Discovering Diversity Downtown: Questioning Phoenix

Abstract

Applied community learning experiences for university students are promising endeavors in downtown urban environments. Past research is applied to help better comprehend a community engagement initiative conducted in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. The initiative aimed to illuminate the socio-cultural diversity of the downtown area utilizing storytelling methods. The initiative leveraged three broad questions: Where is downtown, what is downtown, and who is downtown? Lessons learned from the initiative, its processes, and outcomes are showcased and reviewed.