Document Type
Research Brief
Date
11-1-2025
Keywords
Arts Education, Humanities Infrastructure, Community Engagement, Marginalized Communities, Digital Portfolios, Mentorship, Civic Participation, briefs
Language
Eng
Disciplines
Arts and Humanities
Description/Abstract
Syracuse Futures (SF) is a research initiative aimed at strengthening arts and humanities infrastructures in historically marginalized communities in Syracuse. Led by Syracuse University’s Engaged Humanities Network (EHN), SF partners with local organizations to provide mentorship, enrichment programming, and career support through an adaptive digital portfolio system. The project addresses inequities in arts and civic education, particularly in Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and immigrant communities, by integrating university resources with community-led initiatives. SF programs, including Creative Art Lab, Breedlove Readers, and Photography & Literacy (PAL), foster creative expression, leadership, and literacy. Through coordinated programming, peer mentorship, and digital portfolios, students can document and showcase their growth. The initiative aims to increase participation, strengthen mentorship networks, enhance curriculum tools, and provide scalable, sustainable models for equitable arts education. SF’s research offers insights for policy, community engagement, and innovative educational assessment beyond standardized testing
Recommended Citation
Nordquist, Brice; Royster, Rochelle; Mauldin, Courtney; and Sanguiliano, Amanda Johnson, "Syracuse Futures: Strengthening Arts and Humanities Infrastructures" (2025). The Lender Center for Social Justice. 85.
https://surface.syr.edu/lender/85
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
