MPC has been engaging with the DC community since 2014
Contact Us
Kerwin Hall, Room 337 on a map
Metropolitan Policy Center 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016 United StatesDC Partnerships
Part of MPC's mission is to create lasting impact within Washington, DC. We're accomplishing this by establishing partnerships with local DC organizations and others looking to make an impact in the region. Non-profit organizations and schools in the DC region can partner with us through undergraduate and graduate students at American University, our Faculty Fellows who are involved in programs such as the Community-Based Research Scholars (CBRS) and Community-Based Research (CBR) Certificate Program, and other courses within the Department of Public Administration and Policy (DPAP).
Community-Based Research Initiatives
Students in the CBRS and CBR Certificate programs are passionate about social justice and research. They receive in-depth training in quantitative and qualitative research methods. Students conduct surveys, interviews or focus groups, analyze the data, and provide the community partner with a presentation and a report at the end of the semester. See descriptions below for more information about past projects. If you are a non-profit, school, or community organization in DC and are interested in proposing a project, click below.
Other MPC Partners
ONE DC
MPC has partnered with ONE DC on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant project entitled, "Making the Just City: An Examination of Organizing for Equity and Health." Read more about this project on our Research page.
Smithsonian ACM
MPC and the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum (ACM) have partnered up to bring urban-related events and author talks in collaboration with the A Right To The City Exhibition.
Wilson Center
MPC is part of an international research collaboration providing a comparative study of urban regeneration financing and politics in the U.S., in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars’ Urban Sustainability Lab, the Korean Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the University of Pennsylvania's Institute for Urban Research.
CAPSTONES
CBR certificate students complete an independent community-based research project with a local non-profit, school or community organization under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Past projects have typically, but not exclusively, included surveys, focus groups, or interviews with program participants based on the research needs expressed by the organization or school.
COMMUNITY-BASED LEARNING (CBL)
CBRS students commit to volunteer for a community-based organization or school for an academic year (September - April). Students are involved in direct service, and not research, with the organization during their volunteer placement.
Spring Community-Based Research Projects
Each spring, CBRS students and CBR certificate students enrolled in SPA-340 Community-Based Research complete a substantive community-based research project with a local non-profit, school or community organization. In Spring of 2020, we partnered with E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, the Latin American Youth Center program at Roosevelt High School, and DC Ethics Bowl.
2020 DPAP Capstone Projects
Maternal Health Outcomes in DC
Maternal Health Outcomes in DC
Authors: Nancy Erickson, Matthew Hufford, and Isabel Taylor
Best MPA Capstone Poster Award goes to "Maternal Health Outcomes in DC" by Nancy Erickson, Matthew Hufford, Isabel Taylor.
The US ranks 60th in maternal mortality rate out of 187 ranked nations, placing well behind other developed nations. Unlike other countries, the American mortality rate has increased over the past 10 years even though 3 in 5 pregnancy-related deaths in the USA are preventable. The DC maternal mortality rate is still almost 2 times the national rate despite dramatic improvements since 2014. Within DC, Wards 7 and 8 experience the highest rates of women delaying prenatal care, smoking during pregnancy, preterm births, low birth weights, and infant mortality.
VIEW the FULL POSTER
11th Street Bridge Project
11th Street Bridge Project
Authors: Prateek Patel, José Sáenz Crespo, Katharine Silva, Kaitlin Wojak
In 2012, construction of the new 11th Street Bridge was completed, leaving the old piers of the original bridge unused. These piers will be the site of the 11th Street Bridge Park, an elevated park spanning the length of the bridge, connecting DC’s Navy Yard to Anacostia. Concerns remain about the impact the Park will have on Anacostia, one of DC’s most disenfranchised neighborhoods. Our project explores the equity implications that the Park will have on a vulnerable and changing Anacostia.
VIEW THE FULL POSTER
ANC 3D Smart Energy Solutions
ANC 3D Smart Energy Solutions
Authors: Sabina Blanco Vecchi, Ben Knuth, Caroline Nickerson, and Adefunke Sonaike
As part of American University’s Master of Public Policy Policy Practicum course and in partnership with Commissioner Elkins from ANC 3D, the authors of this report describe energy efficiency options related to buildings and provide analysis localized to Washington DC — and to the extent possible ANC 3D — regarding global climate change.
Read the Full Report
Spring 2020 Project
Roosevelt High School & E.L. Haynes Public Charter School
Teaching students at RHS reinforced what we learned in class.
— John Boyle, ‘23
Project: AU undergraduate students developed and facilitated an Action Research 101 curriculum for high school students. The students were in the process of designing and implementing a survey on an issue of concern to the HS students’ community.
DC Ethics Bowl
I loved seeing the ethics bowl students think about new ideas and perspectives!
— Rachel Boose, '23
Project: CBRS partnered with Washington, DC Area Ethics Bowl on a research plan to prioritize equity and inclusion in ethics education outreach programs, and identify and address barriers to participation — communication, logistics, transportation, and other resource needs — for area schools, particularly the most under-resourced.
past Spring Semester Community-Based Research Projects
2015 Community Needs Assessment
| Community Partner | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
Community Needs Assessment in English and Spanish. |
Collected over 700 surveys from DC residents in all 8 Wards. |
2016 Innovative Student Support
| Community Partners | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Interviewed and surveyed current students, former students and staff to gather strategies to promote retention and prevent student dropout. | Results identified effective innovative support strategies and informed improvements to programs and policies at each school. |
2017 Homelessness
| Community Partner | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Students conducted one-on-one interviews in English and Spanish with people experiencing homelessness. | Thrive DC has received funding to implement new programs based on the interviews conducted by the AU students, including a program for victims of crime. |
2018 Food Access
| Community Partner | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
Students participated in multiple projects to assist the organization in increasing access to food stamps for underserved populations. |
Created an online food stamps application and an abbreviated, more accessible application for seniors. -Results informed continued improvements to the program. |
2019 College Access
| Community Partners | Project | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
|
Maya Angelou Public Charter School -
LAYC Career Academy
-
Latin American Youth Center Programs: Wilson & Roosevelt High Schools
|
Students conducted surveys and focus groups with DC high school students about barriers to college access and ways the schools or LAYC could enhance how they support them to get the information they need to apply to college. |
Schools and programs made changes to their educational programs, informational materials, and advising to increase college access support for students. |
Complete Community-Based Research Partner Database
CBR Partners
