The Kiphart Challenge: Migration Services in Chicago

By Crown Family School

News Type
Crown Family School News

The "Kiphart Challenge", held on November 21, 2024 at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice and sponsored by the Susan and Richard Kiphart Center for Global Health and Social Development, brought together students, researchers, and community partners to address critical migration issues.

An ongoing humanitarian crisis in South America has led to mass migration, primarily Venezuelans, to the United States' southern border. Since August 31, 2022, the City of Chicago has received over 51,000 migrants seeking asylum. 

As city officials and social service providers rushed to coordinate basic amenities such as shelter and clothing, community-based organizations, schools, and churches collaborated to assist the city’s newest arrivals. Over the past two years, advocates and researchers have developed various programming and policy initiatives to support the migrants’ resettlement process. 

At the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, Instructional Associate Professor Jessica Darrow, PhD, and PhD graduate student Chinasa Imo led the Kiphart Challenge Experiential Learning Course to equip students with the skills to work effectively with local community organizations. 

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Two women sitting at a table applaud
(Left to Right) Chinasa Imo, a graduate student in the PhD program and Instructional Associate Professor Jessica Darrow, PhD applaud student presenter during the Kiphart Challenge event in the Edith Abbott Hall Library.

“The goal of the Kiphart Challenge course was to provide students and partners in community-based organizations serving migrants in Chicago an opportunity to collaborate and develop a new policy or program proposal that met an organizational need,” Darrow said. 

Through partnerships with Southside Together, Southwest Organizing Project, and Multicultural Arts High School, students in the course created resources to address critical gaps in services for migrants in Chicago. 

“The students had to establish relationships with their partner organizations and rely on those connections throughout the process,” said Imo. Some organizations had well-established operations, while others were more multifaceted, creating a situation where students had to navigate different priorities, Imo said. 

Three groups of students were tasked with bridging these gaps, often involving navigating language barriers, understanding cultural norms, and ensuring effective communication between migrants and service providers. At the same time, they had to address urgent needs such as housing, legal assistance, education, and mental health services. 

“Some of the most important skills students practiced in this experiential learning course were how to work through ambiguity, how to build trust, define common goals with diverse groups, and manage conflicts in healthy ways,” Darrow said. 

 

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Student group makes presentation with one student holding microphone
A student group presents their findings during the Kiphart Challenge event. 

The solution-based resources students developed included: 

  • A resource mapping tool to connect migrants with vital resources and services in their new community. This tool eased their transition and helped ensure access to necessary support. 

  • Welcome guides for high school students, designed to help them acclimate to their new school environment. The guides provided essential information about school layouts, daily schedules, and local resources, helping students feel more comfortable and confident. 

  • A story bank showcasing the vital role of the organization’s ambassadors. By sharing personal stories, the story bank highlighted how ambassadors served as guides for new migrants, fostering a sense of belonging and support. 

Overall, the experience allowed students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world challenges while providing essential support in real-time to community organizations crucial in helping migrants build new lives in Chicago.

 

Kiphart Challenge students and community-based organizations' partnership groups:  

Multicultural Arts High School 
Keke Mangampa: UChicago undergraduate exchange student 
Sophie Pilarski: UChicago undergraduate student, Global Studies Major 
Anusha Somani: Crown Family School student 
Harrison Stallaert: UChicago undergraduate student, Social Work Minor 
Tammy Trejo: Crown Family School student 

Southside Together 
Elizabeth Davisson: Crown Family School student, Kiphart Scholar  
Shoshana Holt-Auslander: Crown Family School student, Kiphart Scholar  
Benny Nicholson: Master in Arts Program Social Services student
Melissiane Makela Ndongala: UChicago undergraduate exchange student  
Elahveyini Veemharaj: Crown Family School student 

Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP)
Polly Cheng: Crown Family School student, Kiphart Scholar  
Jadyn Ehrenberg: Crown Family School student 
Abby Kodidek: UChicago undergraduate student, Public Policy Major 
Esmeralda Martinez: UChicago undergraduate student, Political Science Major 
Jessica Nash: Crown Family School student 
Emily Plummer: Crown Family School student, Kiphart Scholar