Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Ben Fisher discusses his recently published research that looked at 32 evaluations of school-based police programs. The study found that police in schools weren’t shown to diminish school violence, crime or the presence of weapons or drugs, and having police in schools led to more suspensions.
Civil Society & Community Studies
Giving back on Giving Tuesday (Channel 3000; Mary Beth Collins)
Mary Beth Collins, executive director of the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies, is interviewed about the roots of Giving Tuesday, research showing the benefits of generosity, and the forecast for charitable giving this holiday season.
In ‘host homes,’ volunteers provide safe homes for LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness (Youth Today; VanMeeter)
Mallory VanMeeter, a PhD Human Ecology student in Civil Society & Community Research, is quoted about the formalization of host homes for LGBTQ+ youth at risk of homelessness, many of which are provided by queer adults.
In the news: Human ecologists share insights to improve public understanding of key issues
At the core of Human Ecology’s work is improving the quality of life of all people. In 2023, faculty and graduate students published research findings that are enhancing our understanding of key societal issues, from …
A year in pictures: Human Ecology in 2023
Story by Maddie Kranz x’24, a UW–Madison student studying Community & Nonprofit Leadership and Art History. So much to celebrate! Human Ecology kicked off 2023 with two of our majors landing on the list of …
Americans divided over policing in schools (ABC News Live; Fisher)
Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Ben Fisher explains his research that found that putting law enforcement in schools doesn’t seem to make students safer, and in many cases, may result in more negative outcomes, especially for Black and brown students.
Madison schools want to transform food programs (The Cap Times; Gaddis, Kerr and Human Ecology graduate students)
Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Jennifer Gaddis discusses how she, Human Development & Family Studies Assistant Professor Margaret Kerr and Human Ecology graduate students are working with the Madison Metropolitan School District to better understand emotions around school food and the choice to participate or not in school food programs.
American Indians Need Equal Access to Homeownership (Bloomberg and The Washington Post; Keeler)
Assistant Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Kasey Keeler writes that while the prevalence of land acknowledgment statements has expanded rapidly in recent years, this type of recognition rings hollow as Indigenous people in the U.S. face a homeownership crisis. Indigenous people have had inequitable access to homeownership throughout U.S. history, Keeler says.
Jennifer Gaddis is a passionate advocate for school lunch (Madison Magazine; Gaddis and Kerr)
Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Jennifer Gaddis is profiled about her research on school lunch and her advocacy for healthier, more equitable school lunches for all. The story mentions Assistant Professor of Human Development & Family Studies Margaret Kerr, whom Gaddis is currently working with to study how parents of elementary students feel about school meals.
More school districts are bringing back or adding police. Experts say it may not help (USA Today, AOL News and MSN; Fisher)
Associate Professor of Civil Society & Community Studies Ben Fisher discusses evidence that shows school resource officers don’t deter gun violence, and that when school shootings do happen, shootings in schools with police tend to be more deadly than those without police. Fisher also says that SROs’ claim of “relationship building” in schools isn’t necessarily beneficial to students.