‘Let Other People Impact You’.

In fall 2017, the Activist Lab piloted Activist Bucks, now called Impact Grants, a micro-grant program funded by Santander Bank to support student-led projects that create real-world change through action. In total, 11 inspiring projects were completed through the program, supporting more than 30 student participants and covering a wide range of public health topics.

One such project was designed and implemented by students Mackenzie Bullard (SPH’19) and Weronika Grabowska (SPH ‘19). Both avid readers and wanting to do a project with the population around SPH, Bullard and Grabowska started a reading program at the Engagement Center run by the Boston Public Health Commission. With plenty of donuts on the table, the reading group met every Sunday over the summer, and read and discussed diverse works ranging from New York Times columns and Robert Frost poems to sci-fi short stories and excerpts from popular novels.

Through this project, Bullard and Grabowska wanted to create a space for people experiencing homelessness and struggling with substance use to come together and share their stories. “It didn’t matter where they came from or why they showed up that day,” says Grabowska. “We were all there together, reading the same piece and wanting to hear what people thought about it … or didn’t think about it. It was all about making sure everyone in the room was on the same, even playing field.”

Bullard and Grabowska shared more about their Activist Bucks project and how it has impacted their experience at SPH.

What was your goal with this project?

Bullard: One day, we had a new guy come to the group, but he was really hesitant to be there because he was having a pretty rough day. By the end of the session, he came up and gave us both a hug and said, “Thank you both so much. This changed my whole day.” It was obvious that he got some release out of the session because he got to share his points of view on things that were totally different than what he was focused on, so it balanced out the dissonance in his mind. It was really neat. And that was what we did this whole project for, I think. We wanted to engage with people and not necessarily do something for them, but rather do something with them.

What did a typical day of your reading group look like?

Bullard: We never really knew how the day was going to go. We really just rolled the dice.

Grabowska: It was really dependent on the people who chose to come over. Some days we would have 10 people, and we would have robust conversations about the text. Other days the people who showed up just wanted to share their personal stories with us. We wouldn’t read much on those days. We just spent time talking with everyone that was there.

How have your experiences with this program changed your own perspectives on life and public health work, in general?

Grabowska: The biggest lesson for me was to realize how important humbleness is, and how sometimes when you are in situations like this you really become aware of your own preconceptions and the stereotypes that you hold about people. However, you have to acknowledge them, recognize where they come from, and put them aside to focus on being there and really hearing what people are saying. Don’t try to make a comment, don’t try to be the smart one, don’t try to end the conversation, just listen. Embrace being vulnerable and uncomfortable in all of it and let other people impact you. I think this was one of those experiences where I was really learning how to see people in human beings—even though sometimes it was really tough. For the first time, I realized how easy it is in public health to be patronizing.

Bullard: I think the one thing that I learned about other people’s situations is that I do not know anything. When you become raw to an experience, and you become very uncomfortable, you have one of two options: you either retreat back and don’t do anything or you change. And that is when growth happens. I think my one takeaway from this is meeting people where they are if you want to help them and not being scared to let them know that it is okay to be there instead of telling them where they should be. Often, as academics, we feel the need to say what people need, but we don’t listen. We hear them, but we don’t listen to them.

How did the Activist Bucks program impact your experience at SPH?

Bullard: It was the most impactful experience I have had here. There is nothing in a textbook or in a classroom that you can learn here or anywhere else that teaches you what these individuals have lived every single day. We have to ask ourselves: how did these people get here, and how do we prevent that from happening? I think there are a lot of ways to answer these questions, and I hope this was one of them.

Grabowska: I completely agree. This experience was definitely more motivating than any classroom experience I have had here.

—Mallory Bersi

The next round of Activist Bucks applications is open through February 2019.