Assignment #3 — Mapping Community Assets

For this assignment, you are asked to describe a proposed project intended to benefit children, youth, and/or families in a particular area of CYC practice, building on and mobilizing the assets in your community. The project you propose should be discussed in terms of the CYC perspectives explored throughout CYC 100A. Whichever area of CYC practice you focus on, remember that the focus of this assignment is not to describe an existing project in your chosen area of practice, but to envision a new project, and to ground that project in a description of your community’s strengths.

To complete this assignment, use one of the mapping models presented in the CYC100A class. You will complete the assignment in two steps. Keeping your chosen area of CYC practice in mind, you will first complete a community asset map. To develop the community asset map, use one of the mapping models introduced in class as a guide to researching and mapping your community’s assets. You are not expected to produce an exhaustive community map for this assignment. Nonetheless, in accordance with the model provided, you should identify a total of at least 10 associations, physical spaces, institutions, individuals, and businesses in the local community that could be assets in developing your CYC project. You will discuss aspects of your community map in your final paper, but you will include the map itself as an Appendix.

Next, you will design and describe a CYC project (e.g., a community-based drop-in program for street-involved youth, an outreach for immigrant parents and children, for adolescent girls with eating disorders) that (a) responds to the needs and strengths of the chosen population; (b) builds on existing community assets; and (c) has the potential to strengthen the community as a whole.

Once you have completed your community asset map and designed your project, write a paper of 6-8 typed, double-spaced, 12 pt font pages, plus references.

Your paper will include:

A brief introduction that identifies your chosen area of practice, the population you are focusing on, and the project you are proposing;

A brief description of your chosen community, including relevant demographic and statistical information on your community, but focusing primarily on the community map you developed (the map itself will be an Appendix to your paper);

A description of your proposed project, including the area of CYC practice it relates to, the strengths and challenges of the population served, the purpose of the project, and how the project builds on community assets. In discussing the relationship of your project to community assets, discuss the key associations, physical spaces, institutions, individuals, or local businesses that you identified in your community asset map. Be as specific as possible in describing how your project builds on the community assets which you are including. Discuss the relevance of your project in terms of CYC history and perspectives, including strength based, ecological, and developmental perspectives;

In-text citation of relevant 100A course readings, and at least FOUR additional academic articles, book chapters, and/or credible websites;

Include a brief conclusion, in which you summarize the intent of your proposed project, how it builds on community assets, and its relevance in the context of contemporary CYC practice.

Grading Criteria: Content (20 marks)

Clearly identifies area of practice, population of focus, and intent of project

Describes the community characteristics and strengths, based on a community asset map in the Appendix that identifies at least TEN associations, physical spaces, institutions, individuals, and local businesses

Proposes a proposed project that clearly responds to the needs and strengths of the chosen population and the community

Identifies the relationship of the proposed project to key associations, physical spaces, institutions, individuals, and/or local businesses

Provides a clear discussion of the proposed project from a CYC lens, exploring the 3 perspectives discussed in this course: strength based, ecological, and developmental perspectives.

Integrates course materials and discussions, citing relevant 100A course readings, and at least FOUR additional articles, book chapters, or credible websites

Presentation (10 marks)

Structure of paper and presentation of material is clear, logical and congruent

Introduction provides a succinct overview of the intention and structure of the paper Conclusion clearly summarizes the main points/findings

Spelling, grammar, sentence and paragraph structure, pagination, punctuation and clarity of writing are at a 1st year University level

References in text and in bibliography are complete and according to APA standards