Community Engagement – Don C. Sawyer III, Ph.D.

Don C. Sawyer Mentoring Youth

	Don is dedicated to using his resources to impact society through a community-centered approach to his research choices.

Grassroots Projects

Reentry Realities

Much of the research related to people impacted by the criminal justice system is quantitative. While this information is essential, numbers do not capture the full story of the people. Reentry Realities focuses on the experiences of men and women reentering society after serving time in prison. These short stories humanize their struggles and triumphs along this journey.

#HipHipHeals

Haiti and the Dominican Republic have a troubled history. However, there are pockets of people who are trying to heal past hurts through community engagement. #HipHopHeals-HDR is a community-based project using hip-hop to unite Haitian and Dominican youth living in the Dominican Republic. The planning started in March 2017, and after a round of crowdfunding, we launched the project in July 2017.

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The Crossroads Collective

The Crossroads Collective is a program I developed using hip-hop culture to (re)engage Black and Latino males with school. As a result of the program, student disciplinary referrals decreased while grades increased for the young men. We hope to write a book and produce a short documentary centered on the lives of the young men in the program..

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As We Emerge

This activism-inspired production is a collaboration with EMERGE New Haven, the QU Theater Program, the QU Department of Cultural and Global Engagement, and The QU Prison Project. EMERGE New Haven is a self-sufficient social enterprise with a dual commitment to helping formerly incarcerated people make a successful return to their families and communities as responsible members and contributing citizens.

Digital Media Projects

Don C. Sawyer Home Images (5)

Work With Don

Dr. Sawyer is available for collaborations

Outside of Dr. Sawyer’s inspired work in public schools and the Dominican Republic, he is actively engaged in creating community-centered partnerships devoted to freedom and justice with social collaborators.