organizations within the Nashville community are working to address a common goal through community engagement. Students will engage in community-engaged research to learn from organizations within the Nashville community who are addressing complex problems and explore their plans for sustainability. Students are encouraged to engage in exploration to work towards a proposal that builds bridges between organizations." Amanda Nelms, Assistant Professor of Education

“Shalom” embodies the idea of total well-being and encompasses not only the absence of conflict but also the presence of justice, compassion, peace, and prosperity. Nashville has a history of welcoming immigrants and refugees, with ongoing support from public and private sectors. Many of the 100,000+ immigrants and refugees living in Tennessee live right here in Nashville. This course will introduce students to multiple research methods and create project proposals focused on programming at The Branch—a local non-profit that provides food, English classes, and other services for marginalized peoples. To that end we will partner with the Branch to create sustainable deliverables and further their mission “to build a community where everyone can thrive by nourishing, educating, and equipping our neighbors.” John Gonas (tentative), Professor of Finance in the Undergraduate and Jack C. Massey School of Business

"Birds are telling us it’s time to take action for the environment. Did you know one-third of the birds in North America have disappeared in the past 50 years? Published in the journal Science by researchers at seven institutions, the findings show that 2.9 billion breeding adult birds have been lost since 1970, including birds in every ecosystem. Like the proverbial canary in a coal mine, this loss of bird life is a harbinger of environmental hazards for human beings and other life. In this course we will consider how birds have influenced and inspired humanity. From personal wellness to artistic expression, scientific exploration to building community, we will design life-giving, solution-oriented projects that reflect personal insights gleaned from studying our avian companions. We will contribute to cutting-edge global migration projects using Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird and Merlin databases. We will provide leadership in local community science projects like Project Safe Flight or participate with local MOTUS Wildlife Tracking System research. We will collaborate with partners like the Urban Bird Treaty, Bird Safe Nashville, and Audubon Society and together, will explore ways to bring birds back." Stacy Elliott (section 1 of 2), Adjunct Professor 

Being in Nature is good for us. Or as a recent National Geographic article explains, “Nature really is good medicine [and] science can explain why.” When doctors in Scotland prescribed nature walks for their patients, they found it decreased blood pressure and stress. Connecting with the Natural World also has multiple mental health benefits like improved memory/attention, decrease in anxiety/depression, and even, more happiness. In 2021, the World Health Organization (or WHO) issued a report citing “Nature, biodiversity and green and blue spaces represent significant elements and systems to be investigated in the context of improving public health through “nature-based solutions.” They state the need to “[focus] on mental health and well-being as an approach to address interrelated issues (e.g. climate adaptation, social inclusiveness and socioeconomic crisis). In this course, we will engage in modalities like Mindful Birding, Pliking, and Forest Bathing. We will explore accessibility and inclusivity in outdoor spaces and the implications of having vs. not having green spaces on public health disparities and economic outcomes. Finally, we will design projects that support better mental health outcomes by partnering with local communities such as environmental, medical, religious, or student groups. Stacy Elliott (section 2 of 2), Adjunct Professor 

In a recent viral essay titled, “If You Can’t Take It Anymore, There’s a Reason,” pastor Nadia BolzWeber put her finger on the angst inherent in twenty-first century life: “The world is on fire literally and metaphorically. But…I only have so much water in my bucket to help with the fires.” In this course, we will use Bolz-Weber’s metaphor as a framework, asking ourselves which fires we feel called to help with, what’s in our buckets, and how collective “firefighting” is more effective than going it alone. During the first half of the semester, we will focus on collaboration, discernment, creative thinking, and topic exploration; during the second half we will work together to pinpoint a specific “fire” and develop a plan to fight it. Sarah Blomeley (section 1 of 2), Associate Professor of English

For the past fifty years, Americana music has occupied a sonic borderland, ambiguous yet undeniable in its ability to capture the cacophony of the American experiment in song. Country-, blues-, and folk-adjacent, Americana artists include John Prine, Mary Gauthier, Allison Russell, Jason Isbell, and (if recent rumors are to be believed) perhaps even Beyonce. Americana songs frequently grapple with big questions about life, love, God, and the afterlife—yet, according to Christopher Partridge, “analyses of the sacred and profane have been something of a blind spot in popular music studies.” This course is meant to fill that blind spot. Under the guidance of two professors—one from English, one from Religion—students in this section will work together to interrogate shifting ideas of the sacred in Americana music and in American culture more generally. They will become familiar with the major figures in Americana music; conduct research at the Country Music Hall of Fame; interview artists in the genre; produce a series of podcast episodes; and collaborate with community partners, including veteran podcast producers, archivists, and scholars. Sarah Blomeley (section 2 of 2) meets concurrently with Donovan McAbee's section

"Social justice is an umbrella term that leads to many paths when confronting humanity's greatest concerns. We will learn from some people who have taken on major projects like human rights, racial justice, voting rights, etc. to see how they address problem-solving and impact their communities. You will get to research and explore a specific area of social justice to identify the problem you would like to solve during a year-long, project-based learning experience. We will research, explore, and identify what you’re passionate about connected social justice and work collaboratively to prepare and execute a project of your design." Heather Finch (both sections), Assistant Professor of English