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Penn State's Antiracist Development Institute outlines community‑engagement approach to guide Carlisle project
Summary
Towanda Stalworth of Penn State Dickinson Law's Antiracist Development Institute briefed council on ADI's design‑thinking approach—acknowledgement, critical pedagogy, and action—and said ADI will facilitate community engagement to inform long‑term use of the warehouse and related programming.
Towanda Stalworth, program manager for the Antiracist Development Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law, briefed Carlisle Borough Council on ADI's partnership with the borough and university partners and described ADI's three‑pillar approach to institutional antiracism: acknowledgement, critical pedagogy and action. She said ADI will apply design‑thinking and community engagement methods to help define neighborhood priorities and programming for a proposed community center.
"Acknowledgement just means that we acknowledge a thing," Stalworth said, explaining that acknowledgement does not require agreement but is the first step in collecting facts, history and context. She said ADI has worked with multiple Penn State campuses and local partners and is prepared to facilitate staff planning and community workshops to ensure diverse local input.
Councilors said they welcome ADI's facilitation role and emphasized that ADI is not intended to be the warehouse operator but a facilitator to ensure the borough hears neighborhood input before finalizing use agreements. Staff confirmed an internal ADI‑facilitated planning session is scheduled for June 1 with a larger community session to follow.
