Amelia McDonnell, Psychology, BMC ‘22

Social Justice and Social Change Praxis Fieldwork Seminar

Faculty Advisor: David Karen

Field Site: Philadelphia Health Management Corporation

Field Supervisor: Megan Richardson

Praxis Poster:

Amelia McDonnell_Final Poster

 

Further Context:

How can statistics be utilized to be a “science of social justice”? This semester, I sought on a path to investigate this question within the Public Health Management Corporation, based in Philadelphia, PA. More specifically, I worked with the Division of Teaching & Learning within the Research and Evaluation Group, who view education inequality as a public health issue. In this position, I assisted in both evaluation and research for projects centered on improving preschool through postsecondary education. I built firsthand experience of how evaluation of initiatives through qualitative and quantitative data serves a crucial role in advancing social justice. This social progress is achieved through their recommendations to practitioners and policymakers. Moreso, I learned the importance of viewing community building as a process not a project, which requires a focus on helping create the conditions that make social change more likely to take place.