Since the 1970s, Clarkston has developed into a hub for refugees and immigrants making a uniquely diverse community located within the metropolitan area of Atlanta. Easily accessible by car and only 5 miles northeast from Emory, Clarkston maintains a strong community identity due to the invisible barrier of lacking transportation for most international residents. Laden with international newcomers, many of who escaped dire situations, Clarkston has spawned numerous social services to support the population. Members of the Emory community have recognized the various opportunities to engage with this culturally rich pocket of Atlanta.
Fall
Professor Huda Mustafa of the Anthropology Department
took her "Global Cities, Local Futures" class to explore Clarkston
for their end
of
term projects. The class visited public spaces and learned about the community
through a Program Coordinator from the local agency, Refugee
Family Services.
In groups, the class used their reflections of the visit and readings to create
urban spaces designed to stimulate community building in Clarkston. Click
here to view one of the student group's projects.
Spring
Emory's Ethics Center offers 8 internships, one of which is in Clarkston at Refugee Family Services. Click here to find out more.
Student Katrina Connolly interned at the Clarkston Community Center. Through monthly meetings titled, Clarkston Health Collaborative, the community generated a project aimed to improve access to healthcare in Clarkston and stimulate the economy. Guided by community input, the intern created the City of Clarkston Medical Resource Guide mapping the medical facilities within the mile diameter of Clarkston and provided information useful to Clarkston's population. Fifty percent of the medical facilities listed generously donated to the production of the product. The intern organized a Community Health Day to distrbute the Guide door-to-door. She received credit for augmenting this internship with academic coursework through Emory's Political Science Department. Click here for side 1 and side 2 of the Guide.
Summer
The Kenneth Cole
Program of Emory's Office of
University
and Community Partnerships (OUCP) dispatched 8 students to work on projects
in Clarkston. Four students worked with the DeKalb County Board of Health on
a project called Photovoice, leading groups of Clarkston high school students
to document the community's attributes and problems. The other four students
worked at Sagal Radio, a Somali radio station vital to the vibrant Somali community
in Clarkston, to help secure the organization. Click
here to read more.
Fall
Professor Carol Hahn from the Division of Education
Studies
built
a
strong
Theory
Practice
Learning component into her curriculum. Dr. Hahn invited ESL teacher, Bryan Hudson,
from Refugee Family Services and Cary Reynolds Elementary School to
present to her class. Students chose which site to perform their required 12
hours
of tutoring and teaching. Emory students learned the challenges of refugees in
education through tutoring and important relationship building.
Please contact Alta Schwartz afschwa@emory.edu if you are a member of Emory's community and involved in Clarkston.