This spring, University of South Florida students dedicated class time to building a better future for the Tampa community by working as consultants for local nonprofit organizations.
Led by Judy Genshaft Honors College Professor Michael Cross, students in the course "Sustaining Your Future – Becoming Consultants for a Better Tomorrow" combined academic skills such as critical analysis, research, and sustainable practices to advise local nonprofits on optimizing their operations to better assist the people they serve.
Each year, the class collaborates with different community partners to deliver actionable and research-driven solutions, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of others in the local USF community and teaching students that they can use the unique skills of their major or discipline to create a positive impact.
Dr. Cross first implemented the community-engaged course at the Honors College eight years ago.
“It is a curriculum I designed to empower students to work with partners in our local community,” said Cross. “It gets students directly engaged with the local community partner, and they get to learn how to solve current problems.”
During the spring 2024 semester, students partnered with organizations such as Grey Bull Rescue (formerly Project Dynamo), a veteran-founded organization that rescues civilians stranded in conflict zones and natural disasters; Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School, one of the top high schools in the state of Florida; and Celebrate Birthdays, an organization dedicated to providing birthday celebrations for every child in foster care in Tampa Bay.
FROM STUDENTS TO CHANGE MAKERS
To identify the challenges facing their community partners, Honors students regularly met with members of the partner organizations to discuss their operations and needs and to receive feedback and guidance. Once the scope of each project was clearly defined, students conducted hands-on research that placed them directly in contact with the local Tampa Bay community, performing activities such as interviewing residents, reviewing transit routes, and mapping businesses. The student teams then analyzed the data they collected and utilized peer-reviewed literature to synthesize their findings into a series of regular progress presentations and a final proposal for their partner organizations.
Honors student Mykyta Nechaiev enrolled in the course to build on his own skill set. As a member of a nonprofit and president of various student organizations, Nechaiev was interested in gaining hands-on experience and ideas that he could implement and take back to help improve his own groups.
According to Nechaiev, his most valuable experience was working directly with Belinda Leto, co-founder of Celebrate Birthdays, where he assisted in administrative duties while developing a strategic plan to aid Leto in streamlining her processes.
“The interesting thing about the class was that each assignment was tailored to the needs of our community partner,” said freshman Honors student Tyler Briggs.
Briggs added that the process allowed her to step outside of her comfort zone by engaging in new experiences. Not only did this help her develop a slew of new skills, but it also boosted her confidence in her abilities. “It's fulfilling to know there's a place where I can invest my time, where I know that I'm doing some good,” said Briggs.
At the end of the semester, students pitched their proposals to leaders from their community organizations, who appreciated the quality and depth of the students’ work.
“I think they did a phenomenal job presenting different options and different avenues on how to gain resources from different local leaders, either at the political level or business level,” said Nico Hohman, a volunteer at Grey Bull Rescue who participated in the collaboration with the class.
A LASTING LEGACY
In previous years, students in the course initiated projects that made impressive, long-term impacts. Working alongside the Glazer Children’s Museum to renew a grant, students helped secure additional funds to expand the museum's programming. “Tampa Bay Learn and Play,” which created pop-up events for children stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, was developed as a result of the work of Cross’ class.
Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School is an example of a long-term partnership. The high school previously participated in a similar community-engaged course with Dr. Cross and was enthusiastic to return for another round. After implementing a previous student proposal to create an alumni network, they now build on those results with the aim of connecting high school students with internships, experiences, and college opportunities, Brooks DeBartolo is looking to expand their alumni partnerships and is looking forward to the ideas the next group of Honors students will bring.
SHAPING STUDENT FUTURES
For Dr. Cross, the "Sustaining Your Future - Becoming Consultants for a Better Tomorrow" course is emblematic of his community-engaged approach to teaching, challenging students to not only be stewards of community well-being but also actuators of change by encouraging students to create the future they want to see.
“I try to avoid the ‘what do you want to do with your future’ question,” said Cross. “I say, ‘What problems do you want to solve? And how do you want to do that?’”
For many students, this course changes the trajectory of their lives after graduation. As a result of the course, students have received job offers, continued community initiatives after graduation, and carried with them the lessons they learned.
“It was definitely one of the most interesting classes I've taken at USF. It shows how, by applying classwork to the community, students can benefit someone else while also learning new skills,” said Nechaiev.
Briggs agrees that what matters to her is more than a good grade in the class. Rather, it’s about “matching those values, those pinpoints for a mutually beneficial relationship that will go beyond the class. You are trying to put in work that will last beyond this semester.”
Overall, Dr. Cross’ passion lies within the active pursuit of a brighter future for all:
“I am building a community I want my children to grow up in. I get to have that impact just as the students do. Not in the future, but today.”
