Oak Farm Montessori High School Capstone Publication
2020 - 2021
Contents Gavin Burtch.......................................3 Dom Campbell....................................7 Mariah Clark........................................9 Emma Coville....................................16 Violet Landrum.................................23 Miranda Rahn...................................31 Claire Weiss.......................................39 Jackson Williams...............................46
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GAVIN BURTCH
Benefits and Challenges of a Youth Advisory Council in a Small Non-Profit On any given day, nearly 450,000 children are in foster care across the nation, with 17,000+ children just in Indiana. Children are removed from their primary homes to protect them from abuse, abandonment, neglect, and substance abuse. Foster families provide safe, loving homes for children who have suffered unspeakable trauma. While these transitions are difficult, and can be stressful for children, there are organizations that help to alleviate some of the stresses for foster children and provide support and resources for the foster families. An example of this is the Helping Hands Foster Closet, Inc. (Helping Hands) is a 501(c)(3) organization serving Indiana Department of Child Services’ Region 4. Helping Hands provides resources, training opportunities, support to children entering into the foster care system, and also helps meet ongoing needs of foster families in Northeast Indiana. Region 4 encompasses Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, Stueben, and Whitley counties. It is extremely common for children to enter foster care with only the clothing on their backs, arriving at their placement without any clothing or comforts of their own. Helping Hands is a valuable resource to the foster care community in Northeast Indiana and is able to quickly provide items to meet the basic needs of the children ages infant through teen. This year, I have been given the tremendous opportunity to collaborate with Helping Hands as an intern. As an intern I have been afforded the opportunity to learn and participate in the inner workings of the non-profit organization such as finances and logistics , learn more about the needs of foster families in our area, and grow in my own personal understanding of service and impact in my local communities. My responsibilities as the organization’s intern included the sorting and recording of new incoming clothing donations, acquiring donations for the annual Christmas Toy Drive, and being Santa Claus for the foster children. While learning more about the legal requirements of establishing a non-profit organization, witnessing the need for more engagement and activism in our area, and during subsequent conversations with the president and vice-president of Helping Hands about the needs for additional support in the community, it was determined that creating a youth advisory council would be extremely beneficial for the organization. A Youth Advisory Council (YAC) is a body of young people appointed by one or more governmental officials, institutions, or organizations to advise on issues of public policy or administrative actions which are felt to directly affect their lives. I chose to be a part of this grassroots effort with Helping Hands Foster Closet, Inc., because I am deeply moved and driven by their purpose and mission. I myself was not brought up in the foster care system, but was raised by a single mother, and can understand and empathize with some of the unique hardships faced by children who are not raised as part of a nuclear family. The voice of a child is invaluable. Not only would a youth advisory council benefit the organization through diversification of opinions, it also provides children going through tremendous hardship an opportunity to feel seen and have their voices and opinions heard by peers close to their own age. Through my research by means of a case study, my implementation and creation of a YAC, and the possible gaps and pitfalls of my research and argument, I intend to answer the question, “What are the benefits of a youth advisory council in a nonprofit?” Research and Method “Free the child’s potential, and you will turn him into the world” (Maria Montessori). A powerful advantage of a youth advisory council can be the empowerment of the young members to physically serve and effect change, rather than just a consultancy style form of engagement with little or no action on the part of the youth. Youth are capable of providing new, exciting ideas that can take programs, activities, and community engagement to the next level. When conducting my research, I examined multiple YACs in different fields to get a better understanding of what the Helping Hands YAC should look like, and how it should be structured to maximize its impact and service to the local communities. Youth councils, like any other voluntary group efforts, undergo a natural developmental process. One group from the University of Oregon suggests that four phases— forming, storming, norming and performing are “necessary and inevitable in order for a group to grow, face up to challenges, tackle problems, find solutions, plan work, and deliver results.” It is essential in the early development phase that the YAC has a strong adult partner who provides a clear, supportive structure while the participating young people define the mission of the council, clarify expectations for council members, and establish procedures that the council will follow. These steps will be important pieces when forming the Helping Hands YAC, as this is a tried and true method for the council formation. “For young people [on youth leadership councils], this can be the first time in their lives that they recognize the per3
sonal strength their time in placement has pushed them to gain. It can also be the first time they are formally acknowledged by adults as having unique and important knowledge to contribute.” (Maine Youth Leadership Advisory Team, 2010). I have researched and discovered there are an abundance of well-established youth advisory councils within foster care systems in various states who are focused on supporting a similar demographic and mission as Helping Hands. “Foster Youth Advisory Boards grew out of a necessity to engage the perspectives of young people served by state public child welfare systems” (Forenza and Happonen 113). To better understand the breadth and scope of the concept of YACs as a whole and to evaluate the effectiveness in a community such as our own, I examined a local YAC in the city of Kendallville. The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council’s (MYAC) mission is “Creating a voice for the youth of Noble County. We involve the youth in the community to better our leadership skills. Through the support of the mayor and our community, we have the opportunity to raise money for projects that connect all and help make the community a better place in which to live, work and raise a family.” I connected with this mission statement, and appreciated how they immediately and clearly stated that their goal was to provide youth with a voice for change. One project the MYAC has recently developed and executed was the beautification of an alleyway aptly named “The Alley”. This idea was pitched by members of the council, and was carried out by the community. This was a meaningful experience, and demonstrates the meaningful work that YACs do in communities. Implementation of the Helping Hands YAC “Children are the world’s most valuable resource and its best hope for the future” (John F. Kennedy). There are many benefits of a YAC for the participating youth, the organization being supported, and the communities being served. Youth are capable of making important decisions and adding relevant input from their own unique perspective, this is especially beneficial and impactful for an organization such as Helping Hands whose mission is to serve this same population. A YAC intentionally promotes responsibility, opportunities to learn about and actively participate in leadership, builds communication skills, and establishes modeling for how to build social capital in a philanthropic environment. A YAC can also provide benefits to the adults who oversee activities and have a stake in supporting or running the nonprofit. Youth are able to facilitate obtaining feedback from the children to better understand their needs and challenges while in foster care. The YAC connecting directly with the children being served offers the adults a fresh perspective on the effectiveness of their own professional approaches and servitude. The developmental period of adolescence through young adulthood is critical. For most youth it is a time of great change, whether in physical, emotional, intellectual, or social processes. Adolescence is a formative period that combines potential with risk. A developing person can be strongly shaped by impulsive decisions and the potential consequences. It is important for a child to feel valued, and understand that they can make an impact on the world, and the people surrounding them. For adolescents, having a voice means being an equal partner, receiving respect, participating in all aspects of decision making and goal setting. Youth that have a voice in outcomes that affect them feel included, respected, engaged, productive, relevant and powerful. These feelings help the adolescent brain develop higher-level functions that include advanced reasoning, abstract and critical thinking, analysis of complex issues and comparative analysis before making decisions. Data Regarding Helping Hands YAC The creation and establishment of the Helping Hands YAC could not have come at a more critical time for the children and communities, during the most unprecedented time most of us have ever lived through, the global COVID-19 Pandemic. Basic needs for clothing and self-care supplies were severely impacted in local communities. When developing the Helping Hands YAC, I devised a “formula” to be used in the forming of the council. The “formula” is as follows. Step one: Identify individuals who will support and reflect the mission of the organization. Solicit individuals who will commit their time, dedicate their efforts, and remain true to their commitment to the organization. Step two: Board of Director approval is required before establishing the YAC. Once Board approved, seek out candidates who are willing to make the YAC commitment and schedule interviews. Step three: Interviews. These may be panel interviews or one-on-one interviews with Senior Board Members. Once YAC members are identified, Board of Directors nominate and approve YAC members. Final Step: The YAC is established. The Board of Directors and the YAC will collaborate to determine YAC initiatives, roles, and responsibilities. Potential Issues In my research, I found that there are some possible negative factors or obstacles surrounding YACs. YACs seem like a great idea on paper, but these depictions are often excluding the many variables involved when working with any group of people. “There can be considerable obstacles that dissuade youth from becoming involved in community activeness.Youth often feel that they are not being taken seriously, that they are simply told what to do instead of asked to participate, and that there are not any specifically defined roles assigned to them. Other challenges for youth programmers include, youth awareness that opportunities for involvement exist, the fear of speaking out, the lack of diversity 4
within an organization, and adultism or the mistreatment of youth simply because of their age by practitioners. Also, practitioners may be hesitant of the role or impact that youth may have in effecting any type of change. Adults often view youth as transitory, with unpredictable schedules, moving from one activity to the next. This impression of youth instability might contribute to organizations excluding youth, or not taking their role very seriously” (Forenza and Happonen 119). Certain implementations of YACs are purely for show, to make an organization look good and appear diverse. The Helping Hands YAC is far from superficial, and it is very important that the council has true meaning, and makes an actual impact. I believe that the concept of a YAC can be applicable across many different types of nonprofit organizations, and many different geographies. In my research, I found that each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as Washington D.C. has a YAC for their foster care systems. “A content analysis of nationwide public child welfare agencies determined that every state and the District of Columbia has its own incarnation of a youth advisory board. Boards are implemented exclusively through those public agencies or via public/nonprofit partnerships… It is noteworthy that all boards grew out of a federal initiative” (Forenza and Happonen 118). Conclusion I believe that YACs are a beneficial addition to any organization, and I especially believe that they are a benefit to small nonprofit organizations. Having diverse opinions, a different perspective and outlook than adult board members, and also giving youth a place to have their voices heard and input valued are all reasons that a YAC can benefit a local nonprofits. “There is always one moment in childhood where the door opens and lets the future in” (Graham Greene). It is my hope that the Helping Hands YAC can be the symbolic door for some of the youth. I believe that giving a child a way to share their needs, and help meet the needs of others, can be a life changing experience that will help prepare them for adulthood, and being outstanding members of their community. My work and experience with Helping Hands has taught me and prepared me for future work and service with other nonprofits. I truly believe that when applied correctly, a YAC is an invaluable resource to small nonprofit organizations, and will make a positive impact on Helping Hands, the demographic they serve, and the members that are a part of the council. Bibliography Forenza, Brad. “Awareness, Analysis, Engagement: Critical Consciousness Through Foster Youth Advisory Board Participation.” Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, vol. 35, 2017, pp. 119-126. Forenza, Brad, and Robin G. Happonen. “A Critical Analysis of Foster Youth Advisory Boards in the United States.” Child and Youth Care Forum, vol. 45, 2015, pp. 107-121. VeLure Roholt, Ross, and Megan Meuller. “Youth advisory structures: Listening to young people to support quality youth services.” New directions for youth development, vol. 2013, 139, 2013, pp. 79-100. “Engaging and Involving Youth: Youth Advisory Boards.” Engaging and Involving Youth: Youth Advisory Boards Child Welfare Information Gateway, www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/youth/engagingyouth/advisory/. Indiana Youth Advisory Board (iyab.org) Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. “Realizing the Power of Youth and Young Adult Voice Through Youth Leadership Boards.” The Annie E. Casey Foundation, 28 5 2014, https://www.aecf.org/resources/realizing-the-power-of-youth-and-young-adult-voice/. “UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).” Unicef UK, 4 Feb. 2021, www.unicef.org.uk/what-we-do/unconvention-child-rights/.
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DOMINIC CAMPBELL
The Creative Process of Brimstone Ever since I was young, drawing has been my way of expressing myself. I’ve always had a fascination with monsters and robots, which has led to my adoption of the gritty, goolish style that I primarily use. Along with developing a certain style, I’ve also gained an increasing interest in comics and graphic novels during my middle and high school years. Marvel and DC are two astounding companies, filled with many talented artists, and many many issues of comics and comic series. Since my interest in comics started, I’ve thought about making one myself. Part of me doubted, and thought that it would be way too much to take on. However, in freshman year, I felt I had the determination to finally produce this project. It did not begin with drawings, it actually began with a writing project in freshman year. From there, the seeds of the main character’s story arch was sown, a pilot story of sorts. Throughout some of freshman and sophomore year, I started designing characters in my spare time, gradually filling up sketch books and spare space on homework pages. I didn’t set specific times for myself to work on this like I should have, but I still made progress. As I went through many iterations of the main character and others, I started to solidify a certain style for the book. I wanted it to be sci-fi, but I wanted it to be gritty and dark and bold. Finding a balance between all of that was hard, especially because I was not used to drawing many sci-fi things. I had many inspirations for my work, most of it came from video games and movies. Anything with monsters, dark atmosphere, and violent characters was already an inspiration for my artwork in the past. I had designs, emotions and backgrounds for characters thought up, their actions later in the story created and thought out. What I was missing, however, was backstory. I wanted the reader to feel connected with characters, understand and even share their emotions. This was perhaps one of the most difficult things about this project. I met with Matt McClure for an internship, he showed me around his office and introduced me to his colleagues, each giving me little bits of advice on character development and story building. We then sat down in Matt’s office and I opened up to him about the story. He told me that I had the ambition to fly to the moon, and he loved that. He brought up, however, that I needed to take a step back and assess the story. If I was going to produce the 60+ page novel I originally planned, it was going to be a lot of work, more than I could pull off within the remainder of the school year. He restated that I had said I wanted the reader to have connections with the characters. In doing so, he reinforced my idea of going back further to a simpler time within the story to really capture the connection between the characters. So I did just that, and it was hard not to just jump straight into the action of the story like I so badly wanted to do. But I feel that this was the decision that was best for the novel. I did not have a specific goal in mind for this project, other than to produce a product that I am proud of and to get the story of Brimstone out there. To aid me in this process, I was introduced to Micah Bornstein. Over the course of the second semester, Micah and I have become good friends, and amazing colleagues. I thoroughly enjoy working with him, he’s helped me so much with this project. When we started meeting, we discussed a basic script for my story for the first book. This continued for many weeks, slowly getting more detailed as we went along. Throughout this, we also shared artwork with each other. I would send what concepts and character studies I was working on, and he would send things relevant to what I was stumped on; landscapes, stylistic assistance, layout inspiration, and much more. I have absolutely loved working on this project. It has been challenging at times, but it has yet to become a drag to work on. I will continue to meet with Micah over the next coming weeks, and during that time I look forward to making significant progress. Brimstone’s story, the artwork, problem solving, character building, it has all been an absolute blast. This project is so much fun, and I cannot wait to continue forth with it. Furthermore, if it is viable, I cannot wait to continue the story further and create even more issues of the Brimstone story arch.
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MARIAH CLARK
Depression Amongst Residents in Long-term Care Facilities in Northeast Indiana Introduction Depression amongst long-term care residents is a growing concern. 20% of residents in long-term care facilities are diagnosed with depression and an additional 30% show depressive symptoms. Across the United States, approximately 1.4 million people live in nursing homes and similar care facilities (Journal of Aging and Health). Depression not only affects quality of life, but it also affects overall physical health. Because of this, the emotional well-being of residents in nursing homes should be prioritized. Medications to treat depressive symptoms are currently being prescribed to 50% of residents including those with dementia (Journal of Aging and Health). Which has been shown to have inconsistent effects as well as underlining side effects negatively affecting patients (The Gerontologist). Whilst patients suffer from symptoms of depression, family members and staff suffer along with them. It is important to ask ourselves a series of questions in order to better understand this topic. Why is depression so prevalent in long-term care facilities and nursing homes? Why is it important to prioritize the emotional health of residents? How do healthcare professionals in Northeast Indiana feel about the depression rates in long-term care facilities? Can depression among residents be treated with non pharmacological treatment methods? Understanding reasons for high rates of depression in longterm care, is the first step in organizing a solution that will benefit the greater community and engage in the larger conversation. Identifying Nursing Home Depression There are various reasons why residents develop symptoms of depression when moving to a nursing home. The main reasons for this are isolation, lack of control, environmental changes, declining physical ability, and declining mental proficiency (The Gerontologist). Some facilities ask their families to go in detail about the residents daily life and their tasks. They might do this to see if there is a way to help the resident better adjust to the schedule and changes that go along with moving into long-term care. In all Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing homes it is federally mandated that an assessment is taken of residents within the first 14 days of entry, quarterly, and when their health status changes. This assessment, the Minimum Data Set (MDS), is meant to help determine the care management for the resident. The assessment includes a mood and behavior patterns sections that assesses and potential indicators of depression or anxiety. This makes it easier to identify and emotional changes in order to better care for residents. One of the sections in the assessment includes a portion that assesses emotional health, it reads: “resident made negative statements, persistent anger and irritability, expressions of seemingly unrealistic fears, repetitive health complaints, repetitive anxious complaints, sad, pained, or worried facial expressions, and crying or tearfulness”. Those figures are assessed on a score of 0 to 2 depending on how recently they showed that behavior. While the assessment helps identify depression and mental health, caregivers are the ones interacting with patients daily (Journal of Advanced Nursing). Also, those who have also experienced various neurological factors (depression, anxiety, or trauma) in the past are also at a greater risk of developing depressive symptoms. Prioritizing Mental Health of Residents An article published by Taylor & Francis (an international company that publishes books and academic journals) shared the effects that nursing homes had on the mental health of their residents. “Findings suggest that cognitively impaired older adults are no more vulnerable to the negative effects of relocation stress than cognitively unimpaired older adults. Relocation stress should be regarded as a risk factor for depression in long-term care residents, regardless of cognitive status, in the first year after relocation” (Journal of Advanced Nursing). This shows that cognitive function was not correlated to the negative effects of relocation stress. Instead, it was relocation stress. Pain has also been associated with depressive symptoms. “Snow et al. reported a relationship between depression and several measures of pain. Specifically, they measured pain intensity at the time of assessment, pain intensity over the previous week, and the degree to which pain had interfered with usual activities over the previous week. Giebel et al. found that pain experienced in the previous 7 days was associated with depression in dementia patients” (International 9
Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry). This shows that there is a direct link between depression and its effect on the body. When patients experience symptoms of depression, they are more likely to report higher levels of pain, confirming the relationship that emotional health has on physical health (International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry). Nonpharmacological Interventions With 50% of nursing home residents being prescribed medications to treat their depressive symptoms, perhaps there is a better treatment method available. There have been many studies on intervention programs aimed to help residents and caregivers treat depression and anxiety without the use of medications. The programs are typically designed around a few aspects: self-esteem, exercise, and socialization. Some even show examples of using humor as a treatment method for subjective well-being, overall cognitive function, and sleep quality. An example of a self-esteem intervention program, conducted in northern Taiwan, reported the effects of self-worth therapy on depressive symptoms of residents in nursing homes. Residents included in this study needed to have all of the following characteristics. 1. No severe cognitive deficits, test positive for depressive status, and 3. Take the same antidepressant in the previous 3 months and throughout the study. “Participants in the experimental group received 30 minutes of one-to-one self-worth therapy on 1 day a week for 4 weeks. Control group participants received no therapy, but were individually visited by the same research assistant, who chatted with them for 30 minutes on 1 day/week for 4 weeks” (BMJ). The results of this study show that the one-on-one self-worth therapy conducted immediately decreased depressive symptoms relative to baseline, but not relative to the control resident’s treatment. But after 2 months, depressive symptoms had significantly decreased relative to the control sample. This is an example that shows the positive effect that nonpharmacological treatment had directly and significantly helped depressive symptoms when pharmacological treatment had fallen short. An example of using exercise as an intervention program, at a nursing home in Fort Wayne Indiana they offered a program called benevolent ballet fall prevention for the elderly. It was designed to help protect the elderly from the risks of falling. They learned how to maintain good posture and body alignment. However, the program added more than just physical benefit, exercise, it helped residents engage socially within their group classes and emotionally. Through self-esteem (Journal of Adult Development). Method In order to understand depression among nursing home residents, it is important to hear from those who spend the most time with them: their caregivers. Nurses, doctors, CNAs, LPNs are trained to help their elderly patients on a day to day basis, so they end up spending large amounts of time with their residents. Since they most often see the residents, I sent a questionnaire to various healthcare professionals that work in long-term care facilities in order to understand how they feel about depression in their particular facility. I chose a survey as a method of research because it is an effective way of conducting quantitative research. They are used across many fields or writing and research. A survey is an appropriate and ethical choice for this particular area of study, because of the sensitivity of this topic. While it is important to conduct research about depression in nursing homes, ethics need to be prioritized whenever the study involves humans in particular. The main objective of conducting this survey is to hear from nursing home staff about their residents. I believe that this is the best way to find answers regarding this topic because they work with these patients over long periods of time, getting to know not only their physical needs, but their emotional needs as well. The nursing home staff will be able to provide insight about a topic that while I have researched, I have not experienced first hand. Surveys also give the opportunity for people to share their experiences, opinions, knowledge, and stories that will overall impact the greater community. Sharing these experiences allows for the conversation regarding this topic to be expanded further than before. In this case, the combination of research and a survey to the community will help me better understand depression in long-term care facilities. With the addition of a questionnaire as a research method, the data that will be collected will be better understood and will provide a wider scope of research. Questionnaires will allow the research being conducted to be taken from a larger group of people with greater consistency. This suits this research by appealing to both qualitative and quantitative research. A study conducted on guilt after placement questionnaire states that the burden carried by caregivers can be overwhelming and cause physical and mental decline. When switching to a long-term care facility, the former caregiver (typically a family member) has shown that they feel guilty that they can no longer care for their resident in the way that they need. That means that while residents are showing depressive symptoms, their caregivers also identify this as a source of stress. “The burden of care placed on dementia caregivers is significant and places caregivers at risk 10
for declines in emotional and physical health. Caregivers who become very distressed or who are unable to continue providing care for their family members may consider nursing home placement. In fact, 65–75% of dementia patients require nursing home care during the course of the disease” (H) This study shows that not only do residents face depressive symptoms, so do their caregivers. Perhaps, nursing home staff is also impacted by this, providing a reason to conduct interviews with them. Ample evidence has been shown that research, and questionnaires are an effective way to hear from caregivers about their residents. This is an important topic to study because in order to identify the leading causes of depression in residents, qualitative and quantitative research must be conducted. It also is working towards a solution to better educate caregivers and the general population about the growing concern that is nursing home depression. Results In order to learn about the importance and prevalence of depression in nursing homes, I sent out a questionnaire. I asked that if you have worked in a nursing home in the past or work at one now, that you fill out this survey. The survey consisted of questions about their specific experiences, some open ended questions were included, but it was mostly multiple choice. The majority of those surveyed were Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA). While the number of CNAs that participated in this survey helped collect some of the data reported, it is important to know who took the survey because results will vary depending on who the participants are.
When asked the question: “Residents have a change in mood or appear to have depressive symptoms once they arrive at the long-term facility?”, all of the responses were either “Agree” or “Strongly Agree.” This is a key aspect of this survey because while approximately 50% of residents are being treated for depressive symptoms, according to this survey question, they have noticed a change in mood or depressive symptoms.
The portion of the survey, they were asked about the reasons why depression is so prevalent amongst their residents. They were asked to select all that apply, with an option to include a reason not listed. The selections included change in setting, loss of control, declining physical health, declining mental ability, and iscolations/social changes. An individual also added that Covid-19 was a contributing factor for prevalence of depression, and the discontinuation of visits from family and friends.
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When asked if they noticed a decline of physical health in patients that show depressive symptoms, they responded with “Yes” and “Sometimes”. It is evident that physical health declines in individuals who suffer from depression. This is important to realize because it shows the benefit of prioritizing the mental health of residents, as well as the physical needs.
The results from the question “Do you think symptoms of depression can be treated more effectively without the use of medications?” 53.1% said “sometimes”, 40.6% said “yes”, while 6.3% said “No”. The wording of this question addresses if using other means than medication is a better treatment method for treating symptoms of depression.
81.3% of individuals claimed that when residents participate in more activities, they notice a change in their mental health. Activities in nursing homes vary, but can prioritize a b=number of things. Physical exercise or socialization are some of the popular activities amongst residents. The following question was: Do you notice a positive change in residents’ mental health when they participate in social gatherings? 90.6% of answers were “Yes”. Socialization can help improve quality of life for residents and combat loneliness. (Z)
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The following quotes were some of the answers to an open-ended question, “What does your staff do when they notice a resident showing symptoms of depression? What is the procedure?” • • • • • • • •
• •
“Notify social services, doctor, family.” “Interact with them and try to get them involved in activities.” “Nurses and doctors are notified. They are the ones that will work on the plan whether the individual needs new meds or an increase of their meds as well or a visit with a psychiatrist.” “Calling family so they can speak with someone familiar.” “Report to physician, notify psych NP.” “Try to get them more involved in activities, listening to music, coloring in their room, finding a movie they love to watch.” “The staff makes efforts to get them out of their room more so they can have a change in setting. We also do our best to find activities they enjoy and encourage that! However the loss of independence when a resident enters the nursing home is detrimental to their mental health.” “Our staff does their best to address the residents’ issues and concerns the best they can. Sometimes the resident needs help from a doctor for a medication evaluation to address how they’re feeling and sometimes the resident just needs someone to spend time with them, to acknowledge them, to make a difference in their mood and how they behave in order to lift their spirits out of the depressive mood they’re in.” “Activities and social activities within reason.” “Redirection... involves activities such as cooking, cleaning, dancing, singing, crafting, etc.”
While there is some variance in answers, many answers were used repeatedly. Some responses included notifying physicians, and families. Getting residents involved in activities or finding a means for socialization (with family via phone calls or with other residents). The answers to the question of “Why is it important to prioritize the emotional health of residents” supports research previously done. This is important to note because not only is it backed up by research, the individuals that are with nursing home residents also notice a change of physical health when their patients mental health is suffering. The following quotes are some of the open-ended responses received: • “Emotional health is the “root” so to speak. If emotionally you aren’t healthy, it’s difficult to be healthy in other areas.” • “Good emotional health helps with healing.” • “Emotional health can take a toll on their physical health as well.” • “Quality of life for the individual.” • “Depression leads to decline in health.” • “Emotional health and physical health relate and depend on each other strongly.” • “Emotional health is just as important as physical health, they are in total correlation and should be treated as such.” Research Gap Due to the current state of Indiana and the ongoing concern of the Coronavirus, this research was not able to be studied to greater depths. While this is important research, it is more important at the current time to protect those at risk of Covid-19. If the state of this health crisis would have been different during the time that I conducted a questionnaire, I would have modified my research methods slightly. With approval from the ethics committee, I would have conducted in-person interviews with not only nursing home caregivers, but also residents. I feel this would have solidified my research by contributing another point of view. I felt that in order to alleviate any issues resulting in exposure to another person, I did not end up conducting interviews with residents. There also was potential for this research to change into the creation of an activity program at a local nursing home. With the research I conducted on other studies done in nursing homes, it would be beneficial to create an activity program using research I have already learned about. Nonpharmacological interventions, as previously mentioned, have provided much relief to nursing home residents. It would have been favorable to (with ethics committee approval) create a program that would use nonpharmacological treatments to help with symptoms of depression. I would have chosen an activity surrounding one or several of the aspects: self-esteem, exercise, and socialization. 13
Conclusion The purpose of this research was to learn more about managing depression in nursing home residents. It’s main goal was to establish the feelings and thoughts of nursing home staff about how depression is being treated in their facilities in northeastern Indiana. Overall, Depression amongst nursing home residents needs to be prioritized. While antidepressants are used frequently in various facilities, it is not necessarily the best method of treatment especially when used alone. Through my research conducted and the survey sent out to the community, physical activity and socialization are a huge part in decreasing depressive symptoms in nursing home residents. Works Cited 1.Arling, G., et al. “Nursing Effort and Quality of Care for Nursing Home Residents.” The Gerontologist, vol. 47, no. 5, 2007, pp. 672–682., doi:10.1093/geront/47.5.672. 2.Costlow, Kyrsten, and Patricia A. Parmelee. “The Impact of Relocation Stress on Cognitively Impaired and Cognitively Unimpaired Long-Term Care Residents.” Aging & Mental Health, vol. 24, no. 10, 2019, pp. 1589–1595., doi:10.1080/1 3607863.2019.1660855. 3.Davis, Jennifer Duncan, et al. “Guilt after Placement Questionnaire: a New Instrument to Assess Caregiver Emotional Functioning Following Nursing Home Placement.” Aging & Mental Health, vol. 23, no. 3, 2018, pp. 352–356., doi:10. 1080/13607863.2017.1423029. 4.Dezutter, Jessie, et al. “Finding a Balance Between Integrity and Despair: A Challenging Task for Older Adults in Residential Care.” Journal of Adult Development, vol. 27, no. 2, 2019, pp. 147–156., doi:10.1007/s10804-019-09332-1. 5.“Jenner, Ann Maureen, (Born 8 March 1944), Freelance Ballet Teacher; Ballet Teacher, Australian Ballet School, 1999– 2008; Guest Ballet Teacher: Royal Ballet School; Australian Ballet; Queensland Ballet, and Many Other Schools in Sydney and Melbourne; Also Guest Choreographer; Retired.” Who’s Who, 2007, doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.22010. 6.Lee, Hyunjoo, et al. “The Effect of Living in Communal Homes on the Depressive Symptoms of Older Women Living in Rural Areas: the Mediating Role of the Socio-Physical Environment.” Journal of Women & Aging, vol. 32, no. 1, 2019, pp. 68–90., doi:10.1080/08952841.2019.1681887. 7.Li, Jufang. “Review for ‘Effect of Humour Intervention Programme on Depression, Anxiety, Subjective Well‐Being, Cognitive Function and Sleep Quality in Chinese Nursing Home Residents.’” 2019, doi:10.1111/jan.14472/v1/review2. 8.Li, Yue, et al. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Prevalence of Depressive Symptoms Among U.S. Nursing Home Residents.” Journal of Aging & Social Policy, vol. 31, no. 1, 2018, pp. 30–48., doi:10.1080/08959420.2018.1485394. 9. Phillips, Lorraine J., et al. “Physical Function, Relocation, and Mortality Outcomes in Residential Care and Assisted Living Residents.” Journal of Aging and Health, vol. 31, no. 6, 2017, pp. 903–924., doi:10.1177/0898264317740047. 10.Pun, Wai-ming, Maggie. “Intervention for Community Dwelling Older Adults with Depressive Symptoms.” doi:10.5353/th_b4072128. 11.Sackley, C. M, et al. “Effects of a Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy Intervention on Mobility and Activity in Care Home Residents: a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial.” BMJ, vol. 339, no. sep01 2, 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj. b3123. 12.Smith, Marianne, et al. “Speed-of-Processing Training in Assisted and Independent Living: A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 66, no. 8, 2018, pp. 1538–1545., doi:10.1111/jgs.15423. 13.Tsai, Yun-Fang, et al. “Self-Worth Therapy for Depressive Symptoms in Older Nursing Home Residents.” Journal of Advanced Nursing, vol. 64, no. 5, 2008, pp. 488–494., doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04804.x. 14.Yuan, Yiyang, et al. “Depression Symptoms and Cognitive Impairment in Older Nursing Home Residents in the USA : A Latent Class Analysis.” International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol. 35, no. 7, 2020, pp. 769–778., doi:10.1002/gps.5301. 15.Zimmerman, Sheryl, et al. “Comparing Families and Staff in Nursing Homes and Assisted Living: Implications for Social Work Practice.” Journal of Gerontological Social Work, vol. 56, no. 6, 2013, pp. 535–553., doi:10.1080/0163437 2.2013.811145.
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EMMA COVILLE
Family, Foodways and Culture: A Narrative Investigation Abstract In recent years, studies of “foodways” and individual families’ archives have received an increase in attention from the research community. Narrative biographical studies of major historical figures are common, but there is a distinct lack of emphasis on recording the histories of everyday people. The narrative research method is discussed and later used in evaluations and reports of research findings. This study aims to present the history of the author’s family as investigated through interviews, recipes and food traditions. Additionally, findings will be investigated alongside other research literature, comparing information and contexts. Introduction The aim of this study is to investigate my own family’s history through the creation and retention of recipes and food traditions, focusing both on the individual narrative and collective archival importance of such artifacts. Archival family history has been explained in a research context as the “definition, function, ownership and context of possessions [the family has] amassed” (Woodham et al., 204) , a selective collection of a family’s past that is continually maintained. It is in this context that I as the author will hereafter use terms such as “family history” or “family archive”. The term “family archive” is widely found in academic literature, and usually refers to studies of textual, documentary, paperbased archives belonging to specific families (Woodham et al., 206). In this sense, family history is a form of informal, personal biography. Additionally, “...connecting to the past via family genealogy is also thought to have implications for the construction of individual identity” (Woodham et al., 207). Families do not often consciously create an “archive”, but keep meaningful things such as photographs or, in this study, recipes, to be shared with future generations to further the family identity. However, in the research community, it has been hypothesized that “possessions that form the ‘family archive’ were interpreted by their owners as symbolic of broader historical or contemporary narratives” (Woodham et al., 208). Familial archives may possess subtle rather than explicit connections to larger histories, such as the presence of economic and social factors that previous generations experienced. Biographical research is traditionally limited to investigating the lives of either famous persons or people of remote cultures, but there has been a rise of belief in the importance of “citizen curators”. Citizen curators are those who keep tradition alive in their families, and this role typically falls by choice into the hands of family matriarchs. In a study of middle-class United Kingdom citizens, it was found that “...there was an anxiety about what will be preserved and handed down to future generations in the digital age, and a concern that digital records would be lost or inaccessible” (Woodham et al., 214). A majority of participants in this study were female, 60+ years in age, or both. This same study argues that there is a “need for more work around the significance of family possessions” (Woodham et al., 217). Concern is expressed not only from researchers, but citizens, about the lack of personal biographical research. Social Research writer Margaret Visser poses the query: “If we consider modern, and postmodern, North American culture, how does food symbolize it, express it, help us to understand it?” (Visser, 122). My family is of a background often not investigated due to its commonness: European-Caucasian, middle-class American individuals. As previously mentioned, professional biographical research tends to focus on minority groups. Though my family’s heritage is in no way rare, in fact it is very frequent among the United States population, commonality does not discount the validity of an individual family’s culture and legacy. It is my aim with this study to add a small quantity of research into the field of family archives by investigating my own family’s history and reporting its historical and social context. Methods For this research study, the method of narrative inquiry proved most relevant and reliable. This method is most often used for obtaining qualitative biographical or historical data; such aims align well with the intent of this study. Additionally, scholars recommend the use of personal pronouns when reporting information with the narrative method: “Use of the personal pronoun ‘I’ is essential to the method” (Wertz, 3). This is because of the interpersonal nature of narrative research, in which the researcher seeks to communicate directly with interviewees/research subjects in order to provide an accurate and personal account. Though there has been disunion among the research community 16
as to whether narrative research is a valid method of discovery, the range of qualitative research has become increasingly accepted alongside quantitative research. “The growth in funded research, dedicated journals, and conferences reflects a widespread acknowledgement and integration of methodologies across disciplines” (Bruce et al., 2). Personal experiences that double as biographical data cannot be fully understood, indeed, their value is lost when a researcher attempts to chart such data quantitatively. In a review of Wertz et al.’s Five Ways of Doing Qualitative Analysis: Phenomenological Psychology, Grounded Theory, Discourse Analysis, Narrative Research, and Intuitive Inquiry , author PhD James Morley is thus quoted: “While it may be the nature of qualitative research to be perpetually decentralized and dynamically adaptive to local context, this need not be a weakness” (Morley, 138). This quote further emphasizes the fact that personal experiences are multilayered and cannot be accurately represented quantitatively. Narrative research encompasses many different styles, one of which is the “composite narrative”, which is to be used in this study. “...The composite first-person narrative is more than a definition or a series of statements about a phenomenon; and is not exhaustive, but allows the topic to be seen more clearly. It aims to illuminate, to allow the reader to have an increased sense of contact with the phenomenon without fully possessing it” (Wertz, 4). The composite narrative is split into components of narrative, or story, and metanarrative, which includes outside societal, political and cultural influences. The phenomenon I seek to investigate is one which fits the composite narrative, it is an investigation of my own family’s heritage as seen through food and recipes, with my primary sources being the written and spoken accounts from my family members. Specifically, my goal was to learn of my grandmother’s and great-grandmother’s food traditions and the internal and external components of their stories by interviewing the people closest to them. The findings of this research will be elaborated upon in the following segment. Findings “Grandma Serfas loved to cook. A lot of people love reading novels, but her favorite thing was reading cookbooks” (Dzienciol, P). My great-grandmother, Louise Serfas, would make up her own recipes and gather them from those who were close to her, whether by relationship or proximity. Her recipe for roszky (pronounced rosh-kah), a European crescent cookie, came from Mrs. Linhart, her Hungarian neighbor in the town of Granite City, Illinois. Grandma Serfas, as she is affectionately known in my family, has often been described as “quite a character”, evidenced here by her forward way of procuring a desired recipe: “My mom (Grandma Serfas) would call… the baker over there at Miss Hullings’ Cafeteria, and she would ask all kinds of questions. She had no compunction about finding out what she wanted to” (Dzienciol, P). During the interview with my grandmother, I perused the Miss Hullings’ recipe book that came from her childhood, filled with humorous illustrations and writing in the margins; notes such as “good”, and references to children’s preferences, “Harry likes”. In a separate interview with my aunt, Ann Merlenbach, I was shown another recipe book that had belonged to Grandma Serfas and had been well used by my aunt- this one with entire recipes written in the margins, as well as the dates and occasions for which the book’s recipes had been used. Among the stained pages was the writing of generations of women before me, women whose lives were concentrated on taking care of their families, those efforts which at times took the subtler form of creating a nutritious and delightful meal. Sometimes, depending on the occasion, those efforts did not go by unnoticed. Once, my Grandma Serfas felt compelled to include a notice in the Granite City Press society column entitled “Family Dinner Party at Serfas Home”, Oct. 17, 1966: “Mr. and Mrs. Harry Serfas, 2901 Benton Street, entertained with a family buffet dinner at their home Thursday evening. Those attending were Mr. and Mrs. James Spurrier and sons...and Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Dzienciol and their children, Ann, Michael and Phillip of Florissant, Mo.” (Granite City Press, 1966). At home on quieter occasions, Grandma Serfas’ cooking and baking prowess remained memorable to her children and grandchildren. As I spoke with my grandmother, Phyllis (Jeannie) Dzienciol, she described her parents’ two-story house with stairs on the side, and how at Christmastime there would be stacks of cookie tins on each stair. “The time of year that I remember she was truly in her glory was the day after Thanksgiving, when she would make the springerle cookies” (Dzienciol, P). The German springerle cookies may have been the oldest recipe in the family, my grandmother elaborated. Grandma Serfas would illustrate many of her Christmas cookies with royal icing, food coloring and a paintbrush to be hung on the tree. Looking back, my grandmother notes, “I’d try to explain, but it’s almost more of a feeling when I think about mom’s baking and cooking” (Dzienciol, P). Yet again, food becomes a pathway for the gathering of a family and the making of traditions. I will also mention here a woman who was not a member of my family, but a prominent figure in my great-grand17
mother’s household. Her name was Flossie, and she was an African-American woman who helped cook and clean for Grandma Serfas. Originally, she had worked for my twice-great grandmother, Blanche Pais, and upon her passing came to work for Grandma Serfas. My grandmother remembers Flossie as “a wonderful part of our family” (Dzienciol, P), recalling how she would arrive by bus in the morning and bring chocolate doughnuts for the children. Once, though Granite City was then a ‘sundown town’, or a municipality where African-American citizens were not welcome after dark, Grandma Serfas insisted that Flossie stay for the night. The weather was terrible, and Grandma Serfas would not allow Flossie to take the two-hour return journey by bus in dangerous conditions. It was from Flossie that Grandma Serfas received her recipe for fried chicken, a recipe that has been passed down to the present generation. This is a perfect example of how one’s family heritage is tied not only to bloodline but community. By the preservation of recipes and my grandmother’s story, I have been able to learn the intricate details of my ancestors’ lives. My grandmother received most of the recipes she used for her family from Grandma Serfas, dictated and handwritten on recipe cards. However, as my aunt Ann Merlenbach noted, Grandma Serfas took a more experimental approach with her recipes, changing amounts and adding different seasonings. My grandmother was more consistent with her recipe interpretations, much to the delight of her children. Though she had grown up with a mother who spent a great deal of time in the kitchen, my grandmother did not regularly cook until she was married, Grandma Serfas having given her a thorough instruction on kitchen activities six months prior to her marriage to my grandfather. My grandfather was in the US military service upon their marriage, and the newlyweds packed their bags and moved to Rome, New York. Their first home together was a small apartment upstairs from an older Italian woman, Mrs. Cici. Soon after, my grandfather was hired as a technician for General Electric, and my grandmother worked as a secretary at the same company. Her work terminated upon the birth of their first child, my aunt Annie. When their third child (Phillip) was born, the couple moved back to St. Louis, Missouri, closer to my grandmother’s childhood home. As their marriage matured and more children were born, the focus of my grandmother’s life shifted to the raising of children, and with that came the responsibility of spending a great deal of time in the kitchen. Generationally-transferred food traditions are not limited merely to the creation of the food itself. Financial ideologies surrounding the family meal were also passed down: as my great-grandmother saved coupons, so did my grandmother. Money became tighter as my grandparents had more children, but my grandmother learned how to manage easily, as a few years passed between the birth of each child. Food was cooked in the home, and fast food was saved for occasions. As my aunt recalls, “Rarely, maybe once a year on vacation, we went out to eat as a family” (Merlenbach, A). These women were well-versed in the world of coupons and rebates, stretching every dollar to maintain the delicate balance of a well-fed family and a financially healthy household. Indeed, a famous tale stemming from this truth remains in the family memory- when a small restaurant by the name of “Fast Patty’s” was introduced to the greater Indianapolis area, “buy-one-get-one-free” coupons were offered for milkshakes purchased at the drivethrough window. These coupons were limited, naturally, to one purchase per person. Seeing as my grandmother had five children and one coupon, it would not be feasible nor just to purchase milkshakes for only two children. Hence, she devised a plan to gather additional coupons from the free Spotlight newspaper and go through the drive-through multiple times, each time with a different disguise- a headscarf, sunglasses, a new jacket, etc. To complete the process, she carried a cooler in the car for transportation on the way home. In this way, she was able to use the restaurant’s generous discount for her entire family, not realizing that her clever scheme would remain legendary to future generations. In a post-interview phone call, she laughingly told me the impact of the coupon days- “[her family was] living high on the hog and loving every minute of it” (Dzienciol, P). Grocery shopping was an organized process which usually occurred once a week, done with a concise list of ingredients for the week’s meals. My grandmother would take her husband’s paycheck money in an envelope to go grocery shopping. She would visit multiple grocery stores in one trip, buying what she needed from the location with the best price. Though these careful measures were always taken, my aunt reflected in her interview: “...as a kid, I never felt as though I were missing out. I’m sure there were people that had more money than us, but I never felt like we were suffering in any way” (Merlenbach, A). My grandmother’s children were treated to their favorite meal for their birthday, she would make anything they desired to celebrate the day. Even if her family was not the wealthiest in the neighborhood, celebrations involving food were always spectacular. As she has said both in interview and casual conversation, “There’s nothing wrong with dessert first” (Dzienciol, P). Though it was a deviation from the stereotypical culture of midcentury American households, my grandfather would also cook and bake, bringing traditions from his Polish heritage. His grandparents came from Poland, and he explained to me a short summary of their backgrounds. His father’s side, the Dzienciols, hailed from “Red” Poland, the mostly 18
agrarian and Russian-occupied eastern territory of what is now modern-day Poland. His mother’s side, the Kuczewskis, were from “White” Poland, the affluent, Prussian sector of Poland. Both families emigrated to New York in the 1890s, where his parents were later born (Dzienciol, N). He reflected that in Poland, many had large families, and nothing was wasted when cooking. Other researchers also note 19th century Poland’s poverty culture, and corroborated how those in agrarian societies would always use every part of a butchered animal as a food source (Mucha, 236). After settling in America, the Dzienciols, Kuczewskis, and their children were able to settle into a more bourgeois lifestyle, but tradition and recipes with more commonly found ingredients still remained. My grandfather spent his early childhood watching his mother in the kitchen on Saturdays, her weekly time set aside for baking. He still remembers the routine- “every week she’d make two loaves of bread, one cake, three pies… and she always made doughnuts’’ (Dzienciol, N). He learned to bake by his mother’s side; together they would pull out the recipe book and look for what they wanted to bake. Proudly, he recalls that he made his first bake, fried cake doughnuts, at ten years old. As the years progressed, he learned more traditional Polish recipes, such as his family’s Easter babka bread. He recited this recipe from memory to me as we spoke. “It was a thing of beauty to see, it contained all kinds of neat stuff. I was famous for my babka bread. It was made from flour, of course, and fourteen eggs…” (Dzienciol, N). His face lit up as he spoke, describing babka as one of his “first real baking expeditions’’. To this day, he maintains tradition by annually baking and sharing babka bread during the Easter season. He has also enjoyed baking other foods in the bread family, such as plachzak (pronounced plah-chek), a type of Polish cake. During the interview, my grandfather brought out his Polish cookbook, happily exclaiming “We’ve got documentation galore!”. In the back of this book were dinner napkins with recipes written on them, and faded typewritten notes on certain recipes. He showed me every recipe he had tried, reading the Polish names for recipes, and for my sake, the English translations. One noteworthy recipe was that of Polish sausage, which he makes at home with garden-fresh, home-ground horseradish. Nonetheless, there remains an annual family pilgrimage to Piekutowski’s European-Style Sausage in St. Louis, MO, for other traditional food selections. This time with my grandfather also allowed for learning of Polish culture beyond food traditions- he told me of the Polish-American celebrations that would be held in his hometown of Buffalo, New York, and of memories from these occasions. One of his favorites was Smigus-Dyngus (Wet Monday), which was a tradition held one day after Easteryoung men and boys would dump water on girls, and some girls would reciprocate this action on Tuesday. My grandfather recited a Dyngus Day rhyme to me in Polish, one that would be said by boys as they ran amok with buckets of water: Dyngus, dyngus, po dwa jaja; nie chcę chleba tylko jaja (“Dyngus, dyngus, for two eggs; I don’t want bread, only eggs”) Our talk of Easter traditions and other memories of Buffalo are a perfect example of the relevance of food history- with a recipe from years gone by, there are also memories of the place and time where that food was first made. This opens a window to the past that could not otherwise be reached. As my grandfather’s babka bread is made specifically for Easter, the context of faith is also presented through food history. Generation to generation, a branch of my family has maintained the Catholic faith, continuing the celebrations of Christmas and Easter that are rich with food traditions. This is consistent with the Polish heritage of my grandfather’s side: “Catholicism was and is crucial to Polishness, as well as a command of the Polish language, both nationally and internationally” (Mucha, 224). Here it is again evidenced that food maintains a strong, though subtle, connection with culture and religion. Some women of midcentury America hosted church dinners or social gatherings, but my grandmother “hosted” on a more intimate scale. She and my grandfather would invite friends over for dinner, and for the occasion she would create special culinary delights. The table would be set with the most excellent wares. Sometimes, only appetizers were placed on the table, a classy prelude before dining out at a restaurant. Such elegant events were referred to by my aunt as “home cooking with a flourish” (Merlenbach, A). In the summertime, more casual gatherings like potlucks and barbecues were held outdoors for neighbors and family. The matriarchal nature of foodways preservation has held true in my family, as my aunt Annie Merlenbach is now our family’s most prominent figure in maintaining food traditions. As my grandmother’s eldest daughter, she has accepted the duty and privilege of hosting annual Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve dinners, both of which have the same menu as they did a generation before. In my grandmother’s kitchen, she was unafraid to have her children near her as she worked on more casual occasions, allowing them to learn beside her. In fact, a recipe for “Lucy’s Lemon Squares”, which came from my aunt’s grade-school Peanuts cookbook, was used in her childhood and remains a family favorite to this day. It was also mentioned during my grandmother 19
and I’s discussion that the whole family of parents and five children always had dinner together, every day of the week. I happened to comment that such an amount of cooking seemed overwhelming, and my grandmother said: “Then, not many mothers worked, and cooking so much was just something you did, something that was expected. Women today have it a lot harder” (Dzienciol, P). Discussion In this segment, I will evaluate my own research findings and their meanings within the context of other, professional research literature on the subjects of family foodways and the midcentury American housewife. The ‘American Housewife’ is a term used widely to refer to an often middle-class, married female American citizen whose main occupation was to raise her children and tend to the household.”... Whether women work outside the home or not, it is the investment of time in preparing healthy meals from scratch as a means of demonstrating mothering that is important” (Parsons, 386). This fits in with the midcentury stereotype of women possessing “conventional femininity; such as beautification, fashion and domesticity” (Budgeon, 320). In the early to mid-20th century, American women were viewed as responsible for maintaining an outwardly beautiful appearance, raising children, and keeping a home polished and clean. Popular magazines such as The Ladies’ Home Journal, McCall’s, and American Home furthered this concept of female identity. “The mystique makers of the 20s and 30s believed that women were purely domestic creatures, that the goal of each normal woman’s life was a family and a home, that women who worked outside their homes did so only under duress or because they were ‘odd’ (for which read ‘ugly’ ‘frustrated’ ‘compulsive’, or ‘single’)” (Cowan, 148). This piece of literature, Two Washes in the Morning and a Bridge Party at Night: The American Housewife between the Wars, focuses on the consumerist ideals of the 1920s and 1930s, in my great-grandmother’s early years.”Consumerism itself, is, of course, a word that comes from the idea of eating” (Visser, 122). There was a great deal of pathos in marketing this period, often using the overemotional female stereotype to try and ensnare women’s feelings by advertisement: “for floor wax- an elegant lady polishing her own floor, for hand cream- ‘They’ll never know you mopped the floor yourself ’” (Cowan, 149). There was a distinct emphasis on female perfection and what that meant. “In 1937 Emily Post coined a name for the new American house-wife: Mrs. Three-in-One, the lady who was cook, waitress, and hostess at her own dinner parties” (Cowan, 155). In both the case of my grandmother and greatgrandmother, we see this image reflected, whether on a small or large scale. These women put great effort into having the perfect environment for house guests, one that was at once refined and intimate. The article goes further to provide an emotional definition of the accomplished woman: “She was almost always cheerful, this modern housewife; in fact, the constellation of emotions that she was allowed to display in magazines was really rather limited. She could be happy, loving, tender or affectionate; occasionally she was worried, but she was never, never angry. What, after all, did she have to be angry about?” (Cowan, 155). My research occurred much later than the actual life events of these women which transpired, and thus short-lasting emotions that are not recalled by interview subjects cannot be evaluated. Certainly, though, such an ideal was impossible for a human to achieve, and societal pressures for perfection may have been taxing on many hardworking women. As compelling as the narrative of this stereotype may be, my grandmother reflected on her younger years “I had a good life, I can’t complain at all” (Dzienciol, P). As average American foodways and economic conditions have changed over time, the image of the “housewife” has also faded into history, as represented by the following quotation-”Social ideologies are responsive to changes in economic and demographic conditions” (Cowan, 159). “When foodways change, the culture also changes, in ways that food expresses and can also help to further” (Visser, 120).This quote from Food and Culture: Interconnections fits well with the information presented in the “Findings” section of this paper, most clearly with my grandfather’s heritage and the choice foods that maintain a new, American sense of Polish culture. It is interesting to note the deviation from cultural norms as my grandfather was the one to preserve his food heritage; however, as he and my grandmother hailed from different backgrounds, she could not be responsible for preserving a culture she was not raised in. The statement “Indeed… family foodways become a central aspect of middle-class maternal identity” (Parsons, 393) also aligns with my discoveries, as my own aunt and grandmother share a passion for keeping food traditions alive, and can easily recall their mothers’ kitchen customs. In total, my discoveries have added interesting and very personal insights into the often-overlooked realm of citizen curators. Conclusion By using the method of narrative research, I was able to capture an image of my family’s history via storytell20
ing that stemmed from discussions of recipes. From the simple act of removing an aging cookbook from the shelf, conversations about food, family and history began, becoming intricate and elaborate. I learned of the lives of my grandparents and great-grandparents, and their stories and traditions. Undeniably, storytelling is crucial to keeping tradition alive, and by being an active participant in the discussion, I as a researcher am furthering my family’s historical archive. Though small, these conversations and writings have contributed to the field of citizen curators and family foodways, providing a short glimpse into the realities of midcentury American life. As mentioned in the introduction, people whose background is common in a certain population do not receive as much attention from researchers as those who are of a cultural minority. There is still a great deal of research that can be accomplished by investigating the individual histories of everyday citizens; research that by focusing on miniature histories paints a clearer picture of the larger history of a society or nation. By shifting the focus of narrative research onto common people, one can gain a more definite understanding of one’s own history through the stories of others. Bibliography Bruce, Anne, et al. “Narrative Research Evolving: Evolving Through Narrative Research.” International Journal of Qualitative Methods, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 1–6. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/1609406916659292. Budgeon, Shelley. “The Dynamics of Gender Hegemony: Femininities, Masculinities and Social Change.” Sociology, vol. 48, no. 2, Apr. 2014, pp. 317–334. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1177/0038038513490358. Coville, Emma. “Interview with Ann Merlenbach.” 27 Nov. 2020. Coville, Emma. “Interview with Norbert Dzienciol.” 24 Oct. 2020. Coville, Emma. “Interview with Phyllis Dzienciol.” 24 Oct. 2020. Cowan, Ruth Schwartz. “Two Washes in the Morning and a Bridge Party at Night: The American Housewife between the Wars.” Women’s Studies, vol. 3, no. 2, Jan. 1976, p. 147. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00497878.1976.9978384. Erickson, Rebecca J. “Why Emotion Work Matters: Sex, Gender, and the Division of Household Labor.” Journal of Marriage & Family, vol. 67, no. 2, May 2005, pp. 337–351. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/j.0022-2445.2005.00120.x. “Family Dinner Party At Serfas Home.” Granite City Press, 17 Oct. 1966, p.4. Hiller, Nancy. “The Hoosier Cabinet and the American Housewife.” Indiana Magazine of History, vol. 105, no. 1, Mar. 2009, pp. 1–30. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=37565478&site=ehost-live. Morley, James. “Wertz, F. J., Charmaz, K., McMullen, L., Josselson, R., Anderson, R., McSpadden, E. (2011). Five Ways of Doing Qualitative Analysis: Phenomenological Psychology, Grounded Theory, Discourse Analysis, Narrative Research, and Intuitive Inquiry. New York: Guilford Press, ISBN 978-1-60918-142-0, 434 Pages (Paper).” Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, vol. 43, no. 1, Jan. 2012, pp. 136–139. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1163/156916212X632989. Mucha, Janusz. “Polish Culture as the Nation’s Own Culture and as a Foreign Culture.” East European Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 2, Summer 2000, p. 217. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=5246442& site=ehost-live. Parsons, Julie M. “When Convenience Is Inconvenient: ‘Healthy’ Family Foodways and the Persistent Intersectionalities of Gender and Class.” Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 25, no. 4, Aug. 2016, pp. 382–397. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080 /09589236.2014.987656. Stanley Wertz, Marcia, et al. “The Composite First Person Narrative: Texture, Structure, and Meaning in Writing Phenomenological Descriptions.” Taylor & Francis, Informa UK, 2020, www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/qhw. v6i2.5882. Tye, Diane. Baking As Biography: A Life Story In Recipes. McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2010. Visser, Margaret. “Food and Culture: Interconnections.” Social Research, vol. 66, no. 1, Spring 1999, pp. 117–130. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=18187843&site=ehost-live. Woodham, Anna, et al. “We Are What We Keep: The ‘Family Archive’, Identity and Public/Private Heritage.” Heritage & Society, vol. 10, no. 3, Nov. 2017, pp. 203–220. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/2159032X.2018.1554405.
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VIOLET LANDRUM
Why Integrating the Arts in Early Education Leads to Holistic Success How do the arts help build us as a people and as individuals? We share a fundamental mission-how to improve the quality of life. The arts are central to human development,” Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. Human development describes a complex web of factors affecting individuals across the lifespan: almost as soon as motor skills are developed, children communicate through artistic expression. Together, these factors yield cognitive outcomes that construct the social and economic circumstances that determine the quality of life. Increasingly in the 21st century, U.S. policy leaders in health and education have recognized the demand for an integrated learning approach that can resonate with Americans at various stages in their lives. Ideally, the arts would be suited to fulfill this demand. A critical challenge for arts education has been a lack of empirical evidence that demonstrates its value. In perceived longitudinal studies, arts participation and early arts education have been associated with improved cognitive, social, and behavioral outcomes, urging the neurological connections between development and learning, but has yet to provide significant influence on child well-being. This emerging body of evidence supports a greater need for arts integration to benefit early childhood learning. However, further research is necessary in order for policymakers and practitioners to recognize the processes in which art is significant to the curriculum, thereby enhancing the efficacy of arts-based practices and optimizing educational outcomes for students of all ages. By interviewing educators and experiencing the firsthand impact of inclusive arts involvement on Oak Farm’s campus, it will be determined whether the arts must be prioritized in Northeast Indiana. Of Erik Erikson’s three stages of child development, early childhood is recognized as providing the foundation for lifelong health, learning, and well-being. Generally this period is defined from birth until age eight, and is a time of tremendous physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development- strongly influencing later success in life. Traditionally, the arts have been an integral part of early-childhood programs. Friedruch Froebal, who developed the concept of kindergarten, believed that young children should be involved in both creating their own work and enjoying the work of others. To Froebal, art activities were important not because they allowed teachers to recognize children with unusual abilities, but because they encouraged each child’s “full, all-round development”. Today, although most scholars agree that arts education enhances a child’s artistic skills and development of the “whole child”, others propose that it contributes to the development of certain skills and behaviors, and through analysis, may prove to ring true. Emotional literacy is defined as “the ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions, to discriminate among them and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions,” formed of interpersonal and intrapersonal intelligences. At an early age, anger is one of the most frequently experienced emotions; if endured for long periods of time it may become a difficult task for emotional intervention. In 2013, the International Congress on Clinical and Counselling Psychology (CPSYC) led by researchers Ramin Alavinezhad, Masomeuh Mousavia, and Nadereh Sohrabi, assessed the the effects of art therapy on anger and self-esteem in children 7-11 years of age. Throughout the 10-week intervention of the study, participants had the choice of attending a weekly 2-hour art therapy session. The foundation of the structured group art therapy program was based on the cognitive behavioral approach which incorporated principles from narrative therapy. Each session attended provided a different experience, aimed at abstract imagination and leading into drawing emotions and friendships. Results of this study reveal that art therapy is an effective intervention to reduce anger and its dimension through an imaginative process. Furthering their results, significant findings on the children’s self-esteem were also prevalent. This is due to the open area in which facilitating creative expression empowers self-assertiveness in children. While the CPSYCs conducted study was isolated and cannot be generalized, many other experiments have replicated its results and determined the success a creative outlet brings to a young mind. Delays in the acquisition of social competence at a young age are a particular concern for children’s transition to elementary school. Children’s social and behavioral problems during the preschool years tend to remain stable and continue to predict difficulties in the early school setting: recognition of this in early childhood has sparked prevention efforts towards increasing the social and emotional skills of preschoolers in classroom settings. Experimental studies suggest that levels of arts participation are able to predict sets of these social-emotional skills such as general social skills, prosocial behaviors, and better emotional regulation around peers. (Lobo & Winsler, 2006). Von Rosseberg-Gempton, 23
Dickinson, and Poole (1998) discovered that the incorporation of creative dance enhanced children’s co-operation, communication, belonging to a group, leading, following, and awareness of others. Von Rosseberg-Gempton and his team suggest that the act of dancing promotes a bond between children through sharing ideas, physical space, and accepting individual differences, and that this may help young children be more spontaneous and creative and lead to increased leadership and communication skills. Von Rosseberg-Gempton’s concept transitions into a study conducted by Yovanka B. Lobo and Adam Winsler from George Mason University, predicting the positive social outcomes preschoolers experience when dancing with each other twice a week for 35 minutes. The experimental and control groups were separated into two groups of ten, ranging between the ages of 39 to 62 months. In order to maintain an accurate experiment, both groups experienced their activities in the same room with alternating days to prevent suspicion. During control sessions, the children were provided regular curriculum activities and toys (puzzles, games, blocks, balls, etc.), not unlike what the classroom had already provided, except for the smaller group size and presence of the experimenter. Alternatively, the dance program offered structured movement that allowed the dancers to continuously invent their own movements according to their personal preferences. Given surveys on each child’s social competence before and after the programs, both parents and teachers assessed social and internal competency in the classroom and home life. As hypothesized, children in the dance program made considerable progress in their social competence than the control group. Over the course of the study, children appeared to show increased self-confidence in using their bodies to express themselves. Initially, many in the class were described to be reluctant to do the exercises, but after one to two weeks they became more confident and began to express themselves verbally and physically and enjoy themselves and each other more. Lobo and Winsler’s study remains one of many comparing the social benefits reaped from arts programs at an early age. In the stage of early childhood education children continue a progressive discovery of their body itself as a source of feelings and sensations, exploring the different possibilities of action and body functions, will constitute the necessary experiences upon which children’s thought is being built. Although theories about educational development tend to focus their attention on cognitive aspects of children’s development, the ability to think, reason, and understand also involves perceptual and sensory skills. During the first years of a child’s life, the motor dimension and intellectual development are closely linked. As Friedruch Froebal pressed earlier, young children must create their own work and enjoy the work of others, incorporating aspects of recognition and replication into their motor skills. The arts are a necessary aspect of developing these due to the infliction of abstract thinking and application to the physical world. While most studies focus on the emotional well-being of children concerning arts education, the arts play a favorable role in developing cognitive motor skills in kinesthetic learning. Later development in adolescents demonstrates the motivational effect of participation in arts programs. Persistence through the arts nurtures key characteristics such as self-efficacy, creativity, and resilience: all positive attributes to school settings. Charles P. Schmidt’s (2005) article Relations among Motivation, Performance Achievement, and Music Experience Variables in Secondary Instrumental Music Students investigated student motivations in the realm of instrumental music using quantitative methods. This study looked at motivation and perceptions of self, comparing them with attitude and success in seventh through twelfth grade band class. Schmidt studied the factors of intrinsic motivation in students to see how it would affect their performance in instrumental music classes. Schmidt created a survey that would yield information on the students and their instrumental music background, along with a section of the survey assessing students in their motivation and self-esteem. Unsurprisingly, Schmidt’s findings related students with higher levels of perception of self to a higher commitment to instrumental music class. He also discovered that students defined success in class by music mastery and class skill growth instead of through competition and other extrinsic activities. With the dedication to an expression of art, adolescents’ intrinsic motivation and opinions of themselves grew due to the outlet of mastery.
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Some critics suggest that it is not the arts that build these positive attributes at all; whether it truly comes down to ecological influences in the community and home. In a longitudinal study conducted by researchers from the University of Sydney Australia Andrew J. Martin, Marianne Mansour, Michael Anderson, Robyn Gibson, and Gregory A. D. Liem, the cause for development depends on individual perspective. “According to Bohnert et al., ‘merely attending an activity may not be sufficient for reaping the benefits of involvement’” (Martin). Moreover, ecological models emphasize the developmental impact of the ongoing attributes of settings in which young people operate. Pursuits such as the arts comprise school and community influences that therefore become an ecological context for development, disregarding the arts as the sole factor for intrinsic growth. Additional studies have failed to find a strong connection between interacting in arts programs and individual performance. The unfortunate complexity of finding a correlation between the human psyche and artistic expression limits the amount of true knowledge for basing an argument. Overall, the coinciding themes of each study reside within the positive boundaries of intrinsic and extrinsic development in young ages. Examining each study, many approaches were taken in the Naturalistic-Observational method, along with consented surveys from applicants. Charles P. Schmidt’s inspiration for his research took place within naturalistic observation as his high school students displayed various levels of motivation in class; thereby allowing his cross-sectional surveys to glance at the correlation between esteem and motivation (Schmidt, 134). Unfortunately, Schmidt’s conclusions remain inconclusive due to the broad amount of confounding variables in said experiment. A brief cross-sectional survey does not account for the underlying mental health, age, demographic, or time in the band to the extent of fortifying these findings. In contrast, the International Congress on Clinical and Counselling Psychology coinciding with Lobo and Winsler’s research methods provided significantly higher credibility in their results. This traces back to the longitudinal use of surveys to track growth over time, and the incorporation of an independent variable. Lobo and Winsler provided both a control and experiment group, where their data collection accurately reflects the difference between young dancers and non-dancers. Despite the laudable experimental approach, all three studies fail to reach an inclusive answer due to their small sample sizes and broad boundaries within the period of time the children were recorded. In order for these results to be conclusive, repetition at a large scale is necessary for forwarding discovery. Despite the studies indicating child success when pursuing the arts, the broad categorization of school systems led my research to the local setting. As an active student, my connections with the school’s art educators led to observations on the growth different stages reach through 2D and 3D art. Mainly this was observed at the lower levels during art and theater classes and within my home life. Later I was recommended outside contacts from public high and elementary schools within Noble and Allen County for an in-depth comprehension of public school art classes and ideals. Here I discovered Hannah Burnworth, an arts educator with experience in Indiana public schools and private workshops. During an interview, Hannah recalled occurrences where unmotivated students found passion within an emotional outlet of art, and how their hesitancy soon evaporated as they continued to work through creativity in groups. One is able to relate this shift in confidence to Lobo and Winsler’s work with early stages. When asked whether the arts require more integration in school settings, it was an unequivocal yes. She continues, “Art unifies and unites. It leaves behind the confusion of semantics and offers multiple solutions for the maker and viewer. I teach high school students to make them appreciators of the arts, and hopefully future patrons. But even importantly, I teach to unify. I want students to experience all forms of expression, and see, right there in front of them, that even though we all see the world differently we can exist together and make something beautiful happen” (Burnworth). Burnworth’s journey in the public art system is inspiring as she furthers her work at The Milk House Studio and a passionate mentor for her high school students. 25
Alongside the work of Hannah Burnworth, my participation as a mentee to a local muralist in the first Northeast Indiana Make it Your Own Mural Fest provided significant immersion into the world of social impact. Part of the application process was tedious in order to assign the right location to your ability. After hearing my acceptance, I was assigned to one of the eleven other muralists working in the eleven-day event: Jerrod Tobias, a Cleveland Art Institute graduate, accompanied by his wife, Cara. Combined the two had spent time in Fort Wayne creating work that depicts natural and spiritual elements with bold colors and geometric shapes. In addition to their work on the railroad and various city businesses, Tobias Studios has collaborated with elementary students to complete a school mural depicting the planets in an abstract way. Immediately, Tobias encouraged my contributions, despite it being my first large-scale painting. During this process, both mentors generously shared advice as local artists, along with their experience when working within the public art field. In their eyes, the most impactful part of public art in small towns is the community bond that revolves around change. “Public art is about accessibility.” Countless times during the two weeks, town members would stop by to watch and bring us food; accounts across the street shared their excitement for the colorful picture visible from their windows. Children with parents would stop and admire the colors and express their aspirations of creating their own someday. Drivers honked when driving by, some even stopping to admire the work of our team. Through this short-lived project, my eyes were opened to the great ripple of appreciation we share for each other. Beginning my own navigation through child development and the public arts, an upcoming project approaches as I plan to conduct my own mural on Oak Farm’s campus. Here, the focus will be to encourage student activity in preparation for the large addition to their classroom hallway. During the painting process, elementary students will be asked to create flowers to post around their hallways in honor of the garden theme of Montessori’s founder, Maria Montessori. Limitations from the recent pandemic restrict close collaboration with the young grades, so any contributions will be independent and then be displayed in a way that demonstrates community bonding through a new creative step. The finished product’s goal is to inspire creativity in the younger grades through bright colors, abstract shapes, and of course, according to Froedal, the balance in Montessori where the child appreciates others’ work alongside creating their own. Fostering an environment that encourages students to grow fulfills art educators’ missions in developing the whole child in finding their own artistic identity. Concisely, arts education has proven to significantly impact childhood and adolescent development through aspects of kinesthetic learning, creativity, and positive social interaction. However, the stages at which each age level is affected question the beneficial purpose in elementary and secondary programs. Though the cruciality of incorporating a well-rounded education is urged in preschool-age children, as students grow into test-centered grades the gap between the creative and conventional mind widens. Adolescence represents a critical transition period that includes developmental changes that explore normative behavior and establish increased levels of independence. Due to this sensitivity to their forming identity and environment, research reveals that arts learning experiences can alter the attitudes in which teenagers develop. Students involved in sustained theater arts demonstrate gains in not only reading proficiency, but also in self-control, motivation, and tolerance for others. Collective art experiences (such as a community mural or music group) at this age promote shared purpose, a trait critical in the workforce. Supporting this claim, Harvard’s Project Reap (Reviewing Education and the Arts Project) conducted a comprehensive analytic review of studies ranging from 1950 to 1999 to test the validity of the correlation between arts learning and academic improvement. Based on 80 research reports, a causal link was found between enacting drama material in theater and the understanding of oral language and writing. Similarly, many reports listed the spatial-temporal reasoning impact related to musical endeavors (National Art Education Association). While adolescent learning priorities lie behind standardized testing, student well-being relies on multi-media approaches to learning in arts-related subjects. Recent legislative contributions to the national educational system have applied limits to funding towards certain curriculum, targeting the arts as unnecessary for measurement. The “No Child Left Behind Act of 2001” reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary education act, including Title 1 provisions to disadvantaged students. Mainly, it induced measured success from high standards, introducing the demand for yearly standardized testing that would administer school competence. While this Act has provided significant improvement in academic performance in reading and math, the prioritizations of these subjects have severely limited arts education in public schools, widening the intended closed gap between public and private achievement. Tina Beveridge of Lower Columbia College stated in an article, “If we marginalize all non-tested subjects, we create a system in which only the affluent members of our society have access to the most comprehensive and well-rounded educations, which widens the achievement gap 26
rather than closes it” (Mahnken). Continuing the battle for arts representation, systemic change must be confronted within the standardized accountability of public education. Collective strides must be implemented to benefit well-rounded learning from a young age, and the moment is ripe for federal leadership in the dissemination of evidence documenting the arts’ contributions to human development. With additional coordination between agencies, resources could be distributed broadly across the federal government. Common policy goals and coordinated strategies would promote effective outcomes in the fight for creating systemic change within public school systems and the current priorities implemented. According to the National Endowment for the Arts, this goal can be achieved through a series of consecutive steps leading to a conclusion, beginning with the formation of an interagency task force to promote the regular sharing of information about the arts and human development. Within the high officiality force, there will be the inclusion of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Department of Education, and HHS agencies such as the Administration for Children and Families and the National Institutes of Health. Convening biyearly, the group would review progress on compelling research, coordinate the distribution of funding opportunities for further research and provision, and commission a gap analysis of federally sponsored research so that future opportunities can be developed across departments. Furthermore, the urgency the National Endowment presents for national interest of the contribution of the arts insists on advancing the well-being of American people. At the outset of the NEA-HHS convention on March 14, 2011, NEA Chairman Landesman declared, “The arts are central to human development. Movement, song, rhythm, and storytelling are the earliest ways that babies and their families interact, and these are the same impulses that stay with us over our entire lives” (Hanna, et. al). True to its purpose, the NEA continues to make leaps in the federal system to ignite the effective research needed to finalize the argument for arts in funded schools. In recent years, financially starved school districts have felt compelled to trim or even eliminate arts education. The Great Recession may have accelerated this trend, but according to a 2012 report from the Department of Education, the economic downturn followed a prolonged decline in funding for public school dance and theater programs (the proportion of elementary schools offering these subjects dropped from 20 percent to 3 percent and 4 percent). The study also detected a worrying “equity gap” in arts education between high- and low-income students (Hanna, et. al). The NEA and NEH have stood in the breach for decades, helping to funnel hundreds of millions of federal dollars toward education programs over the past half-century. Though NEH doesn’t disaggregate its spending, NEA awarded $4.9 million in professional development for arts educators since 2006, along with another $5.8 million in educational grants in 2016 (Hanna, et. al). Although the amount raised is seemingly low, for school administrators they translate into writing workshops, Shakespeare plays and student choirs. In districts struggling with revenue reductions, the end of the federal endowments could cripple the arts altogether. “Being able to have access to dance in a little town in Iowa, or access to a real, live poet somewhere in Mississippi, these are the things the endowments have made possible over the last 50 years. You cut that, and you do a disservice to the poorer sector of our schoolchildren,” John Frohnmayer, the NEA chairman from 1989 to 1992. Selective funding to educational programs has dispossessed the opportunities available to young ages. Today, countless advocating organizations are scaffolding the next legislative steps for art inclusivity. Being one of many, Americans for the Arts (AFTA) documents legislative issues and promotes participation from educators nationwide by providing state resources on acts and partnerships. In conjunction with national partners, AFTA works at the forefront of creating new propositions for the arts in America: the most recent being the 2021 National Arts Action Summit (Americans for the Arts). This Summit is a multi-day event for grassroots advocates providing crucial training from experts in the impact of well-rounded education and then executing their training during Arts Advocacy Week with elected officials. Hosted by dozens of organizations, these events are some of the largest gatherings of their kind, connecting massive populations across America’s cultural boundaries. Despite AFTA’s tremendous impact on the legislative process in education advocacy, many other programs supported by the NEA have made strides, including the Arts Council of Indianapolis. By partnering with local arts organizations, the Council strives to provide and secure resources for arts education in Indiana through a series of advocacy and funding for arts organizations through its annual grants programming: directly depositing into administration, programming, and the arts in schools (Arts Council of Indianapolis). Additionally, through the collective impact efforts of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Art and local partners including Arts for Learning and Music for All, the Arts Council works with local arts organizations to develop professional opportunities for elementary teachers. Indianapolis’ Art Council’s breach on mending the disconnect between the arts and education 27
have raised public awareness in Indiana, hereby allowing other organizations such as the Indiana Affiliate for Young Learning’s program “Arts for Learning” (Arts For Learning Indiana). Unlike the larger programs, Arts for Learning focuses on creating artistic opportunities for schools and external affiliations, by hiring a selected force of artists to teach. Indiana recognizes the growing necessity of the arts in a balanced education and has begun to make strides in its work. Although the research results into the beneficial impact of arts engagement are promising, the majority of the sources cited have design limitations in relatively small, non-diverse samples and immeasurable outcomes. Larger studies across the sectors of health and human services are warranted to ensure an evidence-based body of knowledge whose findings are sufficient to justify broad-based policy and replication for best practice. Few major challenges have restricted policy movement. First of all, there remains a lack of coordination among federal agency departments and practitioners from disciplines in human services (i.e. arts education, child development, nursing, cognitive neuroscience, the behavioral and social sciences) in pursuing a vigorous research agenda to understand the role of arts education in human development. This in conjunction with small study populations, correlational studies, and low visibility of program evaluation data lack credibility for a strong case in art advocacy’s favor. Sharing the generalized limitations of American child development studies on arts education, Northeast Indiana and the school of my involvement lack provisions for a credible argument. Throughout my research, I struggled to find accurate representation, along with the severe limitations of shadowing classroom settings and interacting with the lower grades as intended. To compensate for this loss of observation, I decided to shift data collection to the input of the artists and educators in Noble County. This way, connections for the future implication of my project were strengthened. Furthermore, Montessori grasps a holistic approach to learning, contrasting the large public school setting most affected. Considering the imminent gap between public and private opportunities within the system being reopened by the standardized testing centered curriculum, it is difficult to judge from an outside perspective of whether students are receiving proper resources. While there were several restrictions to my research in a natural observation setting, the input from professionals remains a valuable insight on the educational system. Evidently, arts curriculum impacts the child in a multifaceted developmental process. From the early stages of childhood to the adolescent years, the incorporation of arts scaffolds critical social skills, intrinsic motivation, interpersonal regulation, and the creativity that expands a child’s knowledge for application. Current attempts from the NEA have allowed federal law to consider developing policies, but require a longitudinal widespread data collection to represent arts value at a national level. By combining the attempts of multiple officials with the current insight of local educators, arts incorporation would lead to holistic success in the child. Regardless of background, the arts remain central to human development. Bibliography The Arts in Early Childhood: Social and Emotional Benefits of Arts Participation. 15 May 2019, www.americansforthearts. org/by-program/reports-and-data/legislation-policy/naappd/the-arts-in-early-childhood-social-and-emotionalbenefits-of-arts-participation. Schmidt, Charles P. “Relations among Motivation, Performance Achievement, and Music Experience Variables in Secondary Instrumental Music Students.” Journal of Research in Music Education, vol. 53, 2005, p. 134., doi: ISSN0022-4294. Hanna, Gay, et al. “The Arts and Human Development: Learning Across the Lifespan.” The Arts and Human Development: Framing a National Research Agenda for the Arts, Lifelong Learning and Individual Well-Being. Moorefield-Lang , Heather M. “The Relationship of Arts Education to Student Motivation, Self-Efficacy, and Creativity in Rural Middle Schools.” University of North Carolina, 2008, pp. 14–22. Martin, Andrew J, et al. “The Role of Arts Participation in Students’ Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of School, Home, and Community Factors.” Journal of Educational Psychology, vol. 105, no. 3, 2003, pp. 709–727., doi:10.1037/a0032795. Swapp, Neil. “Creativity and Academics: The Power of an Arts Education.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 4 Oct. 2016, www.edutopia.org/blog/creativity-academics-power-of-arts-education-neil-swapp. Alavinezhad, Ramin, et al. “Effects of Art Therapy on Anger and Self-Esteem in Aggressive Children.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences , vol. 113, 7 Feb. 2014, pp. 111–117., doi:doi: 10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.01.016 . “The Arts and Human Development: Framing a National Research Agenda for the Arts, Lifelong Learning and Individual Well-Being.” ArtsEdSearch, www.artsedsearch.org/study/the-arts-and-human-development-framing-a28
national-research-agenda-for-the-arts-lifelong-learning-and-individual-well-being/. “The Need for Arts Education in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.” WORLD ARTS EDUCATION ALLIANCE, www.waae.online/the-need-for-arts-education-in-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals. html. Mahnken, Kevin. “An Arts Education Crisis? How Potential Federal Cuts Could Decimate School Arts Programs.” The 74 An Arts Education Crisis How Potential Federal Cuts Could Decimate School Arts Programs Comments, 29 Jan. 2017, www.the74million.org/article/potential-federal-cuts-may-decimate-school-arts-programs/. Madrona, Pedro Gil. View of Site Development and Teaching of Motor Skills in Early Childhood Education, MIR Centre for Socio-Economic Research, 25 Nov. 2014, www.theartsjournal.org/index.php/site/article/view/558/327. “Arts U: NAAS 2021 About.” ArtsU, artsu.americansforthearts.org/naas-2021-about. Kisida, Brian, and Daniel H. Bowen. “New Evidence of the Benefits of Arts Education.” Brookings, Brookings, 12 Feb. 2019, www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2019/02/12/new-evidence-of-the-benefits-of-artseducation/. “Studies in Art Education.” National Art Education Association, www.arteducators.org/research/studies-in-arteducation. “Mission.” Arts Council of Indianapolis, indyarts.org/. “Advocate.” Americans for the Arts, 25 Jan. 2021, www.americansforthearts.org/advocate. “Arts Integration In School: 10 Reasons Why It’s Important.” Seneca Academy, 11 Feb. 2019, www.senecaacademy. org/10-reasons-why-integrating-art-is-important-in-school/. “Studies in Art Education.” National Art Education Association, www.arteducators.org/research/studies-in-arteducation. VibeThemes. “ArtForce.” Arts For Learning Indiana, artsforlearningindiana.org/artforce/. “The Need for Arts Education in the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.” WORLD ARTS EDUCATION ALLIANCE, www.waae.online/the-need-for-arts-education-in-the-united-nations-sustainable-development-goals. html.
Landrum’s completed mural on the Oak Farm campus.
Northeast Indiana Make it Your Own Mural Fest
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MIRANDA RAHN
The Tech World: Women Who Paved the Path for Modern Day Technology ABSTRACT Women are largely underrepresented in the field of technology, and even more so for women of color. For years, men have been the default when it comes to engineering, computer science, coding, programming, or any other technologyrelated field. According to a report, a majority of young girls don’t even know what “computer science” actually means (Bailey). By looking at the history of early programmers, one can see that women show up more often than one might think. My goal is to interview and research how the history behind technology has influenced women to take action and create their own projects today. INTRODUCTION What does a computer programmer look like? This was a question I was asked in the first computer science class I attended. My class consisted of two men and two women, and was taught by a woman. When asked this question, the answers consisted of attributes such as “nerdy,” “glasses,” and “sitting in the dark coding.” Then, we were asked what gender identity we think of for a computer programmer. For me, it was a man. My entire life, I watched my older brother’s interest in computers and coding. I had no idea I loved technology because I was convinced I would never be able to understand it. Was this because I was conditioned to think technology was a “man’s work?” Was it because I had never been exposed to it in a positive way (which is part of the problem)? Or was it both? That is what I intend to discover through my research. If you, like me, thought of a man when asked “what does a computer programmer look like?” then learning about women in technology is more important than ever. In this paper, I will be using case studies and narrative research to explore the lives of women working in technology, and what influences that has on young women today. Representation matters, and I intend to prove that. TIMELINE
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FIRST WAVE: 1842 - 1949 ADA LOVELACE At the beginning of our historical crusade to recognize fierce females in technology is Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer. Ada’s life was surrounded by math and science. Her mother, Lady Byron, insisted that she study mathematics at a young age. Lady Byron maintained a tight grip on Ada’s life, all the way to her death (Essinger, 2). A woman in the mathematics field was very uncommon at this time, especially a young woman. Naturally, Ada had to be close to certain men in the field to get ahead. She became closest with Charles Babbage, the man who invented the first mechanical computer (Essinger, 2). Since Lovelace and Babbage worked together so closely, some people began to think that Ada was unworthy of the attention she was receiving from him. In Ada’s Algorithm by James Essinger, the author states that historians deemed Ada mentally unstable. While some could argue there is no true evidence of this, Essinger wrote that it could most easily be explained as historians “not wanting to believe that a woman could steal any of Charles Babbage’s thunder” (Essinger, 4). However, that is exactly what she did. Ada Lovelace was popularly given the title of “first computer programmer” due to the number of accomplishments she made for the computing world. For example, according to Jennifer Betts, a certified high school teacher, Lovelace helped write the first algorithm for Babbage’s computer (Betts). Although she had the help of colleagues, Ada does not go unrecognized for her ideas on looping. Lovelace popularized a way to group together repeated lines of code which, today, we call looping (Betts). Additionally, in 1843, her notes on mathematical sequences and scientific findings were published in an English science journal (Betts). In letters between Babbage and Lovelace, it was clear that Ada had an ally who was there to defend the honor she carries to this day. Saying that Ada Lovelace wrote the first computer program and became the first and only computer programmer of her time – all by herself – might not be exactly what happened in 1842. But there is no doubt she was one of the essential people on the team. As Jennifer Betts puts it, “While there have been controversies, Ada Byron’s contributions to the world of computer programming can’t be denied” (Betts). As a result of her contributions to the tech world, we have a way to reduce code, making it run faster and more efficiently (looping), and we have modern computer programs and machines thanks to the work she and Charles Babbage did together. The legacy Ada left behind is not one to be ignored. Due to her mathematical contributions, we now have, as stated in Jennifer Betts’ article Ada Byron: Her Trailblazing Contribution to Computing: • Lady Lovelace’s Objection – the theory that computers can only do what they are told. • Lady Lovelace Day – the first Tuesday in October celebrating Ada Lovelace’s life. • Ada – Department of Defense computer language recognizing Ada Lovelace. • Ada Lovelace Awards – an award celebrating women in technology. Ada Lovelace will go down in history books as the trailblazer for women in technology. Her legacy has inspired and influenced me to learn how to code and to strive to become the technology expert of my dreams. HEDY LAMARR As we move along the sequential timeline of trailblazing women, next we meet Hedy Lamarr. She was an actress by day, and an inventor by night. Lamarr was arguably one of the most influential actresses of her time in Hollywood. Lamarr was the beautiful face of the film industry, starring in films including Ecstacy (1933) and Samson and Delilah (1949). While she is most notably known for being a Hollywood movie star, she was also part of the reason we have GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi technologies. The technology used to make each of these things function is called frequency hopping, and Hedy Lamarr invented it (Markston). Many of her accomplishments in the technology field were overlooked and overshadowed by her success in the film industry. Due to her rising popularity, the world only saw her as Hollywood presented her: “the world’s most beautiful woman.” For most of her childhood, the capabilities of her mind were ignored so her beauty could take 32
center stage (Cheslak). While being known for your beauty is not a bad thing for most, it meant that she was not getting the credit she deserved for her advances in the tech world. This is part of the problem I am researching: women being underrepresented in technology. For Lamarr to be listened to, she had to accompany somebody who would help her bring the ideas to life, and get it out to the world. Similar to Ada Lovelace, Hedy Lamarr had a male partner that she worked alongside to patent frequency hopping. George Antheil was the musical genius behind the “programmable mechanism” of the self-playing piano, and Hedy Lamarr’s frequency hopping (Markston). However, before Lamarr met Antheil in 1940, she dated Howard Hughes. Hughes was a pilot with the platform to fuel her ideas. He was able to get her equipment to experiment on, and showed her how planes were built (Cheslak). During this time, Lamarr was using her knowledge to come up with ways to make things more efficient. It wasn’t until Lamarr met George Antheil that things really took off. After exchanging ideas, Lamarr and Antheil were able to come up with a communication system that would later be important in World War II (Cheslak). The system involved frequency hopping radio waves where the transmitter and receiver were both hopping onto new frequencies with the intent to guide torpedoes to their intended targets during WWII. This process prevented radio waves from being intercepted, thus creating a key element during WWII (Cheslak). However, Lamarr’s success was first burdened with roadblocks and downfalls. Her idea for frequency hopping was originally shot down by the Navy. Soon after, her patent expired, causing her to make no money. Even when Lamarr was experiencing rejection, she did not give up. She used her celebrity platform to sell war bonds and support the efforts of the war (Cheslak). She continued acting and accumulating film awards, while her inventions were getting no outside credit. Like many others before Lamarr, the ideas and inventions she produced were not recognized until after her death. Part of leaving behind a legacy is not getting to see what you contributed to the world. Additionally, the legacy she left behind allowed modern inventors to develop ideas for wireless communication systems including GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi. Lamarr was the first woman to receive the Invention Convention’s Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award in 1997 (Cheslak). Due to her quiet successes, Lamarr won achievement awards and praise only after her death. In my mind, leaving behind something as great as she did is what makes her such a powerful icon to young girls everywhere. Lamarr broke the stereotype that people in technology and STEM look a certain way or are of a certain sex. Her unapologetic way of thinking and her efforts to be an activist in the 1940s is why Hedy Lamarr is on my list of influencers. She encourages me to never give up on an idea that you are passionate about, and has shown me it is okay to collaborate with somebody and ask for help when needed. Hedy Lamarr is, and will always be, a STEM icon to young women everywhere. GRACE HOPPER Last up on the first wave timeline is Grace Hopper. She appears twice on my timeline for contributing extraordinary ideas to the modern computing world. I consider Hopper to be the one who shifted the narrative of female programmers. She made sure that nobody stood in her way of spreading her ideas to the world, and I find that unbelievably brave. Hopper was a teacher, an engineer, a mathematician, a scholar, and a programmer. The beginning of Hopper’s journey started in 1930 when she graduated from Yale University with a master’s degree. In 1931, she began teaching mathematics at Vassar College and studied with Richard Courant, a famous mathematician. In addition to teaching, she went back to Yale and got her Ph. D. in 1934. After her schooling, Hopper went on to serve as a Lieutenant in the Navy Reserve in 1943 (Pantages). It was here that she was assigned a project at Harvard University, where she helped design and program the first commercial electronic computer called Mark I. At this time, Hopper was also in charge of creating instructions for her machines. She had to learn to properly create a user manual, as well as write the program for it. Continuing on with this work, Hopper 33
became a research fellow at Harvard, where she developed Mark II and Mark III. In 1945, Hopper and her team had to take apart a machine, and found a moth inside, which caused it to malfunction. Once they removed the moth, the code was up and running again, which is where Hopper got the idea of “debugging” (Grace). Today, the term “debugging” is used in reference to cycling through code to find errors and fixing them for the code to properly function. Grace Hopper was the one who popularized the term after encountering problems with literal bugs causing machines to jam. A year later, in 1946 Hopper left the Navy and joined the Eckert-Mauchly Computer Corporation. It was here that she made the first compiler, which allowed code to be translated from one computer language to another. Also during the time, she created the programming language Flow-Matic, which used English-like commands and contained more word-based code. After this, she helped introduce another programming language called COBOL, short for “common business-oriented language.” Hopper described Flow-Matic as an ancestor of COBOL. By the 1970s, COBOL was the most used computer language in the world (Grace). Hopper was retired by the 1970s, leaving her work on programming languages for the next generation of engineers to use. In an interview conducted by Angeline Pantages with Grace Hopper in 1980, Hopper discussed the dynamic of women in coding, saying, “I wanted to be an engineer, but there was no place for women in engineering when I graduated” (Pantages). She also told Pantages that there was no such thing as a programmer at the time of her studies, so there was no fight for female programmers because the job didn’t exist. She describes herself as a “mathematical officer” and discusses how difficult it was to copy code because letters and numbers were not translated correctly from previous programmers. Hopper was a problem-solver above all else – when she encountered a roadblock with no solution, she invented the solution. Her years of schooling and teaching paid tribute to the work she was able to accomplish later in life. Similar to the other women I have described, she was not fully recognized for her work until her later years and after she died, but she was okay with that. Hopper did not dedicate her life to engineering to be praised for it; she did it because she was passionate. For these reasons, Grace Hopper is another influential figure in the history of women in technology. SECOND WAVE: 1950s ANNIE EASLEY The next wave of history takes place in the 1950s, with Annie Easley working at NACA. In 1955, Easley got a job working as a human computer for NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics), where she performed complex algorithms and mathematical calculations by hand (Heidman). As technology advanced, Easley moved with it, eventually turning from human computer to computer programmer (Thomas). The work she did with NACA paved the way for women of color in math and science fields. It was around this time that programmer was starting to be an official job title. NACA needed people who displayed outstanding abilities in mathematics to be on their team, and Annie Easley fit that description. In a 2001 interview with Easley conducted by Sandra Johnson, she describes how her original plan was to be a pharmacist. She talks about how math always came easily to her, but a mathematical field of study was never a thought in her mind. When she saw a story about two women working for NACA, she thought it sounded like fun, and applied for the job. To her surprise, this became a long lasting career for her, where she helped develop the technology for early hybrid cars and satellites (Johnson). She went back to school to earn a degree in mathematics from Cleveland State University, and continued her work with NACA. When Easley got hired into her lab at NACA, she was one of only four Black employees (Thomas). In her interview, Easley talks about how she faced gender and race discrimination during her time at NACA. She told a story about how she was cut out of a promotional photo during an open house, and how she felt alone in the workplace, being one of the only women of color in a male-dominated field (Johnson). The underrepresentation of women in technology expands further into people of color. As a Black woman in a math and science workforce, it was difficult for Annie Easley to navigate the world. Easley told Johnson in her interview, “If I can’t work with you, I will work around 34
you” (Johnson). She never set out to be a role model or trailblazer; she worked with what she was given. Her colleagues described her as one not to complain, and always looking at the positives. Due to her extensive schooling and broad ideas, Easley was given a tutorship role to mentor young women in mathematics. She taught others to let nothing get in their way, spreading the ideals she learned from her biggest supporter – her mother. In addition to teaching, she was the equal employment opportunity (EEO) counselor. This role included addressing issues of gender, race, or age discrimination to colleagues and supervisors (Heidman). The world was not used to seeing somebody like Annie Easley take such a positive and strong lead, and people were threatened by that. As a result, she unfortunately experienced discrimination, racism, and sexism throughout her life. Although she never did it for the role model title, I consider Annie Easley to be one of the greatest influences on our modern way of thinking in computer science and technology related fields. THIRD WAVE: 2000s and on MODERN DAY WOMEN IN TECH As previously discussed, there are many trailblazing women throughout history that have gotten us so far with modern advances in technology. Now it is time to move on and look at how the women of today’s tech field have taken the ideas from previous women and applied them to make great things for the world of computer science and coding. A few of these women are Limor Fried and Jamela Mitchell. LIMOR FRIED Limor Fried, nicknamed “Ladyada,” is the founder of the company Adafruit, which now has over 100 employees. Started in 2005, Adafriut produces and sells anything you would need for hardware coding and circuit making. They sell kits and products for all ages, and encourage young women to engage with computer science and programming. Her company is a 100% woman-owned manufacturing company that promotes inclusivity and proudly hires people of color. On top of creating a successful business, Fried was the first female engineer on the cover of the popular magazine WIRED. In 2016, Fried was named the White House Champion of Change, and in 2018, she was featured as one of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech (Adafruit Industries). Fried continues to blow people away as she breaks gender stereotypes and promotes a positive message for anyone involved in programming or technology. JAMILA MITCHELL Dr. Jamila Mitchell is an advocate for computer science education, having previously taught AP Computer Science Principles at Evans High School in Orlando, Florida. She is currently a curriculum writer for the popular online teaching resource and website Code.org. Mitchell attended UC Berkeley, UT Austin, MIT, and UCF, finishing out her education with a doctorate in computer science. Jamila Mitchell has been a personal resource for me and my computer science classmates, providing us with teaching resources, guides for better understanding, and videos that clearly explain concepts. Throughout her teaching career, she helped hundreds of students by encouraging them to pursue a career in computer technology. I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Jamila Mitchell in November 2020. I asked her how being a woman of color in her chosen career field has affected her work experience. Mitchell said, “It made things difficult sometimes because I often would feel like my ideas or opinions were not as valuable or important. There would be times when I would express an idea and it would be dismissed, but if a male expressed the same idea, then it was actually treated 35
seriously. It was definitely frustrating and discouraging at times, and made me feel like I had to work harder than the men on the teams I worked with to prove myself ” (Mitchell). She recalled having only 5-6 females in her college classes, and even fewer who graduated with a computer science degree. I asked her who she considers to be her role models. Mitchell said, “My tech theater teacher in high school, actually. Even though she didn’t teach technology or computer science courses, she had a strong awareness of where the future of our society was headed. She was the one that recognized my skills and capabilities and encouraged me to pursue computer science as a career. She related to being a female in the technical side of entertainment and encouraged me to push back against perceptions of careers being a ‘man’s job’” (Mitchell). I asked Mitchell for her opinion on the future of the computer science field. She said, “I think the current state of our society has brought more attention to the need for computer science careers and education. Because of this, political and educational leaders have been working to expand access to computer science and increase the effectiveness of computer science programs. While I think it is still a struggle for computer science education to be treated as seriously as core subjects, I think it is heading in the right direction to get there. As that improves, a greater diversity of students will be able to take quality computer science courses, which will lead to more effective innovations that really address the problems and issues we face in our society” (Mitchell). Finally, I asked Mitchell her thoughts on where computer science started, and where it is today. She said, “Computer science and technology started with a focus on solving problems and making it easier to perform tasks. For the most part, I think that is still the case, but I also feel that as a society, we have gotten a little too distracted by the entertainment we can obtain from technology and less on the immense problems we still have. We have become more focused on technology for consumption and forgot that computer science and technology are tools to make our world better” (Mitchell). My biggest takeaway from my interview of Jamila Mitchell is that the fight for representation in computer science is more important than ever. Mitchell continues to be a role model for women everywhere. CONCLUSION Each of these women have influenced me in various ways to be the woman I am today. When I see representation in a career I am interested in, I am filled with joy to be a part of it. I have not always wanted to be in the technology industry. However, once I got over the “I can’t do it” phase, I realized that the potential for women in STEM is greater than ever. Seeing so few women and women of color is the technology field, I had to ask myself why that was. As previously stated, when we think of a computer programmer, most people often think of a man. This is largely due to the fact that for decades, it was a man’s job, and men were the primary inventors of machines or appliances. Today, we see several women breaking barriers and getting into the work that is seen as “traditionally male.” Ada Lovelace inspired me to take credit for my work, and ask questions when necessary. Heddy Lamarr taught me that not everyone has to break the glass ceiling in the same way. Grace Hopper taught me that women belong in any position where important ideas are being presented. Annie Easley taught me that women of color in the technology industry get things done, and they do it with passion. Limor Fried taught me what owning your own business and producing your own products looks like, and the world needs more of it. Jamila Mitchell taught me that if you want something changed, you have to take charge and be a part of that change. And finally, I have taught myself that being a woman in STEM means more than just knowing how to code. It means having the courage to put yourself into a foreign situation where it might seem scary, but the work is widely important. Moving forward, I plan on going into a technology-related field and pursuing my passion for design and technology. As part of my final plans to wrap up my senior year, I would like to explore and extend my capabilities in the business and technology world. I will be paying tribute to each of these women, and the countless other women around the world who have contributed to the world of STEM, by doing what I love – creating. This research relates to the rest of my senior project because I now have people who I take inspiration from and can use what they gave to the world to further my education on this topic. To conclude, representation matters in every aspect of the world. I consider myself an activist, and that includes being a voice for people who are underrepresented in my area of interest. I can’t wait to get into the world with all the knowledge I have acquired so far, and do something great.
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WORKS CITED: Bailey, Kasee, and Kasee Bailey. “The State of Women in Tech (Updated 2020) - DreamHost.” Website Guides, Tips & Knowledge, 9 Nov. 2020, www.dreamhost.com/blog/state-of-women-in-tech/#:~:text=Today%2C%20women%20 make%20up%20only,what%20computer%20science%20actually%20means. Betts, Jennifer. “Ada Byron: Her Trailblazing Contribution to Computing.” Biography, biography.yourdictionary.com/ articles/what-contribution-did-ada-byron-make-to-computing.html. “Biography.” Hedy Lamarr, www.hedylamarr.com/about/biography/. Cabot, Heather. Geek Girl Rising: inside the Sisterhood Shaking up Tech. St. Martin’s Griffin, 2018. Cheslak, Colleen. “Hedy Lamarr.” National Women’s History Museum, 2018, www.womenshistory.org/educationresources/biographies/hedy-lamarr. Code.org, Team. “Full Team.” Code.org, code.org/about/team. Essinger, James. Ada’s Algorithm: How Lord Byron’s Daughter Ada Lovelace Launched the Digital Age. Melville House, 2014. “Grace Murray Hopper (1906-1992): A Legacy of Innovation and Service.” YaleNews, 27 Feb. 2017, news.yale. edu/2017/02/10/grace-murray-hopper-1906-1992-legacy-innovation-and-service. Heidman, Kelly. “Annie Easley, Computer Scientist.” NASA, NASA, 21 Sept. 2015, www.nasa.gov/feature/annie-easleycomputer-scientist. Industries, Adafruit. “About Adafruit.” Adafruit Industries Blog RSS, www.adafruit.com/about. Johnson, Sandra, and Annie J Easley . “NASA Headquarters Oral History Project.” NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project, 2001, historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/history/oral_histories/NASA_HQ/Herstory/ EasleyAJ/EasleyAJ_8-21-01.htm. Accessed 2021. Markstrom, Karl-Arne. “The Invention by Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil of Frequency-Hopping SpreadSpectrum Secret Communications.” URSI Radio Science Bulletin, vol. 2020, no. 372, 2020, pp. 62–63., doi:10.23919/ ursirsb.2020.9240110. Mitchell, Jamila. “Personal Interview .” 20 Nov. 2020. Pantages , Angeline. “Oral History of Captain Grace Hopper.” Hopper, Grace Oral History, 1980, archive.computerhistory. org/resources/access/text/2015/06/102702026-05-01-acc.pdf. Accessed 2021. “Ten Years on, Why Are There Still so Few Women in Tech?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Jan. 2020, www.theguardian.com/careers/2020/jan/02/ten-years-on-why-are-there-still-so-few-women-in-tech. Thomas, Kindra. “Annie Easley, Computer Scientist and Mathematician.” NASA, NASA, 16 Mar. 2017, www.nasa.gov/ image-feature/annie-easley-computer-scientist-and-mathematician. “Why Are There so Few Women in Technology?” Women in Technology, 30 Jan. 2020, www.womenintech.co.uk/ why-are-there-so-little-women-in-technology#:~:text=The%20main%20reason%20for%20the,better%20at%20 science%20and%20maths’.
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CLAIRE WEISS
Entrepreneurship and the Absorbent Mind: The Social and Professional Benefits of Introducing Entrepreneurship to Young People Introduction Founding TypeWrite, Oak Farm Montessori School’s literary magazine, as a freshman in High School required a vast amount of support from my community as well as an intentionally prepared Montessori environment that I am privileged to call myself a part of. Through the detailed work of the High School business program, I have learned critical management and organizational skills that I have fluidly applied to my own business. The program additionally connected me to many communities of like-minded individuals such as Junior Achievement, that I have been able to comfortably establish my identity as a business owner and integrate myself in. Over the past four years continuing my business, I have felt my perspective broaden, my leadership skills enhanced, I have compiled a diverse network, and I have found a confidence that only comes from creating something of one’s own imagination. With the background of my experience, I have put into question the effectiveness of introducing entrepreneurship curriculum in applicable practice to young people with the intention of youth presenting lasting soft, social, and business skills. In order to prove or negate this, I used the credibility of successful entrepreneurs and educators, scholarly work presented by trusted professionals, and my own anecdotal experience. With loads of information previously presented on youth entrepreneurship, my research fills a gap in the narrative by providing a youth perspective as well as adding the lens of the unique Montessori philosophy. I am limited by my controlled experience as a small community entrepreneur, with a business that is fully funded by the generous financial support of Oak Farm Montessori School. In order to hopefully overcome this limitation, I recruited the opinions and experiences of a diverse array of individuals that have an entrepreneurial background and knowledge. “Entrepreneurship is a pursuit of a solution, a single relentless focus on solving a problem or doing something drastically different from the way it is done today. [It’s] aiming to do something better than it’s ever been done before and constantly chasing improvement” – Blake Hutchinson. Entrepreneurship is defined simply as the discovery, evaluation, and exploration of opportunities to create goods and services that support a community or field. Commonly, entrepreneurs exude a desire to problem-solve, be a leader, take risks, and find flexibility in their career. They pursue an autonomy between life and business, driven by the pressures of their individual failures and successes. Overall their aspiration is to fill a market or societal void through creative innovation as well as securing longevity of their development. Entrepreneurship is often viewed reservedly for retirees or individuals that have already spent time in the workforce, in fact 60% of entrepreneurs are between the ages of 40 and 60 (Simovic, 1). This statistic proves how school systems are failing youth in terms of presenting business owning as an achievable and successful career choice. As a youth entrepreneur myself, I have felt a lack of space and resources for student entrepreneurs with limited time and finances. This gap in information has led me to be creative in my search for entrepreneurial support. Besides the implied assistance I have had within my school community and curriculum, I have become assiduously involved in Junior Achievement, a k-12 education non-profit focused on business and life skills. Entrepreneurship in application has boundless opportunities to open doors for young people and nurture 39
skills that otherwise may be neglected. “The core of entrepreneurial skill lies with an understanding of your own skills and weaknesses. As we learn these skills, we can grow in confidence to use them to create and problem-solve, which are foundational skills needed in business development. Each of us have different innate talents, the sooner that we can learn these skill sets, the faster we can learn how to use them with confidence.” says Jon Agler, Oak Farm Montessori High School’s business teacher (Agler). Youth with business founding potential could often be viewed by their peers and surrounding adults as rebellious or disinterested, because in simple terms: they are. In an interview with Maureen Shippy, Director of Development for Noble and Whitley Counties she said “an entrepreneur tends to be an individual that is a risk-taker, someone willing to take a chance, and that skill will continue with every aspect of that person’s life (Shippy).” This trait is familiar among many of the specified group, because in order to start a business or sales endeavour it takes a wild amount of curiosity and grit. “With continued failures comes eventual successes and with these successes out of failure comes a long lasting confidence in decision making (Agler).” Entrepreneurs are also more often than not extroverted, that find value in relationships. This is not only common, but extremely helpful to be successful in this difficult and constantly evolving industry. Entrepreneurism requires a consistent pride and confidence in one’s own ability to create their own successes, and “celebrate wins with no one else is telling you ‘Ya done good!’ They also need to be willing to accept defeats and losses and recalibrate (Shippy).” These skills, while inherently related to business are highly transferable into personal life. Promoting entrepreneurship as a worthwhile and viable option to kids demystifies the idea of a successful alternative career path. “We’re all entrepreneurs, and it’s never too soon to encourage kids to develop their own ideas (Bodnar, 73).” In a 1996 study by Richard Van Scotter and Lani Van Dusen, common entrepreneurial programs such as Junior Achievement were criticised for beginning entrepreneurship education too late and overlooking sensitive developmental phases that make information absorption easier (Van Scotter, 33). The simplest way to introduce business and financial empowerment to youth is by starting in the home. Reviewing the family budget and encouraging them to make their own with allowance and chore money, is a sure way to make kids more aware of their impact on the economy and internationalize their spending habits. Involving young people in appropriate real-life activities and being an example of healthy money management encourages youth early to think deeply about their choices and gives freedom within boundaries to their financial exploration. Remember that it is never too early for someone to open a bank account and teach a child about interest and savings, this will also be useful when it comes time for them to save for their future or make important purchases. In a conversation with Stephen Hilker, Junior Achievement Northeastern Indiana’s development manager, he stressed his opinion that investing is the most critical opportunity to educate youth about. Using web-based stock market simulations or taking field-trips to the stock market can show kids the limitless possibilities that financial security and independence can have. Along with financial literacy, it is important to open young people’s eyes to entrepreneurship and its potential for control and stable employment. “Show your kids how some people make a very good living owning a local beauty parlor, convenience store, funeral home, or cleaners” says George Waters, CEO of Camden (Money, Power, Respect). Education starts at home with the first people to influence a child, beginning this process and knowledge presentation early gives children a sample of their future as well as a head start when they begin learning from external educational resources and programs. Junior Achievement was founded in 1919 Theodore Vail in order to “inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy (Van Scotter, 33).” Junior Achievement’s first program was offered to high school students in an after school program. In 1975, the Business Basics program was originated and incorporated into classroom curriculum, highlighting economics, soft skills, and innovation. Furthermore, in 1992 elementary school programming was introduced that continues to educate youth about financial literacy, goods and services, and career exploration (Van Scotter, 33). Junior Achievement’s educational programs are taught by successful corporate and community volunteers. These volunteers are often business people, parents, college students, and retirees that have life experience and enthusiasm for preparing younger 40
generations for adult life. “91% of millennials wish they had greater access to entrepreneurial education programs (Home).” Involving community citizens allows students to learn more about specific careers as well as view future opportunities as attainable. In an intern alumni report done by Junior Achievement during the 2016-2017 school year it was found that one in five students work in the same occupation as their childhood JA classroom volunteer. In an evaluation done in the early 1990’s of Junior Achievement’s curriculum and instruction, observers underlined that each program “valued real life application”, by incorporating hands-on learning techniques in classrooms. Junior Achievement continues to prove it’s propriety by participating in and utilizing multiple third-party evaluation studies as one of only a few nonprofits that does so effectively. In the same Alumni Report, it was found that JA students were 143% more likely to be involved in entrepreneurial activities as adults (JA Alumni Report). Showing that education in the field increases the awareness and mindset of accessibility to entrepreneurship and business owning. One of Junior achievement’s founding High School aimed programs, JA Be Entrepreneurial, has been a key aspect of Junior Achievement’s programming selection for over twenty years. This program is designed as a mix of teacher-led and volunteer-led lessons with individual materials for each student and focuses on creating a realistic business plan complete with advertising techniques, financing, marketing, and product development. Over the course of seven sessions students engage in hands-on activities with identifying customer bases, creating competitive advantages, business ethics, all with the goal of guiding students in launching their own start-ups. After two decades of a superannuated program, in 2020, Junior Achievement made significant improvements to the lesson plan and ending objectives. JA Be Entrepreneurial now includes lessons regarding creativity, problem-solving, and social entrepreneurship. The goal behind these amendments is to instill an entrepreneurial mindset into each student with the intention that students are able to add value to any organization without necessarily having to be a business owner. Supporting the idea that entrepreneurship education is beneficial to students not just for its titular purpose but also to support students in their success and personal growth in all aims. In addition to their yearly programming in classrooms across the country, Junior Achievement is viewed highly in the community as a leader in business and enterprise studies. One of the ways they have gained this credibility is by collaborating with similar organizations to present out of school programming. One of these is Lemonade Day, since launching in 2007, JA has teamed up with Horizon Education Alliance to offer young students the opportunity of working through each step in the process of business planning, launching, and operating. “Lemonade Day is a free community-wide educational program designed to teach youth how to start, own and operate their own business- a lemonade stand! (Lemonade Day).” Students are given a pamphlet of completable resources with hidden links to videos made by JA staff and successful community members with tips to successfully launch their own lemonade stand on Lemonade Day. This 14 step process founded by Michael Holthouse can also be used as a classroom resource and educational opportunity with specialized educator guides offered upon registration (Lemonade Day). On Lemonade Day’s designated site, individuals are able to donate, volunteer, or mentor youth in their community. This program works annually with a list of respected sponsors to give students updated information and all the tools they need to succeed. Junior Achievement USA articulates their purpose of founding as the “commitment to the principles of market-based economics and entrepreneurship (About JA).” In the previously mentioned longitudinal study conducted by Richard Van Scotter and Lani Van Dusen in 1996 tests were administered to students that participated in JA from 1st-6th grade and those that did not. In their conclusion it is stated that “[students who participated in JA were] much more effective at performing tasks that demonstrate understanding of economic principles (Van Scotter, 33).” Along with a foundational knowledge of economics “one of JA’s pillars is Entrepreneurship and in school programming spends a lot of time on “what it takes to be an entrepreneur” and then JA recruits entrepreneurs to go into the classroom and tell their story.” Junior Achievement molds 41
together education, example, and application to provide a comprehensive curriculum that serves each child individually. Junior Achievement also sponsors a spotlight on Channel 21 that showcases young entrepreneurs, hosts an Entrepreneur Camp in the summer for middle school students, holds a farmers market style Entrepreneur Marketplace in downtown Fort Wayne. These among many evolving and immersive programs, offer adolescents ample opportunities to engage with the community and introduce their innovations. In 2019 I was asked by Junior Achievement Noble County to film and edit a video illuminating JA’s partnership with Oak Farm Montessori’s 1st-6th grade students for JA in a Day. This unique experience allowed me to experience first hand the impact that Junior Achievemetnt’s program and volunteers have on the students they aim to serve. I had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing a few of the volunteers, teachers, and students about their differing experiences and perspectives of JA and entrepreneurship education. Upon completion of the video project, I was asked to present to the Noble County board and sit in on their meeting that was held on Oak Farm’s campus. While watching the board interact, I knew that I wanted to be involved on a deeper and more frequent level. Shortly after, I reached out to the board inquiring of how I was able to serve Junior Achievement and its mission. I was invited to join the Noble County board as a student member, along with two other high school students from surrounding schools. After serving on the board for over a year I again reached asking if I would be able to do a week long internship with JA to glean more understanding of the business, its values, and lend a hand wherever I was needed. During my internship with Junior Achievement I had the honor of working alongside JA’s dedicated staff to complete many tasks that are crucial in the success of a non-profit organization such as theirs. I worked on paperwork, video content for Lemonade Day, packaging prizes, and folding posters. Along with these hands-on experiences, I was invited to greet district board members and attend their meeting. This was such a rewarding experience and gave me insight into the foundational steps in generating a new program, the relentless work that goes into keeping long-standing programs running, and the wonderful people behind this important organization. My largest take-away was how much each employee prioritized their job and enjoyed the work they did to progress Junior Achievement and it’s mission of enterprise education. It is extremely challenging to provide firm evidence of the effectiveness of curriculum integration due to the lack of research that has been done in this area, In a Series on Youth and Entrepreneurship, Ulrich Schoof states this very thing as a limitation of his study, saying: “little research has been made until now on young entrepreneurs and the specific barriers, on the one hand, and incentives on the other, when starting their own enterprise (Schoof, 3).” It is acknowledged that “awareness about this career option [entrepreneurship], and the given enabling environment for enterprise creation, play a crucial role for a successful start-up (Schoof, 3).” Introducing entrepreneurship and business knowledge to youth has great capacity to allow students to investigate if it is a desirable option; and equip them with entrepreneurial skills (opportunity recognition, business planning,etc.) that will allow them to develop entrepreneurial competencies which, in turn, might be beneficial for their own (future) business or for working as an employee. “The self-awareness fostered during entrepreneurship can help young people to walk in confidence as they make life defining decisions soon after they leave high school. In order to really learn about these skills, young people need a safe, but real, place to try and fail. This will allow them to learn and to adapt to find success when the consequence of their failure is minimal (Agler).” To reduce the failure rate of youth enterprises and address critical issues during the start-up process, local schools and organizations must increase their efforts to support young people by providing training, technical assistance, and experience. The Montessori philosophy is guided around holistic learning with the intention of each student reaching their fullest potential through meaningful work. The Montessori principle of information retention, meaning that youth are able to absorb information when they feel invested and interested in the topic at hand. Oak Farm Montessori School’s high school program is a model example of how business education can be successfully incorporated into all other aspects of academia. Described by Bridget York, Oak Farm Montessori School’s curriculum director, as “an entrepreneurship program that includes business lessons integrated with hands 42
on, real world experiences within the curriculum provides students with the opportunity to not just practice but actually truly see the effects of soft skills as well as business skills in their interactions with customers, suppliers and their team (York).” The high school business program is a combination of class time spent listening to lessons and doing projects on topics such as personal finance, budgeting, standard operating procedures, marketing, and time spent in real-world application. Students are encouraged to formulate comprehensive business plans complete with a mission statement, a target market, operations, management, profits and losses, and an executive summary. Each piece is walked through in detail to ensure understanding and then added in context of each individual business. This process gives students a necessary feeling of ownership and control over their business as well as skills that are helpful to take into post-high school life. “Consistently adults in the community comment on how well our HS students represent themselves in their public speaking, active listening, problem solving skills, collaboration, creativity and work ethic. These are essential soft skills that will continue to grow as the young adult develops” says York (York). Because the businesses are typically contained to Oak Farm’s community, loss and “failure” is less daunting and risks are able to be taken in a contained environment. This encourages “healthy failure”, the understanding that lessons are learned through making mistakes and there should be no shame or guilt in that concept. While, high school business curriculums are an important starting point of k-12 entrepreneurial studies, programs such as these do not take place during sensitive developmental periods, meaning that information is more difficult to retain. Montessori’s philosophy of “the absorbent mind” refers to age birth to six years old in which youth are highly impressionable to new information. During this period children think creatively and without rigid reasoning that often prevents teens and adults from taking risks and having extraordinary thoughts and ideas. The brain’s elasticity at this young age as well as this intrinsic innovative thinking yields near perfect conditions for entrepreneurship to be introduced and encouraged. TypeWrite was established in the summer of 2017 when as an incoming Freshman I identified a gap in a shared student led project across Oak Farm Montessori School’s campus. I had a strong sense that lower and upper level students did not have an outlet for their voices and expression, and I felt confident in my ability to change that. I proposed to my advisor the idea of a literary magazine published each trimester composed of creative work from students of all ages. When presented to all faculty and the school community, the concept was pleasingly met with overwhelming encouragement. After gaining approval, the next step was to begin looking forward to the daunting tasks to be accomplished, in order for the project to be successful. To launch the magazine, I began communicating with Oak Farm teachers, giving presentations to every classroom on campus, creating flyers, advertising in Oak Farm’s newsletter, and encouraging the community to use word of mouth. I quickly collected loads of work for students across campus, from articles to comic strips, to poems about peace. For issue #1, I used the Microsoft Publisher program on my school provided laptop to create a template for layout and began inserting work. The program, while simple in design was easy to understand and I soon had a completed issue ready to print. Next, I ordered paper, binding combs, and a comb binding machine through the High School business bank account. When the materials arrived, I got to work and produced fifty companies of TypeWrite issue #1. At Oak Farm Montessori School’s annual Fall Festival, that serves to unite the public with the school, I presented a booth complete with hot off the press copies of the newly released literary magazine. The first issue was finally completed with articles, short stories, comic strips, photography, art, and much more from preschool through high school students. I was greeted warmly by families, friends, and members of the local community who were eager to pick up a copy of the magazine and vocalize their well-wishes of the project. Now after three and half years of operations, each issue features increasingly more students and continues to showcase the creativity and capabilities of the students on campus. With many years of experience, naturally, the business has grown to now include a team of individuals that work assiduously to produce each issue of TypeWrite with definite care and understanding of our mission statement. At the end of its third year, I 43
decided to bring on two TypeWrite interns to aid in communications and design, as well as become successors to the magazine following my graduation. TypeWrite’s team now includes seven faculty members that serve on the TypeWrite Advisory Board, each using their many resources to diligently provide TypeWrite with opportunities to expand and improve. These, among other progressions, have given TypeWrite and its staff a reputation of community involvement and compassion for the students of Oak Farm. Fulfilling the TypeWrite mission to be “a unique studentdriven literary publication that strives to empower students to write what’s in their minds and fulfill their wildest dreams, by publishing their original work for the Oak Farm community to enjoy.” As the founder and CEO of TypeWrite, I have individually learned of the struggles and rewards of the trade. Through long hours I learned of relentless commitment, through unnoticed hard work I learned that success isn’t built overnight, and through failed attempts I learned the effectiveness of informed decision-making. I continue to hold onto my learned ability to take responsibility for my mistakes and short-comings, a mindset that has helped me to develop a thick skin and jump head-first into projects with the understanding of the potential threats. The initial year of TypeWrite served to teach me how to effectively problem solve and professionally communicate, which I now make use of in precisely every aspect of my life. Not only has TypeWrite diversified my knowledge and experiences, the TypeWrite interns that were brought on during the 2020-2021 school year to put their business class curriculum into practice in a pre-established, successful, business have worked tirelessly to add what they are uniquely able. Over the past few months I have seen them each use their individual skill sets to improve the business and establish a stake in the company. “TypeWrite has helped me grow in my leadership skills and my editing skills. I have been granted opportunities I never thought I would have, just by working on TypeWrite. I personally feel like I have grown in my literary, and life skills. I have learned how to send professional emails and work under a deadline” says Hannah Albright, one of TypeWrite’s two freshman interns (Albright). Kit Yager, TypeWrite’s other intern, says “in TypeWrite I learned how to be more patient and work collaboratively. Working with Claire and Bonnie has opened my eyes to the greater picture and helped me to reach my full potential and discover my love for graphic design”, this has been evident in Kit’s this year through their pursuit of producing a high-quality product for the community (Yager). TypeWrite’s capacity for entrepreneurship and business operations education surpassed what I ever expected, by continuing it’s impact onto a second generation of dedicated creatives. Over the past four years TypeWrite has taught me valuable business skills such as advertising, book-keeping, and communications. While those skills are all helpful for a career in business or for moving into adulthood, the personal growth and self-understanding I have gained has much more importance to me. I have found security in my potential and drive to achieve my goals, by completing difficult tasks that tested my resilience. Originating something of my own creativity and hard work, has awakened a sense of pride in my work that was not apparent before I entered high school. By my own personal experience, I have come to strongly believe that cultivating fundamental entrepreneurial skills in young people encourages not only a healthy business mindset, but also many soft skills that will encourage success and self-confidence. Conclusion With a personal grasp on entrepreneurship education and its many applications for youth empowerment as well as the opinions of many qualified individuals, I believe it to be true that curriculum development within schools as well as with outside organizations are key in giving young people a voice and confidence in their potential. I have proven that with guidance from resources and mentors, students are able to find their footing as business owners. With a shortage of scholarly evidence previously reported on the effectiveness of enterprise education, I drew confidently from credible individuals and my own experience in this tricky industry. While financial independence can be a powerful tool for success as a professional and member of society, the personal growth of entrepreneurs at any age meets, if not surpasses, these benefits. From my meticulous research, I was able to use the implications of the presented information to add credibility and 44
evidence to the argument of integrated business and entrepreneurship education with an achievable goal of students applying their experience to fill market gaps and impact their communities. WORKS CITED Agler, Jon. Personal interview. Albright, Hannah. Personal interview. Bodnar, Janet. “Children Mean Business.” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, vol. 62, no. 7, July 2008, p. 73. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=32459676&site=ehost-live.Junior Achievement (2017). JA Alumni Report. Internal Junior Achievement report. Hilker, Stephen. Personal interview. Home: Junior achievement of northern indiana, inc. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www. juniorachievement.org/web/junior-achievement-of-northern-indiana/ Junior Achievement USA. (n.d.). About ja. Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://jausa.ja.org/ about/index?utm_content=1532622497&utm_medium=Blogging%2Bto%2BFacebook&utm_ source=sprout#:~:text=Junior%20Achievement’s%20mission%20is%20to,lessons%2C%20but%20share%20 their%20experience. Lemonade day. (2020, August 25). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://jalemonade.org/lemonade-day/ “Money, Power, Respect.” Black Enterprise, vol. 30, no. 11, June 2000, p. 98. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost. com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=3128154&site=ehost-live. Obschonka, Martin. “Adolescent Pathways to Entrepreneurship.” Child Development Perspectives, vol. 10, no. 3, Sept. 2016, pp. 196–201. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/cdep.12185. Schoof, U. (2006). Stimulating Youth Entrepreneurship: Barriers and incentives to enterprise start-ups by young people. International Labor Office of Geneva, 76. Shippy, Maureen. Personal interview. Simovic, D. (2021, January 05). 39 entrepreneur statistics you need to know in 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www.smallbizgenius.net/by-the-numbers/entrepreneur-statistics/#gref “Top-Rated K-12th Grade Curriculum: Junior Achievement USA.” Home, Junior Achievement, www. juniorachievement.org/web/ja-usa/ja-programs. Van Scotter, Richard, and Van Dusen, Lani. “Starting Early: Junior Achievement’s Elementary School Program.” Educational Leadership, vol. 53, no. 8, May 1996, p. 33. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login. aspx?direct=true&db=asn&AN=9605213949&site=ehost-live. “What Does It Mean to Be an Entrepreneur?” Business News Daily, www.businessnewsdaily.com/7275entrepreneurship-defined.html. Yager, Kit. Personal interview. York, Bridget. Personal interview. “Youth entrepreneurship”. [Paris]: OECD, 2013. Online. Internet. 30 Jan 2021. . Available: http://www.oecd. org/cfe/leed/youth_bp_finalt.pdf.
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JACKSON WILLIAMS
Is A Project Car Worth It? Are built cars cheaper than bought cars? Within my project, I compare a “built” 2001 Honda Civic Si to a “bought” 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Package. It took a large amount of money and time to attempt this project as cars are quite expensive. My goal with this project is to identify whether it’s more cost effective to buy a “bought” car or build a “built” car. My next step in completing this project is to make the Honda Civic driveable and to purchase the Mercedes. I assume that the “built” car will end up being cheaper than the “bought” car even though the “built” car will have many expensive parts on it. I will be comparing a “built” 2001 Honda Civic Si to a “bought” 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 AMG Package for an example study. I want to compare the cost of each car along with each car’s performance capabilities. Since the Civic is currently being built, it’ll be hard to compare the performance capabilities of the Civic to the CLA 250. Although I don’t have exact statistics of the Civic, I can assume that the Honda Civic will be making around 400 horsepower because of the modifications done to the engine. With this amount of power it will be hard to control on a track or SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) course. The Mercedes CLA 250 will dominate the Honda Civic on a SCCA course because of its lightweight body, dual clutch transmission, and a midrange turbocharged engine. The Honda Civic would struggle around a SCCA course because of it’s high range torque and horsepower. Large amounts of torque will cause “torque steer” where the car can violently steer left or right. Torque steer will largely affect the handling capabilities on a SCCA course which has multiple turns and shorts “straights” (where the track is in a straight line). For comparison, the Mercedes CLA 250 will keep up with and overtake an early 2,000’s V8 Mustang in a straight line because of its aerodynamics. The Honda Civic Si will be able to beat a 2021 V8 Mustang in a straight line because of its high horsepower. While the Mercedes CLA 250 has a top speed of 183.5mph (miles per hour) ungoverned, it’s more geared toward its handling capabilities. The Honda Civic should have a top speed somewhere around 190 mph because it’s more focused on top speed rather than its handling capabilities. The Mercedes and the Honda have different goals in mind when it comes to their performance. The biggest problem with owning a project car is the large amount of money and time it takes to build a car. I’m testing to see if it’s better to buy a cheap car and build it to be faster than an expensive car that’s already fast. Through my experience of building the Honda Civic already I can see how it’s less time consuming to just buy a car that’s fairly balanced. Buying a new and competitive car is very pricey for many people. A new sports car can range anywhere from $30,000 to $70,000 and beyond. A “built” car can be bought for less than $10,000. With an additional $10,000 worth of modifications, it will outperform “bought” sports cars. Although the Mercedes CLA 250 had an original market value of $47,500, a used CLA 250 could be bought from $28,000 to $35,000 today. The Honda Civic was bought for $2,200 and has approximately $15,000 worth of modifications. With an additional $5,000 the car will be complete. My objective is to first make the car driveable before adding on more extensive modifications. The significance of this project is to compare the value of built vs bought cars. I’m going to buy a significant amount of cars throughout my life so it’s important to me to compare whether built cars hold a better value than bought cars. With my upcoming purchase, I’ll be on my fifth car at eighteen years old. Every car is unique and I like driving different kinds of cars so I’ll be spending a lot of money on cars over my life. From my experience, it’s easier to buy a bought car but much cheaper to make a built car. My next step in this project is to sell the “built” car and buy a new project car. I will also purchase the “bought” car. These goals will be completed in May of 2021. The new project car will be a 1996 Mazda MX-5 Miata. This car is stock and in mint condition with plenty of aftermarket support to modify it. I’m buying the Miata for $3,500. The “bought” car is a 2014 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 with an AMG package. Stock to stock, the Mercedes outperforms the Mazda. I would like to get the Miata to a point where it’s quicker than the CLA. 46
My assumption is that a built car will be cheaper than building the car although the bought car will save money over time due to its heightened reliability. Built cars tend to be unreliable due to essential modified parts that haven’t been tested to the standards of bought cars. Modifying cars in your garage at home will never bet the hundreds of millions car manufactures spend on developing their cars to work perfect to the vast majority of its buyers. When buying a project car, they’re typically cheaper to insure. This could also save a lot of money over time over an expensive “bought” car. To answer the question of whether a project car is cheaper than buying a new car. Yes, a project car will almost always be cheaper than buying a new car. A new car is easier to have because you don’t need spare time to build the car or maintain unreliable parts. Bought cars shouldn’t need much besides regular maintenance. Project cars will need a lot of spare time to be built and maintained. In the long term the project car should be cheaper than a brand new car in every case. I’ll be buying many cars over my lifetime and my research will help me make the decision between buying a new car or building one specific to my wants and needs.
Jackson Williams loves cars.
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