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Community-Based Research as a Vehicle for 

Civic Engagement and Community Impact

April 26, 2023

Office of Research and Evaluation
Welcome & Introductions

Andrea Robles, PhD 

Research and Evaluation Manager, AmeriCorps
To support AmeriCorps’ mission, the Office of Research

and Evaluation (ORE):

To support AmeriCorps’ mission, the Office of Research and Evaluation (ORE): 

Identifies 

national service 

and 

volunteering 

trends 

Conducts 

research and 

builds scholarship 

on civic 

engagement 

Measures 

national service 

impact 

Promotes 

evidencebased models 

and program 

expansion 

Knowledge and evidence can be used to improve the service 

experience, and strengthen organizations and communities 
Conducts research and builds scholarship on civic engagement 

 

National level 

civic engagement 

and volunteering 

In 2002, 

AmeriCorps 

sponsors a 

volunteering 

supplement in the 

Current Population 

Survey 

National 

Academies of 

Science (NAS) 

Recommendations: 

Use different 

measurement 

approaches to 

improve the 

understanding of 

civic engagement, 

social cohesion 

and social capital 

5 
Different measurement approaches...

Tap into more complex 

relationships among the 

topics 

By using 

experimental, 

in-depth and 

longitudinal 

studies 

By conducting 

more 

research of 

these topics 

at the 

subnational or 

local levels

To address these 

recommendations, ORE 

launched: 

Research 

Grant 

competition 

with 

universities 

Local level 

research: with 

Participatory 

Research 

approaches

Participatory 

Research

Community

Action

Research 
Why does this participatory research suit AmeriCorps? 

Mission: To improve lives, 

strengthen communities, 

and foster civic 

engagement through 

service and volunteering 

Community 

Action Research 

7 
 

 

 

 

Today’s speakers: 

• Melissa Gouge, PhD, Office of Research and 

Evaluation (ORE), research analyst, AmeriCorps 

• Jennifer Willet, PhD, Project Director and 

Researcher 

• Najeh Abduljalil, former youth scientist, currently 

undergraduate student at Cornell University 

• Tanya Gipson-Nahman, Region Director, 

AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific Region 

• Q&A Facilitator: Emily McDonald, ORE, research 

analyst, AmeriCorps 

8 
Perspectives from the Field

Melissa Gouge, PhD

Research Analyst, AmeriCorps
 

 

 

Participatory Research: Roots 

Participatory Research is an 

approach or orientation to research 

not a methodology 

• What does this mean? 

Theoretical Roots 

• Places this approach emerges 

from 
 

Participatory Research: Branches 

• Community Building 

• Community Building with a Research Team 

• Research Design and Execution 

• Collaborative Data Analysis and 

Interpretation 

• Presenting Findings and Developing Action 

Plans 
Three pillars participatory research 

Community Participation 

Research 

Action 

Additional Resources 

• ORE video 

• ORE one pager 
Perspectives from the Field

Jennifer Willett, PhD

Project Director and Researcher
Making the 

Invisible Visible 

Project 

Jennifer Willett, PhD 

Former Program Director 
Project Overview and Origins 

 Community-based participatory action 

study 

 On climate and environmental injustice in 

Nevada 

 In partnership with youth likely to live in 

impacted neighborhoods 

 Project was a combination of CoResearchers passions and experiences 

 2019-2022 
 

 

 

 

Design of Project with Partners 

 Researchers set parameters 

 Researching climate and environmental injustices 

 Recruited youth at Title 1 schools through partnerships 

with Upward Bound 

 We used photovoice to collect data 

 Youth took over once trained 

 Focus on research within the bounds of climate and 

environmental injustice 

 Actions 

 Researchers would nudge youth in directions and 

offer more training when needed 
Brief Overview of Findings 
Problem: Dumping in Low Income Areas 
Problem: Lack of Infrastructure for Climate Resilience 
Problem: Impacts on Homelessness 
Partners- Support Youth on their Research 

and Actions 

 Upward Bound 

 NCCC and Nevada Volunteers 

 Community organizations, groups, an

people who wanted to help 

d 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Completed Actions 

 Built relationships with supporters and groups we wanted to support 

 Spoke at public events 

 Met with Governor’s staff and spoke at Governor listening tours 

 Met with local government officials including the General 

Improvement District, School Board, and Sheriff’s Office 

 Raised money and donations for homeless youth 

 Organized and distributed survival kits to local homeless populations 
Our Primary Team Goal: Hosting a NCCC Team 

• NCCC, Upward Bound, Nevada Volunteers,

local churches and supportive 

organizations 

• Organize community clean-up day 

• Build infrastructure like sidewalks 

• Canceled due to COVID 

• Unable to replicate due to housing 

The local government in Sun Valley 

suggested this sidewalk, which goes to a 

school, as a pilot for a NCCC team. 
 

 

Big Lessons Learned 

 Local impacted people are the experts 

about their situation. Don’t just partner- help them learn to lead. 

 It takes a village. Use your strengths but 

find other partners. 

 AmeriCorps has significant resources 

across the different programs and offices. 

Use them all! 

 The work will continue past the project. 

 Updates on team members 

 Have fun! 
Perspectives from the Field

Najeh Abduljalil

former youth scientist, currently 

undergraduate student at Cornell University
Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense . 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Research for Change NV 

R4C-SCNY is an iteration of R4C-NV, where highschool students in Reno, NV were recruited to 

identify harmful practices in their communities 

and incite change to solve those problems. 

R4C-SCNY will adopt a similar methodology, with 

a focus in wasteful demolition practices and 

climate injustice. 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
 

 

 

 

 

Research for Change NV issues and actions 

Before After 

R4C-NV joined the movement to advocate for sidewalks in Sun Valley a historically neglected 

neighborhood. Prior to the sidewalks being built, residents felt unsafe walking to their destinations 

because the ditches were filled with harmful materials such as broken glass and needles. Residents 

began walking in the road to avoid the ditches which resulted in two accidents, one of which was fatal. 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
R4C-SCNY’s 

philosophy: 

The threefold 

problem of 

waste 

Space—Energy—Emissions 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
 

 

“Deconstruction: The Story of Two Homes,” YouTube (The City of San Antonio, June 22, 2021), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R2sbpsUKPU. 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
 

Building reuse, deconstruction and preservation—space 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
Building reuse, deconstruction and preservation—energy 

“The reuse of aluminum, which could be recycled from buildings, needs only 5% of 

the energy originally required for its production.” 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
 

Building reuse, deconstruction and preservation—emissions 

11% of 2018’s Carbon 

emissions resulted 

from the production 

of building materials. 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The solution R4C-SCNY 

•“...bring(s) together [8-10] high-school students in South Central 

New York to conduct an evaluation of [wasteful] demolition practices 

in their communities and collaborate in designing policy solutions.” 

•...students will use PhotoVoice and act by reaching out to local 

changemakers and the public 

• students will evaluate community integrity loss, waste produced, 

public health and other examples of endangerment 

• students will not be left behind in the aftermath of the program 

they will be supported in their transition 

Webinar: Produced and published at US taxpayer expense. 
AmeriCorps Reflection

Tanya Gipson-Nahman

Region Director, AmeriCorps 

NCCC Pacific Region
National Civilian Community Corps 

Pacific Region 

Sacramento, CA 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BASICS 

18-26 YEARS OLD 

Age limit for Corps 

Members. No upper 

age limit for Team 

Leaders. 

10-11 MONTHS 

Corps Members 

serve 10 months; 

Team Leaders serve 

11 months 

TEAM BASED 

Members are 

assigned a team of 

8-12 members with 

one Team Leader. 

Work, live, travel 

together. 

4 CAMPUSES 

Members are 

assigned to one of 4 

regional campuses 

which is a home 

base between each 

of their 3-6 service 

projects. 

NCCC Mission: Strengthen communities and develop leaders through team-based national and 

community service 
OUR CAMPUSES 
 

 

 

NCCC project development 

• NCCC provides people power for high-impact, short-term projects; Communities define 

the need 

• ‘Sponsoring’ organization provides housing, training, and supervision to an NCCC team 

• Housing is the biggest barrier 

• NCCC supports 9 states in the Pacific Region; 3 staff dedicated to outreach and project 

development for the entire region 

• Needs, priorities, and organizational capacity vary by state 

• Nevada has historically been an underserved state by NCCC in the Region 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reno/Sparks Community Project • NCCC provided funding for participatory 

action research projects across the country 

• NCCC/ORE staff traveled to Nevada to 

meet with youth scientists 

• University of Reno staff/youth scientists 

provided insight into the state and 

community 

• NCCC staff did outreach to other 

community-based organizations 

• Lots of support from Nevada Volunteers, 

the state service commission 

• Invited youth scientists to NCCC campus in 

Sacramento 

• Ultimately the pandemic interrupted the 

ability for NCCC to send a team; continue 

to build upon relationships 

40 
Q&A Panel Facilitator

Emily McDonald, PhD

Research Analyst, AmeriCorps
Q & A Panel Discussion: 

• Melissa Gouge, PhD, Research Analyst, AmeriCorps 

• Jennifer Willett, PhD, Project Director and Researcher 

• Najeh Abduljalil, former youth scientist, currently undergraduate 

student at Cornell University 

• Tanya Gipson-Nahman, Region Director, AmeriCorps NCCC Pacific 

Region 
 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for attending today’s webinar 

The recording and support materials will be provided in the next two weeks. Those items will 

be located on the AmeriCorps Impact Webinar page at: 

https://americorps.gov/webinar/community-based-researchvehicle-civic-engagement-community-impact 

To inquire about the work presented in this webinar, please reach out to 

Evaluation@cns.gov 

The next webinar in this series will be on 6/8/2023 from 3pm to 

4:30pm EST. Registration will be available in the coming weeks on 

the AmeriCorps Impact and Evidence Webinar Page