Ongoing Projects
Joan Fitzgerald
An Initiative to Create Green Technology Career Ladders In Boston & Oakland
There is high growth potential in the green economy, broadly defined. The green economy comprises many employment categories and includes jobs that require only a high school education to those that require advanced degrees. The question is how to link young people in frontline communities to jobs in the green economy that pay decent wages and have advancement potential. This project will examine green economy career ladder programs to identify what works and why. Then, in collaboration with community organizations, high schools, community colleges, and universities we will develop at least one green technology career ladder program in Boston and in Oakland that serves youth in frontline communities.
NNeka N. Allen-Harrison
Policy Partners: Mills at Northeastern Upward Bound, Alameda County EMS Corps, Motivating Innovators, Stand In Peace, Infinity Investments, #Buildwealth Movement™
Bay Area Black Voices: Employment Outcomes of the Black Labor Force in The San Francisco Bay Area
Research suggests it is important to understand the impact of employment trends on the workforce to affect policy, resource distribution, and expand income opportunities for our most vulnerable citizens (Bohn, S., & Thorman, T., n.d.). This qualitative study investigates employment trends for the Black labor force in the San Francisco Bay Area and the role of empowerment learning in helping to improve economic outcomes for African-Americans. Although the San Francisco Bay Area is noted for its global diversity and tech innovation spaces, income inequality exists across race and gender, resulting in significant economic insecurity for those most impacted (Economic Policy Institute, n.d.). The unit of analysis for this study is individuals who identify as African-American and earn their living as a member of the San Francisco Bay Area workforce. A sample of 10 adults between the ages of 18 and 55 will inform the findings of this study. Triangulated data includes 45-minute semi-structured interviews, a Google Form questionnaire, and reflection memos written by the researcher. Key staff from local community-based organizations (CBOs) will also participate in a 45-minute interview designed to glean information to inform organizational policy decisions focusing on improving economic outcomes for African-Americans. This study has implications for the research needs of CBOs, higher education institutions concerned about improving workforce and innovation opportunities for the most vulnerable citizens in urban areas, career technical education (CTE) programs, secondary school teacher preparation programs, and local employment civil rights policy.
Adam Parker
Policy Partner: Yeen Lama, Associate Director of Research, Caring Across Generations
Care Can’t Wait
The research will evaluate the impact of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding on care workers and unpaid family caregivers in California. Specifically, this research will evaluate: (1) caregiver workforce development efforts to streamline training, attract new workers, and promote career advancement in the field with the end goal of improving patient care; (2) the impact of a multi-year state effort to raise the pay of caregivers serving people with developmental disabilities; and (3) whether supportive services and training offered by the Home and Community-Based (HCBS) spending plan alleviates unpaid caregivers’ economic, physical, and emotional burden.
Adaora Ubaka
Policy Partner: Wendy Zinn, Chief of Partnerships & Social Responsibility, YMCA OF GREATER BOSTON
Determining the Organizational Social Conditions That Enable Leaders to Surpass Precarious Leadership Roles
Research in the area of job design suggests that positions can be restructured in such a way as to alleviate gender and racial disparities, which might be implicitly built into job roles (Kalev, 2009). For leaders from historically excluded groups (i.e., women; BIPOC) high-risk, and often precarious leadership roles such as in non-profit organizations may offer the critical career breaks that enable them to gain the credibility and visibility needed for advancement and future career success. As such, while risky, these roles may still serve as a pathway to greater career upward mobility; especially for employees whose social group has been historically relegated to the bottom of the economic ladder. Building on research on the glass cliff, the purpose of the proposed study is to uncover the often-overlooked conditions around organizational support that enable leaders who take such roles to be more successful and effective in contributing towards organizational goals. This study seeks to augment organizational practices within non-profit, community-based organizations so that non-profit leaders may be more effective in serving their constituents and community.
Cliff Lee
Policy Partner: Civic Design Studio, HKIT architects, MidPen Housing, Laney College, Oakland Unified School District
Creative Industry Pathway and the Future of Oakland
This proposal seeks to examine the impact of a community-based, high school and community college creative industries pathway program. Partnering with Civic Design Studio, an organization that specializes in cultural impact projects; “large-scale public displays, cultural celebrations and multigenerational design build projects,” this study seeks to understand how we can support workforce development in the creative industries. The goal is to introduce teen and young adult artists to creating multimodal public art that incorporates various techniques (painting, illustration, digital design, mixed media, digital fabrication, and more) with industry partners in housing and architecture. Utilizing a participatory action research methodology, data will be collected from key stakeholders to answer the question: What extent does industry partnerships support authentic learning and workforce development in the creative industries?
Beth Molnar
Policy Partner: Boston Public Health Commission
TEAM Health: Technology-Enhanced Approaches to Mental Health Navigation in Families with Young Children
Social/emotional difficulties among children 1-8 years are associated with future psychopathology and other impairments. However, only 25% in need receive services, with underrepresented minorities experiencing worse gaps. Family Partners (FP) are paraprofessionals and parents who raised children with health/mental health difficulties. Working with the Boston Public Health Commission, we will utilize user-centered, participatory design approaches to develop smartphone technology to enhance and personalize care coordination and family support provided in a model we previously evaluated pairing FPs with mental health clinicians. Development of innovative technological tools has potential to decrease gaps in screening, referrals, and services and to promote sustainability.