A Powerful Experience

Civil Rights
WMEP

For High School Students and Staff

Research Experience

A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by

another gives rise to an action for injury. Examples of civil rights are freedom of speech,
press, and assembly; the right to vote; freedom from involuntary servitude; and the right
to equality in public places. Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual
are denied or interfered with because of their membership in a particular group or class.
Various jurisdictions have enacted statutes to prevent discrimination based on a persons
race, sex, religion, age, previous condition of servitude, physical limitation, national origin,
and in some instances sexual orientation.

law.cornell.edu

The Robbinsdale Area Schools and WMEP Civil Rights Research Experience (CRRE) is a powerful opportunity for students and staff to impact the way history and ethnic studies are taught in the region. Created
in collaboration with Robbinsdale Area Schools and community members, the experience deepens the
understanding of history a history told through multiple perspectives and its impact on the present
day. CRRE empowers communities to make change for the future, thus positively impacting a students
understanding of self, purpose, history and engagement in learning.
CRRE uses Participatory Action Research (PAR) within four different strands to collaborate, research,
educate and act to bring about change. PAR places people, who are most affected or concerned about an
issue, in the lead to collect, produce and use knowledge. Once informed, participants share the knowledge
with the broader community. PAR is driven by participants who have a stake in the issue, democratic
in nature and collaborative at every stage. It involves discussion, pooling skills and working together
to ultimately bring about some action, change or improvement on a selected issue. (Pain, Whitman and
Milledge, 2010)

An Equity-Focused Collaborative for Student Success

(Engagement, Achievement, and College/Career Readiness)
and Educator Growth (Professional Development, Equity Leadership, and Regional Action)

Connecting high school students and staff across our member districts, CRRE is broken into the following
strands: African American, Native, Latino and Freedom Riders. Each strand contains three learning stages
that challenge students and staff to utilize and apply theoretical concepts such as white supremacy, power, oppression, capitalism, racism, social movements, student activism, integration, racial equity, service
learning and political power to future coursework and lived experiences.
1. Civil Rights Research Institute: Theory - Preparation sessions provide background knowledge of early civil rights through the contemporary day. Students and staff research and examine historical and
current events through multiple perspectives, making room for voices typically missing in classrooms.
2. Civil Rights Research Tour - Through experiential learning, students and staff continue their research
through visits to historical sites and museums, participation in a mobile classroom, interviews of past
and present civil rights activists and participation in experiences. Students create resources for classrooms through documentary and microcontent work.
3. Civil Rights Research Institute: Action - Students and staff write curriculum and craft instructional
resources to impact elementary, middle and high school classrooms. Students hone presentation and
communication skills as they present to a number of groups including administration, school board
members, educators and community members.
Although the tour stage involves a small, relatively speaking, group of students and staff, the benefit
touches the whole community as they share their experience and learning, craft curriculum and give way
to multiple perspectives gained through the cross district experience. Most importantly, students use
their research skills to help redefine how Civil Rights will be taught and learned in the future, ultimately
leading to increased student engagement, achievement and career/college readiness through the following:

Engagement

Leadership development
Social awareness
Relationships with peers and adults
Collaborative arts creation
Students as leaders of change
Students as data sources
Formalized role in decision making
Involvement in a community

Academic Skill Development

Research and reflective writing skills

Link theoretical frameworks and movements (Critical Race Theory, capitalism, activism, etc.) to everyday experiences
Data analysis and scientific measurement
Knowledge acquisition
Presentation and communication skills
Depth of Knowledge Levels: recall, skill/concept, strategic thinking and extended thinking

College/Career Readiness

Post secondary norms and culture

College mentorship
Help-seeking
Self efficacy institutional context
College tours, institutional choice, program exploration, etc.
Goal setting
Self awareness

Civil Rights
WMEP

Research Experience

Experience Details
Selection

While we wish we could take all students, this initiative is designed to work with a small group of researchers to gather data and experiences to benefit the entire community. Participants must submit the application included in this packet and participate in oral interviews conducted by the CRRE planning team,
consisting of administrators and educators from several west metro school districts. Interviews of applicants will be scheduled by each site. Applicants will be notified by your districts tour representative, a staff
member going on the trip. Selected students and their parents/guardians must attend an informational
meeting on February 4th at a to be determined location.

Important & Mandatory Dates (Locations will be announced at a later date)

Mandatory Information Night (Parents/Guardians and Students): Wednesday, December 16, 5:30 pm
Civil Rights Research Institute: Theory Saturdays (9 am-noon), February 20th-March 19
Civil Rights Research Institute: Action - Thursdays (4-6 pm) & Saturdays (9-11 am),
April 14, 16, 21, 23 & 28

Refundable Participation Fee Due Date: Friday, January 8

CRRE Tour Dates: March 24-April 3
WMEP School Board Presentation: Wednesday, (5:30 pm), May 11

(WMEP Professional Learning Center 4825 Olson Memorial Highway, Golden Valley, MN 55422)

Movie Premiere: Tentatively, Wednesday, June 1 or Thursday, June 2

Expenses

Hotel, Transportation, Tours & Tickets Covered

Work Supplies Covered
Breakfast Covered (Hotel continental)
Dinner Covered
Lunch Student/Family ($10 or less per day @ 9 days $90)
Souvenir/Gift Shop (Optional) Student Cover
Student Trip Fee Student/Family ($100, refunded upon credit completion)
See contract for more detailed information. If you have questions, contact
your district representative or email the WMEP student programs lead at
anthony_galloway@wmep.k12.mn.us.

Civil Rights
WMEP

Research Experience

Four Strand Details

African American Strand Available to Black students interested in studying cooperative economics,
civil rights and community. Tour dates based on spring break weeks: March 24-April 3.
Possible Tour Sites:
Ujima, Cooperative Economics (East Coast)
Chicago
Ohio
Michigan
Washington, DC
Philadelphia
Baltimore
Boston

Uhuru, Civil Rights and Community (South)

Atlanta
Memphis
New Orleans
Selma
Birmingham
Tuskegee
St. Louis

Native Strand Available to Native/American American students interested in the history and lived

experiences of Native Americans in the midwest. Tour dates based on spring break weeks: March 21-25
and March 28-April 1.
Themes and travel sites to be determined by community groups
Possible Tour Sites
Fort Snelling
Mankato
Lower Sioux Indian Community
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Bemidji
Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

Movimiento Open to students interested in experiences and movement(s) of people across the Americas over time and defining who we are through OUR eyes. Tour dates based on spring break weeks: March
21-25 and March 28-April 1. Tour Sites: Colorado, California or Texas

Freedom Riders in Minnesota Designed to reflect the multiracial group of students and community

members who organized in support of civil rights movements. Tour dates based on the spring break week
of April 4-8.
Possible Tour Sites
Rondo
Mankato
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Northern Minnesota

Application Process
1. Letter of Interest

Please attach a formal letter of interest, answering the following questions:

Why do you want to participate in the CRRE?
Why should we choose you to represent the region?
What do you hope to gain by going?
How will you bring back what you have learned and experienced to better your educational community?
Follow this format for the letter of interest:
Name
School/Grade
Email
Phone
Date
Dear CRRE Planning Team,
Answer the above questions in paragraph form.
Sincerely,

Applicant Signature
Applicant First and Last Name
Member School District

2. Recommendations

Submit two teacher or community recommendations using the CRRE recommendation forms.

3. Interviews

Upon meeting qualifications, students will interview with representatives from individual school districts
and CRRE Planning Team members.

The WMEP Civil Rights Research Experience strands have been

modeled after and developed in collaboration with
Robbinsdale Area Schools and their Kenneth Turner Civil Rights Research Tour.

Civil Rights
WMEP

Research Experience

CRRE Participation Contract

This contract establishes that if selected, __________________________________________________ must:
student name
1. Attend all meetings (pre and post trip), presentations, and movie premiere.
2. Respond to ALL emails related CRRE within 24 hours.
3. Fully contribute to all meetings, presentations, and movie premiere.
4. Follow class syllabus.
5. Parent(s)/guardian(s) must attend the Information Meeting.
6. A $100 fee is due the first day of CRRE class.
7. Adhere to all school rules policies and procedures as spelled out member district/school student
handbook. If there is an infraction of the school policy/expectation(s), a student may be sent home
prematurely at the expense of the family.
8. Students who do not attend the trip, but have paid their fee, will have their $100 refunded.
Failure to adhere to all requirements of this contract will result in relinquishment of the $100 and loss of
course credits (if applicable) from member districts.
Parent/Guardian Name (please print)_______________________________________________________________________
Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Phone_____________________________________________ Alternative Phone______________________________________
Email_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

My signature below indicates I agree to adhere/submit to the terms of this contract.
Student Signature __________________________________________________________________ Date ________________
Parent/Guardian Signature__________________________________________________________ Date _________________

The WMEP Civil Rights Research Experience strands have been

modeled after and developed in collaboration with
Robbinsdale Area Schools and their Kenneth Turner Civil Rights Research Tour.

Civil Rights
WMEP

Research Experience