Community Development
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     Major social and economic changes are taking place in Atlanta, and are already being felt in the areas surrounding the Atlanta University Center (AUC). With this in mind, Morehouse College has recognized that there is a strong role for the Emma & Joe Adams Public Service Institute to play in the greater West End community. The creation of the Community Development component was a logical next step in the evolution of Institute and the first step in serving that role. Currently, the most active component of the Community Development initiative is the Community Revitalization Task Force.

     The Community Revitalization Task Force has undertaken a long-range initiative to support local revitalization efforts, and to help prepare the neighborhood organizations in the area surrounding the College to deal with the challenges of growth and development that are now taking place in Atlanta.
The Task Force seeks also to reinforce and enhance the relationship Morehouse has with the local community.

     At the foundation of this initiative has been the role of the Adams/Bonner Scholars, who are the primary interface between Morehouse College and the community. The student interns are a critical element in insuring the project’s long-term success. Strong relationships between Morehouse and its neighbor communities are essential for the project to achieve its objectives, and the strength of these relationships will in a large part be determined by the commitment and resolve of our interns.

     There is a strong legacy of student service and commitment that is associated with the Adams and Bonner Scholar programs and we plan for this to continue through the work of the Community Revitalization Task Force.

Community Revitalization Initiative

Mission Statement:

     To establish a mutually beneficial relationship with adjacent communities that will result in a sustained economic and social improvement and provide Morehouse Students with learning opportunities that cultivate civic growth and development.

Goals and Objectives

     A. Prepare a neighborhood revitalization plan that emphasizes community-articulated preferences for          development and preservation.

          1. Detail preferred neighborhood development scenarios for guiding future growth and preservation in               the areas of housing and commercial development and community infrastructure.

         2. Prepare Strategies for financing and implementing revitalization projects and processes.

     B. Establish community-based momentum for driving neighborhood revitalization.

         1. Create a network of community organizations and institutions for the purpose of formalizing their              role in the neighborhood revitalization initiative.

         2. Establish strategies for encouraging long-term community support and leadership in promoting              neighborhood revitalization.

     C. Promote and strengthen meaningful linkages between the community and Morehouse College.

          1. Integrate community building themes and techniques into academic programming.

         2. Provide academic and educational opportunities that encourage participation by community              residents and businesses.

         3. Expand existing and explore new forums for community outreach

     Below is a list of the neighborhood groups the Community Revitalization Task Force has targeted for its initial efforts:

Community Partners

    NPU-T (Neighborhood Planning Unit T)
    Ashview Community Development Association
    West End Neighborhood Development Association
    Westview Community Organization
    Booker T. Washington Homeowners Association
    John O. Chiles Senior Citizens High-Rise Association
    West End Coalition
    University Homes

The United Way Internship Program

     The official name for the program is the Neighborhood Development Internship Project (N.D.I.P.) and is a collaboration of several academic institutions, the Community Housing Resource Center, neighborhoods and United Way. Its purpose: to support the work of neighborhood groups in low-income areas by encouraging students to become interested in, and involved in, community development.

     The N.D.I.P. recruits, screens, trains, and places students as paid interns with neighborhood groups. The student-interns work on specific projects that build the capacity of neighborhood groups. At Morehouse College, students serving in the N.D.I.P. work with the Community Revitalization Initiative which supports the Neighborhood Organizations within Neighborhood Planning Unit “T”. Students serve as liaisons to the NPU promoting and strengthening linkages while being exposed to learning opportunities that cultivate civic growth and development.

Contact Name/Information
Andre' Bertrand, Director
404.681.2800 ext. 2700
abertran@morehouse.edu

Gwen Cain, Program Manager
  404.681.2800 ext. 3360
gcain@morehouse.edu

Torrey Johnson, Assistant Program Manager
  404.681.2800 ext. 2346
tojohnso@morehouse.edu