Building the Blocks of Kalamazoo through Asset Based Community Development
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Authors
Smith, Olivia
Issue Date
2023-02-09
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
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Abstract
As a Kalamazoo native, I have seen that resources for education, the neighborhood, and the built environment have the potential to alter community aspirations and the social determinants of health. I have participated intensively in a robust community change initiative called Building Blocks of Kalamazoo. In this Senior Integrated Project, I draw upon my experiences as a summer intern with Building Blocks and combine them with a literature review from Kim Cummings, the founder of Building Blocks. I will explore how a neighborhood intervention organization, Building Blocks of Kalamazoo, may influence public and community health on a small scale (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). I use the Dahlgren-Whitehead model to explain how Building Blocks uses Asset Based Community Development approaches (Kretzmann & McKnight, 1993) to address modifiable social determinants of health. The promotion of the agency of community members to strengthen social networks and enhance built environments in the neighborhood street block level, therefore, improving the community of Kalamazoo.
Description
iv, 46p.
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License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder. All rights reserved.