Morehouse College Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership Request for Proposals
Submission Deadline September 27th, 2024 8p EST
The Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership is home to three institutes and an academic program: The Institute for Social Justice Inquiry and Praxis, the Institute for International and Experiential Education, the Leadership Studies Program, and the Institute for Social Justice Research and Policy. One program, the AYC-Higher Education in Prisons Program, is a free-standing program that is not housed in an institute.
Scope of Work
I. The Leadership Studies Program has grown to serve 20 minors who benefit from an experientially based, Morehouse-centric curriculum. A number of co-curricular experiences enrich and deepen student learning in the minor. The program implements a Leadership Lecture Series and supports the Center’s teach-ins to engage faculty and students in discussions on important topics. The Leadership Studies Program has clear student learning outcomes that require assessment.
II. International Education, including Study Abroad:
a) Study Abroad continues to grow at Morehouse College. Study abroad experiences cultivate curiosity and provide real-life experiences that build leadership, cultural sensitivity, global perspectives, and deepen classroom learning. Study abroad is associated with a number of benefits that enhance academic, professional and personal outcomes for participants. Evidence indicates that students who participate in study abroad demonstrate increases in self-efficacy, global perspectives, cultural sensitivity, academic performance (Orndoff, 2002; Possey, 2003; Ismail et al., 2006), and global leadership skills (Loretz, 2002). Numerous studies have demonstrated four major areas of growth among students who study abroad. These are 1) increased retention and graduation rates, 2) cultural awareness, 3) career development, and 4) attitudes, interests, and values.
We want this evaluation to measure the impact of study abroad on 1) retention and graduation rates, 2) cultural awareness, 3) leadership and career development, 4) attitudes, interests, and values, is essential to understanding and curating programs to enhance outcomes.
III. The Andrew Young Center - Higher Education in Prisons Program (AYC-HEP) has evolved into an inspiring and effective program that provides higher education in Georgia’s prisons. This past spring, the program received a congressional appropriation of more than $1.6 million to expand the course offerings and the number of students served. More than twenty faculty from Morehouse have served as AYC-HEP Faculty Teaching Affiliates over the past several years at several correctional facilities. This powerful program creates the opportunity for incarcerated men to receive a Morehouse education. During the 2023-24 academic year, the AYC-HEP Program offered seven 12-week humanities classes and four 6-week enrichment seminars at three prison sites: the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta, Burruss Correctional Facility, and Metro Reentry Prison. The Program includes a cohort of twelve AYC-HEP Student Ambassadors who support the AYC-HEP by assisting faculty teaching affiliates, promoting higher education in prisons, attending HEP conferences, participating in reentry services, and assisting formerly incarcerated students who seek to continue their educations after they are released from prison.
We wish to assess the overall effectiveness of the AYC-HEP program, including its impact on the incarcerated students we teach, the faculty who teach them, and the students who serve as AYC-HEP student ambassadors. We wish to evaluate our success in reaching student learning outcomes, course completion rates, progress toward degrees, the effectiveness of the training programs for faculty and students at Morehouse, including those provided by the GA Department of Corrections and the Bureau of Prisons, the quality of coursework, and faculty evaluations. Additionally, we wish to set up a system for documenting the impact of our programming on post-release recidivism rates, rates of continuing education, job placement, and earnings.
IV. AYCGL Study Tours are real-life educational experiences that have a transformative impact on the perspectives and knowledge of students who participate by creating context for classroom learning. Examples of these experiences include annual visits to the Equal Justice Initiative (Montgomery, AL), the spring 2024 African American History and Heritage Tour (Charleston, SC), and the 2024 J-Mester Course on Gullah Geechee Culture and Resistance to Oppression (Atlanta, GA and Charleston, SC). Each fall and spring, the AYCGL offers new programs. Assessing the impact of these experiences on General Education and major learning outcomes.
V. AYCGL’s Community Partnerships programming builds collaborations with organizations serving the Atlanta and wider global community by strengthening the capacity of existing non-profit organizations and individuals, working at the grassroots level. Much of this work has been done through community participatory micro-granting. During the 2022-2023 academic year, five organizations received micro-grants ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, to strengthen their capacity and build a community of practice (CoP). The AYCGL will begin to gear up for the second cohort of micro grantees during the 2024-2025 academic year.
VI. The More Conversations Video Podcast puts Morehouse scholars and subject matter experts in conversation about topics that are important to both the collegiate and broader communities. Open to all Morehouse students to produce and implement interviews, the podcast focuses on social justice and racial equity topics, including economic empowerment, politics, education, health, and more, More Conversations centers Morehouse College students as educators and facilitators. More Conversations podcasts are here. Understanding the impact of the podcasts on student producers and interviewers as well as the broader student body will help the Center to understand how to modify and curate future programs.
VII. The Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program, a flagship scholarship program that has existed at the college for almost 35 years, has educated almost 800 Morehouse men. Established with an initial investment of $12 million in 1989, in October 2019 Ms. Winfrey made a second investment of $13 million, creating the largest endowed gift to the college in its history. The Oprah Winfrey Scholars Program develops global leaders through professional development, community service, and study tour and study abroad experiences. The program supports more than 50 students each year. In addition to monthly community meetings, scholars participate in weekly and program-wide service, an annual book study, and travel to historic sites. During spring break, Oprah Winfrey scholars participate in a fully funded study abroad experience. Each May scholars participate in the Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership Program, an unforgettable journey to Johannesburg, Pilanesberg, and Cape Town, South Africa.
Understanding the impact of the multiple initiatives of the program, including the freshman/sophomore series, service, book club, Oprah Winfrey South Africa Leadership Program, will help the program to become more effective in cultivating servant-leadership among participants.
VIII. The Social Justice Scholars Program provides experiences and internships that refine students’ understanding of social justice issues and create opportunities for leadership through service and other forms of engagement. The Social Justice Scholars Program, which supported 10 students during the 2023-24 academic year, allows students to explore the social determinants of health and promote racial and social justice in the areas of health, criminal legal reform, education equity, housing, food justice, and economic equity. Social Justice Health Scholars complete a 12-week practicum experience through placement in community-based organizations and learn through first-hand experience about social justice challenges and the solutions to these challenges.
DETAILED PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
All proposals that meet minimum requirements will receive equal treatment regarding the selection process. The short-listed organization/evaluators will be informed of the next steps. There may be more than one screening interview.
Please provide your work plan for this proposal including but not limited to:
Summary of your organization’s background, including licenses and legal actions, if any.
Detailed evaluation plan and general timeline
Detailed budget and narrative
Evaluation approach
Any challenge you would anticipate within this proposal’s scope and the actions you will employ to overcome them
Previous evaluation experience and report sample
References
Proposals must be emailed to Sinead Younge (sinead.younge@morehouse.edu) by September 27th, 2024 at 8p EST.
