Project Description
The organization we worked with has taken its years of experience working with returning citizens and at-risk individuals and developed a seven-module educational gang outreach worker curriculum that it will launch hopefully in 2024. The program will share what Legendary Legacies has learned about effective outreach work, relationship building, cognitive behavior therapy, crisis intervention, and restorative justice. Through this program, LL seeks to create a network of program alumni across the Commonwealth and beyond who can lean on each other for advice and support as they activate change in their communities. For LL to launch the program and make it available to a broad audience, the organization needs assistance determining the best format and technological platform. Should the program be delivered primarily in person? Would the program work effectively in an online format? If online, should the program be delivered live or asynchronously? What technologies exists to assist with content delivery and can foster ongoing collaboration among program alumni? What should the application process look like? How should students who passed the course be certified?
Project Sponsor
Legendary Legacies (LL) works with recently incarcerated, or criminal-justice-involved men to assist them on their path to successful reentry. The organization offers young men ages 17-24 the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to become productive citizens and maximize their potential by providing positive male adult role models through programming efforts. These relationships are the backbone of the organization. LL offers mentoring, life skills development, case management, community outreach, family support services, recreational opportunities, and local, national, and international service opportunities.
Student Researchers
Parker Glispin (Class of 2025): Parker is a BS computer science major with a focus on software development. He loves hiking, hanging out with friends, and playing video games.
Matthew Brown (Class of 2025): Matthew is a BS computer science major with a focus on software development and engineering. When not in class he spends his time working on his 3D printing business, flying FPV drones, working on personal projects, playing video games and hanging out with friends.
Christian Consiglio (Class of 2025): Christian is a BS computer science major with a focus on software development. Outside of university, he spends his time reading, playing magic the gathering, working on personal projects, watching cartoons, playing video games and hanging out with friends.
Jacob Glik (Class of 2024): Jacob is a BS computer science major with a concentration in cybersecurity. In his free time, he works on personal programming projects, answers questions on StackOverflow, and plays video games with friends. He also loves traveling, skiing, and sailing. The coolest personal project he’s worked on was a peer-to-peer end-to-end encrypted file transfer system.
Project Goal and Objectives
Project Goal: Develop a comprehensive recommendation for what educational modalities and technologies Legendary Legacies should use to deliver their Gang Outreach Worker certification.
Project Objectives:
- Determine what educational modalities and structures lead to the greatest student satisfaction and will fit the needs of LL’s course
- Find out what resources can be used to create a public repository of alumni
- Construct an application process and a way to weed through potential applicants
- Figure out a way to provide a certification and verification for those who complete the course