By Christopher Miller

The 2018 Gender Violence Project is taking Sociology 332 students to an extremely vital community resource in the downtown Dayton area. This resource is called the Artemis Domestic Violence Center. The Artemis Center provides support and information for victims of domestic violence and their children. This visit is part of the Experiential Learning project this class is conducting this semester. Dr. Jamie Small, a UD Assistant Professor is leading these students on their learning journey. Small has engaged in research regarding human rights, sexual violence, masculinity studies, and much more.

This visit to the Artemis Center was a part of this semester-long community engagement project. These students are learning about intimate partner violence through integrated coursework with the Artemis Center; dialogues with Executive Director Jane Keefer and Wendy Stiver; and the creation of mini-documentary films. Sociology 332 is utilizing its Experiential Learning Fund For Faculty (ELIFF) grant. This is a grant that is given once a semester to any faculty member who wants to merge their classroom activities with an experiential learning journey into the community. This class culminates in a group project where students collaborate with a community partner to design a project or event that uses the grant funds to help the Dayton area in an effective way. A visit to the Artemis Center proved to be a powerful experience for the SOC 332 students involved.

“What surprised me the most was how many helpful resources inside the center they had, for such a diverse group of people, all ages, different disabilities and language barriers,” junior Katie Smith said.

Students learned the importance of community resources during their visit.

"Organizations like the Artemis center not only give women the resources to improve their lives, but it also acknowledges that they are people who need to be helped and loved, not blamed and questioned,” junior Ruthey Schultz said.

Experiential learning can forward thinking in a multitude of ways, and in this case it has surely instilled a sense of community within those who participated.  

For more informatoin on how to get involved in community-engaged learning at UD visit the Fitz Center For Leadership In Community website, or contact Dr. Castelle Sweet or Karen Velasquez.