Motivation to Teach Social Action:
I am most interested in the Indiana '25 Institute because of its focus on empowering students to take ownership of their learning and create meaningful change. In Student Media, I already see how students grow when they use their voices to inform and engage the community. This institute will provide new tools to help them connect their media work to real campaigns for action, deepening both their learning and their impact.
Attending with Valerie Stein also creates an immediate opportunity to co-teach a ChangeLab course, where we can put what we learn into practice and guide students through the full process of identifying issues, building strategies, and implementing change. Together, we can model collaborative teaching while equipping students with the skills to lead and make a difference.
Course Description:
This ChangeLab course provides students with the opportunity to research a pressing social issue, develop strategies for action, and launch a campaign designed to produce meaningful change. Students will collaborate with faculty mentors and community partners to identify challenges, analyze structures of power, and plan solutions. The course emphasizes active learning, civic responsibility, and interdisciplinary collaboration, preparing students to be engaged citizens and leaders.
Drawing from the Indiana '25 Institute on Teaching Social Action, students will follow a structured process: issue identification, strategy development, campaign launch, and reflection. The course culminates in student-led projects that create tangible community impact.
Integration into Student Media
In addition to the ChangeLab, I will integrate social action pedagogy into Student Media, where I serve as Instructor and Advisor. Student Media already trains students in journalism, photography, podcasting, video, and multimedia production. Building on lessons from the Indiana '25 Institute, I will scaffold opportunities for students to move beyond reporting into social action storytelling.
Through investigative journalism, documentary work, and digital campaigns, Student Media students will be guided to connect their creative projects to campaigns for change. For example, media pieces on food insecurity, housing access, or equity in education will not only inform but also serve as tools for mobilization and community engagement. In this way, Student Media will continue to be a platform for student empowerment and civic impact, directly aligning with UE's mission of "active learning and scholarship."
Taught By:
Tommy Housman
Instructor of Communications | Student Media Advisor
Communications
University of Evansville
Read profile here.