At American University's School of International Service, an innovative course is reimagining how students and communities learn together. The undergraduate course, titled SISU-349 Power, Justice, and Global Health: Migration in the 21st Century is led by Dr. Maria De Jesus, recipient of the Innovative Teaching Award. The graduate version of the course, also taught by Dr. De Jesus is entitled SIS-635 Migration, Equity, and Health. As she puts it, “both courses embrace community-based learning and participatory research methodologies to create meaningful connections between university students and migrant youth.”
The course creates space for genuine relationship building and mutual understanding. At the center of these courses is a partnership with DC Doors, a local organization which supports youth in transition. DC Doors provides crucial assistance to young people in transition, including the region's growing migrant youth population. Operating as a comprehensive resource center, the organization maintains an inclusive drop-in facility that offers emergency shelter and meals to individuals under 18, addressing immediate needs while building pathways to stability. The center distinguishes itself through its holistic approach, delivering career development services alongside cultural adjustment support for newcomers to the DC area. Through its open-door policy, DC Doors has established itself as a trusted resource hub where youth from all backgrounds can access essential services without barriers.
Staff members, including director and founder Mrs. Janethe Peña, an alumna from American University, work daily to fulfill the organization's mission of inclusive support. At DC Doors, she has been able to combine her life experience with her passion for housing our most vulnerable residents. She leads DC Doors by word and deed; her personal motto is “do better today than you did yesterday, do better tomorrow than you did today.” As the District continues to welcome young people from diverse backgrounds, DC Doors remains committed to providing a safety net for those seeking to build stable futures in the community.
Students began this semester by exploring the foundations of participatory research, examining how knowledge can be co-created and wrestling with the ethical considerations that arise when working with communities. They also built their skills in mixed methods research, particularly in digital storytelling. They did this by working with multiple campus departments such as the College of Arts and Sciences audio production program for song creation and the School of Communications filmmaking department for support with their digital stories.
What makes this initiative unique is its emphasis on organic relationship-building. Rather than diving straight into formal research, students and migrant youth at DC Doors spend time getting to know each other through shared activities - playing games, creating art, and making music together. These interactions allowed students to understand both the unique challenges of migration and the universal experiences that connect young people across different backgrounds.
The course's final project is a creative collaboration where both American University students and migrant youth serve as co-researchers. Working in small groups, they share their collective experiences through various artistic expressions. From musical performances to spoken word poetry and personal narratives. This approach moves beyond traditional academic presentations, allowing participants to express their insights in ways that feel authentic and meaningful to them.
Now that students have reached the end of their semester, I asked what their main takeaways were after this experience.
“From taking Dr. De Jesus's class, my biggest takeaway is how my classmates and I found common ground with our peers at DC Doors, despite the dehumanizing narratives perpetuated about them by politicians and the media. Now more than ever, it is so important to treat people with empathy!”- Kathryn LaLonde, SISU-349-003 student
“One of my biggest takeaways was the experience of migrants and learning first hand what they go through and their outlook on life that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to encounter,”- Annette Lee, SISU-349-003 student
By combining research methods with creative expression, students moved beyond traditional academic frameworks to engage in shared learning and appreciation for our diversifying landscape. Their projects created opportunities for both groups to develop new skills while building cross-cultural understanding. As universities continue to explore ways to engage with local communities, this partnership offers insights into how educational institutions might work alongside community organizations while maintaining focus on mutual learning and authentic relationship-building.
