Community Paper

INSTRUCTIONS

For this assignment, you will conduct a holistic assessment of a specific local community, which is Rockville, Maryland 20851. As part of the assessment, you will collect data from a wide variety of sources, including interviews, local media sources, online databases (such as the US Census, homeless counts, Kids Count, etc.), peer reviewed sources, and internet-based sources.

Each student will submit an 10 to 12 page Community Paper written in narrative form amd submitted via the assignment tool in MyClasses. Papers should be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins and use 12-point font. Papers should also adhere to APA formatting guidelines for in-text citations, references, titlepage, and headings. (100 points)

Papers must cover each of the dimensions outlined below. You will use a variety of sources to address the dimensions below, including online databases, local media, interviews with local representatives, visits to local historical societies, websites, books, and journal articles.

1. Define boundaries of the community (Provides a clear description of the community. Articulates clear boundaries that delineate who is in and who is not the community.) : Who is in the community and who is not in the community? How is this determined?
2. History of community: When was the community founded and by whom? If the community is geographic: What Indigenous peoples occupied the land prior to European settlement? How were major US milestones reflected in the communitys history, (e.g. wars, economic depressions, industrialization)? Identify the impact of any unique historical occurrences (fire, flood, passage of laws, etc.) on the community.
3. Physical Environment: Describe the geographical features of the community, including mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, bay, ocean, etc. How do these features affect the community? Describe major features of the built environment and how these features affect health, well-being, and the economy of the community. Within the community, what green space is available to residents? How does the presence or lack of presence of green space or other natural features impact community health and well-being? How is the community impacted by climate change? Identify any environmental pollutants that have or could have a direct effect on community members.
4. Demographics of the Community: How many people reside within the community? What is the ethnic and racial composition of the community? Is there any data on the age and gender distribution within the community? If so, what does the data reflect?
5. Social Stratification: Identify the average annual incomes within the community as well as the number of residents living in poverty. How is poverty and wealth distributed within the community in terms of age, race, ethnicity, and gender? What do these data points say about the stratification within the social structure of the community?
6. Three Social Institutions: Choose three of the social institutions listed below on which to focus. Describe each of your chosen three social institutions, using the questions following each institution as prompts. For each social institution, you should highlight the presence of disparities or injustice.

• Government: How is the local community governed? What decision-making bodies govern the community? How do the governing bodies reflect the racial and ethnic make-up of the community?
• Economy: What are the major industries and employers within the community? What type of employment is typically afforded through these industries/employers? What is the unemReligionployment rate within your community? Identify the retail stores available to the public. How many groceries stores are there and where are they located? What other forms of retail are available for residents? Are there neighborhoods that lack easy access to these stores? Are their populations that lack access to culturally appropriate foods, goods, and or services? Discuss these deficits.
• Culture: what cultures are reflected within the community and how are they reflected? What cultural-based activities, associations, organizations are present within the community? What cultural traditions are celebrated within the community? Are there ethnic or racial groups present in the demographic analysis, whose cultural traditions are not as visible in the community as others?
• Education: What is the structure of public education within the community? Attending to state rankings, test scores, class size, and graduation rates, what is the quality of that education? How do private institutions of education influence education of the community? What role if any do institutions of higher education play within the community?
• Healthcare: Examine the health of the community, including mental and behavioral health. What health issues are prominent within the community? Who is most effected by these issues? How many hospitals are there within the community? How available are health services to meet the health issues of the community?
• Religion: What data is available on the religious affiliations of community members? What faiths are represented within the community? What faith-based organizations are prominent within the community and what faith traditions are not as visible? How does the presence or lack of presence of faith-based organizations affect community members?
• Media: What are sources of local media are available within the community? How are community needs and interests reflected within regional media sources? How do members learn about the social issues, governmental concerns, recreational opportunities, cultural experiences, or environmental issues within their community?

1. Conclusion: Provide a summary of your key findings from this assessment. Highlight needs within the community, ensuring to provide the evidence for said needs. Discuss how these needs affect the community as whole, as well as any disproportionate effects on specific segments of the community. Highlight the communitys assets and discuss how these assets are or could be used to promote community health and well-being. This conclusion should be no longer than a page in length.
2. References and Interview Details (Used a variety of sources that adequately informed the assessment. Included information on at least three interviews conducted for the assessment at the end of the paper.): Please include a reference page at the end of your paper that is in APA format. You should also include a list of the interviews that were conducted for the paper. This list should include the name of the person interviewed, and the date on which the interview occurred.

I interviewed 3 people

1. Nathan L.

Pros:

Central location, can get to Rockville stores in 10 minutes, with access to DC in about 30 min. 2 minutes from Rock Creek Village shopping center: grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants and gas stations.

There are pathed walking trails with access to rock creek park and Needwood lake.

People are very friendly, let me know if my garage door is left open, have neighborhood events like potlucks and holiday cookie exchange. They wave and say hi, and were very welcoming when I first arrived. We let each other bower things like tools, power washers, etc. Lots of young families and middle aged adults. Many neighbors have stayed long term and some have been there since it opened 25 years ago. There are many dogs and cats in our neighborhood

Home owners association is well run and the fees are not high. Keeps the neighborhood clean and uniform. The neighborhood is very clean. We have private trash and snow removal. Trash is picked up twice a week and leaf pickups in the fall. Grass is also cut. Snow is removed very quickly

The neighborhood is very diverse with people from all backgrounds and nationalities.

The house is very nice, has a two car garage, 2,200 sq ft, lots of natural light, big windows, deck, and newly remodeled.

Cons:

Close to Rockville high school, traffic can get bad around open and close. You can hear Rockville band practice when they play in the parking lot of Rockville high school. Close to old Baltimore road which can be loud and congested.

We dont have a mailbox at our house. Have to go to a cluster box

The school district we are located in is not good. Over 50 % of students at the elementary school for our district are on meal assistance programs.

Far from the highway, takes about 12 minutes to get to the highway, which can make trips longer.

Someone broke into a neighbors car about a year ago, but besides that it has felt very safe.

There arent ample parking spots when people come over to visit, but there are parking lots nearby: Rockville high school, Francis Asbury Church.

A lot of the houses in the community need new roofs, but most are in the process of being repaired.

2.Morgan K.

How long have you lived in this neighborhood?

1 year

What do you like most about living here?

sense of welcoming community, safety, diversity

What challenges do you think the community faces?

high levels of traffic

Do you feel this neighborhood is safe and welcoming?

yes

Have you noticed any changes in the area over time?

no, due to recent move in

Do you think residents have good access to schools, stores, and healthcare?

yes to schools and stores, unknown for healthcare access.

Do you feel people here are connected to one another?

on my street yes, unknown for rest if community

If you could improve one thing about this community, what would it be?

community events or access to knowledge of events.

3.Connor S.

I live on Fletcher Place near Ashleigh Woods Court and have been here about two years while Im in school. Its quiet, safe, and surrounded by trees, which I like. Rock Creek Trail is close by, so thats a nice spot to walk.

Ive noticed there are a lot of families here, and the area feels pretty diverse, which I appreciate. It seems like people have average, stable incomes not super wealthy, but not struggling either. The homes and apartments look well maintained, and everything feels taken care of.

That said, its not really an area for students. Its more family-oriented and honestly kind of boring if youre looking for student life. I dont drive, and the buses dont come often, so I usually end up taking Uber, which gets expensive. Traffic during school hours is also annoying when Rockville High lets out.

Overall, its peaceful and stable, just not ideal if you want a more active student vibe.