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The Social Justice Policy Initiative (SJPI) is a faculty-student collaborative project to engage in policy-oriented and community-based research and advocacy. The SJPI aims to bring sociological and inter-disciplinary research to community-based and advocacy organizations and policy-makers at local, state, national, and global levels. The SJPI is housed in the Sociology Department but also hosts innovative, interdisciplinary collaborations with faculty in Africana Studies, Government, Theatre, and Modern Languages.
Within the Social Justice Policy Initiative, students work with faculty members and external partners, such as community organizations or policymakers, to research pressing social issues and support their programming and policy advocacy. Students and faculty have the opportunity to engage with community organizations, policymakers, schools, and other groups across a wide range of issue-areas, including education, labor markets, housing, immigration, and food justice. The SJPI seeks to break down silos both within and beyond the university to inform pressing social issues.
The SJPI engages students in community and policy-engaged research through four streams:
Be a Research FellowSJPI Research Fellows are selected through a competitive application process in March/April for the following fall semester. Fellows apply to specific research teams and have the opportunity to renew their fellowship in the spring semester depending on project needs and performance. |
Be a Research AffiliateSJPI Research Affiliates can participate in a research team in various ways. Students interested in becoming a Research Affiliate should contact the Project PI to indicate interest. Research Affiliate applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the year depending on project needs. |
Be a Community FellowCommunity Fellowships allow students to support and learn from community-based organizations. Fellows spend 8-10 hours a week working with a non-profit organization. In addition, community fellowships include an academic component as students conduct research on topics related to the non-profit’s mission and goals. Students receive academic credit for community fellowships. Fellows that support our ongoing community partners are chosen through a competitive application process in March/April for the following fall semester. Other fellowships opportunities are advertised as they become available. |
Social Justice Policy Research CoursesThese courses engage students in hands-on research related to one of the research teams. Students gain a range of experiences associated with social justice policy-making, which may include collecting and analyzing data, working with community partners, developing policy papers, and presenting research findings. These courses include:
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Affordable Housing Project
Primary Investigator: [[mlstiman, Meaghan Stiman]]
Summary: Researching how low-income individuals and families make housing choices in a post-public housing era
Aprendiendo Juntos Project: Latine Parents' School Engagement
Primary Investigators: [[jbmend, Jennifer Bickham Mendez]] and [[kbarkoalva, Katherine Barko-Alva]]
Summary: Assessing Latine parents' experiences, priorities, and concerns in Williamsburg-James City County schools.
Community Fellows
Academic Advisor: [[aaquark, Amy Quark]]
Summary: Opportunities to work with community organizations while earning credits.
Eviction Crisis Project
Primary Investigator: [[cehanl, Caroline Hanley]]
Summary: Research to address the eviction crisis in Virginia
Racial and Partisan Gerrymandering Project
Primary Investigator: [[sjsapo, Salvatore Saporito]]
Summary: Building a tool to identify racial and partisan gerrymandering
The Local Black Histories Project
Primary Investigators: [[avgreen, Omiyemi Artisia Green]] and [[aaquark, Amy Quark]]
Summary: The Local Black Histories Project is a community-engaged research partnership involving W&M.
