By: Vanessa
I walk into a section of a building that’s been turned into a space with computers, a café, front desk, and mini library expecting one experience and ending it with something different than what I expected. Ten weeks ago I started volunteering for an organization
called the Rosewood Initiative which is located in on the 15th block area around the intersection of 162nd and Burnside. It was started by two cops who arrested the same people repeatedly and felt like they weren’t making a difference in the community so they created a space where residents could go and meet the cops and discuss issues with them. Things didn’t turn out like the cops had hoped. The cops partnered up with a PSU graduate who then took on the task of talking to the people and asking them what they wanted to see happening within the community space and what would actually help them.
Rosewood has become a space that is changing to meet the needs of the community which means that if residents need a place to look for employment the resources are there or if kids need a place to do homework the space is there. The residents are being provided with resources to make their dreams come true, they collaborate together and create music, art, etc. but mostly importantly they can think of what the future looks like for them outside of a neighborhood that’s filled with crime and poverty. The experience has taught me that we have something to learn from people who come from different walks of life even when we think we won’t learn anything.
Learning in Action 