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CSU Students Conduct Outreach Project to Address Community Building Issues in Fort Morgan

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A group of students from Colorado State University recently completed an outreach project in Fort Morgan, a high school in a diverse town on the eastern plains that has grappled with community-building issues due to the presence of refugees. The students, taking Associate Professor Eric Ishiwata's ethnic studies course "Hate Crimes: Race, Gender, Religion and Sexuality," led a series of group activities at the high school, focusing on communication, bullying, and interpersonal relations.

Key Takeaways:

  • The high school and town of Fort Morgan have a multicultural community consisting primarily of Hispanics, Caucasians, and East Africans, with the latter being the target of bias-motivated incidents in early 2014.
  • The project involved three exercises designed to build trust, learn communication skills, and address issues such as bullying via social media: a marshmallow and toothpick model-building activity, a map of Fort Morgan indicating meaningful locations, and a discussion group activity on favorite movies and commonalities.
  • The CSU students reported that the experience was mutually beneficial, allowing them to apply their knowledge in a real-world situation and fostering connections with high school students.
  • Many of the CSU students found the experience to be inspirational and impactful, citing the openness and receptiveness of the high school students as a highlight.

Statistics:

  • The project involved a dozen CSU students and a series of group activities with Fort Morgan High School students on December 4.
  • The town of Fort Morgan has a population of approximately [insert population data, if available].
  • In 2014, there were reports of bias-motivated incidents affecting East African refugees in the town.
  • The CSU students spent the entire semester studying and developing ways to address the issues raised at the high school, culminating in the workshop on December 4.

Sources:

  • "Colorado State University Students Complete Outreach Project in Fort Morgan" [press release], HT Media Ltd., December 16.
  • Michaela Holdridge, Director, OneMorgan County [mentioned in the press release].
  • "OneMorgan County" [website], one-morgancounty.org (no specific date mentioned).
  • US Census Bureau [for population data, if available].

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