At a May 14 community forum in Roseland, Abigail Torres (standing, left), a DePaul master of public health program student and Chicago Gun Violence Research Collaborative graduate student fellow, and Julie Slezak (standing, right), also a CGVRC graduate student fellow, facilitate a group discussion on the data gathered throughout 2022. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Schober)On June 23, DePaul's Chicago Gun Violence Research Collaborative and the local organization Kids Off The Block will partner to clean up an unused commercial space in Roseland. This effort is a first step to developing the space, which is located near the Kids Off the Block headquarters, into a center for youth training in technology, entrepreneurship and the arts.
The DePaul community is invited to participate in the cleanup. Volunteers can participate in the entire day or just a few hours. Clean-up equipment, materials, lunch and water will be provided.
“CGVRC's research identified the importance of local organizations in addressing the root causes of gun violence. We see this project as part of the initial steps for preventing gun violence before it occurs," says Daniel Schober, an assistant professor of public health in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and director of the CGVRC.
Those interested in participating can sign up at this link or email Schober for more information.
Founded in 2016, CGVRC's Graduate Student Fellowship offers a 15-week program that brings together professors and public health professionals to mentor graduate students from Chicago-based universities, across various academic disciplines. The fellowship involves designing and implementing an applied research project to address gun violence. One aim of the fellowship is for participating graduate students to apply what they learn across their professional lives.
DePaul has led the collaborative since 2018. This year, the CGVRC took a “research activism" approach, in which they aimed to elevate younger voices in the research process to promote health equity and create lasting change.
Russell Dorn is a manager of news and integrated content for University Marketing and Communications.