While the course was open to all majors, he designed it with future educators in mind. From class readings and discussions to hands-on activities and community-engaged projects, the students learned how to build their own curriculum with a focus on Black spaces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A foray into teaching<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nOriginally from Philadelphia, Crommarty has experience in higher education and student affairs that stretches from Pennsylvania to Alaska. When he began working as assistant director of Residential Life at UW Bothell in 2023, he didn\u2019t expect to find himself teaching a class \u2014 or at least, not yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/04\/Crommarty-Dion-headshot.jpg\")
Image courtesy of Dion Crommarty.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\u201cI wanted to be in the student affairs and the academic world but at my own pace and in my own way,\u201d he said. \u201cI always wanted to be in both worlds in a way where I can help advocate for students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crommarty is currently completing his doctorate in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education at Washington State University. \u201cIn one of my classes at WSU, I started seeing connections between place-based education and Indigenous space teaching methods,\u201d he said. \u201cIt brought up a lot of questions for me about being in the community and using it to teach you. Visiting museums and other historic locations started opening questions for me in my research about my own identity and about creating Black space.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Crommarty joined UW Bothell, he connected with Dr. Wayne Au, now dean of the School of Educational Studies, who encouraged him to teach a course he had developed for his dissertation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe gave me more confidence to teach and said, \u2018Let\u2019s make it happen.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Black lens on place<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTeaching this course in the greater Seattle area, opportunities abound for examining place through the Black lens, Crommarty said. Students need not look further than the county name \u2014 King County \u2014 for an example of the rich history of Black places in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe looked at the community, the music and the culture as a way for students to realize how sometimes creating a Black space or even changing a namesake can come with pushback,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
King County was originally named for William Rufus de Vane King, the 13th vice president of the U.S. and a slave owner, but an effort began in the 1980s to switch the namesake to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Only after a couple of decades of opposition, Crommarty said, was the change made official in 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with the dispute over King County\u2019s namesake, Crommarty noted, he and the students in class discussed other examples of contested places, such as Israel, Palestine and Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spaces for learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThroughout the course, students had multiple opportunities to engage with the concept of community as place, both with guest speakers invited into the classroom and through service-oriented assignments outside\u202fthe classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlace-based education is using the community to educate,\u201d Crommarty said. \u201cBecause UW Bothell is so community-driven, and we\u2019re a part of this larger, interconnected community, one of the things we talk about in class is reciprocity \u2014 when we are working to give back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To complete the course\u2019s service component, students each did at least 15 hours of volunteer work in a community-based or education-oriented setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clara Hansen, a junior majoring in Educational Studies, was interested in finding an educational setting and volunteered in a first-grade classroom at Woodin Elementary in Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI learned specific tactics for teaching long and short vowels and how teaching styles differ between ages,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cI also learned about how much work goes on behind the scenes of a classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am pleased to say my desire to teach first grade was reaffirmed and even grew after spending time at Woodin working with teachers and kids.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Future educators<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nStudents from all academic disciplines and walks of life can benefit from learning how to think about creating and recognizing Black spaces \u2014 both in education, and beyond, Crommarty said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially an Interdisciplinary Arts major, Hansen came across his course when looking to meet new degree requirements after switching majors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe description focused on Black people and Black space, which immediately piqued my interested as a mixed Black woman wanting to become a teacher,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cOne beautiful thing about this class is that it highlights the good and the beauty of Blackness. It\u2019s extremely refreshing to honor and celebrate Black people by learning about Afrocentricity and the resilient, uplifting histories and \u2018herstories.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hansen added that she\u2019s already applied the concepts from the course in her everyday life by sharing them with her family. She recalls Crommarty\u2019s reminder in class that, \u201cWe all teach in some form, no matter what profession we choose.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would absolutely recommend this class to other students,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cFor Black students and students of color especially because the class material is so empowering, but I also watched students from all different backgrounds get impacted by this class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClasses like these build unity and community across UW Bothell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
\u201cI wanted to be in the student affairs and the academic world but at my own pace and in my own way,\u201d he said. \u201cI always wanted to be in both worlds in a way where I can help advocate for students.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Crommarty is currently completing his doctorate in Cultural Studies and Social Thought in Education at Washington State University. \u201cIn one of my classes at WSU, I started seeing connections between place-based education and Indigenous space teaching methods,\u201d he said. \u201cIt brought up a lot of questions for me about being in the community and using it to teach you. Visiting museums and other historic locations started opening questions for me in my research about my own identity and about creating Black space.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Crommarty joined UW Bothell, he connected with Dr. Wayne Au, now dean of the School of Educational Studies, who encouraged him to teach a course he had developed for his dissertation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHe gave me more confidence to teach and said, \u2018Let\u2019s make it happen.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Black lens on place<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nTeaching this course in the greater Seattle area, opportunities abound for examining place through the Black lens, Crommarty said. Students need not look further than the county name \u2014 King County \u2014 for an example of the rich history of Black places in the region. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe looked at the community, the music and the culture as a way for students to realize how sometimes creating a Black space or even changing a namesake can come with pushback,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
King County was originally named for William Rufus de Vane King, the 13th vice president of the U.S. and a slave owner, but an effort began in the 1980s to switch the namesake to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Only after a couple of decades of opposition, Crommarty said, was the change made official in 2005. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Along with the dispute over King County\u2019s namesake, Crommarty noted, he and the students in class discussed other examples of contested places, such as Israel, Palestine and Ukraine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spaces for learning<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nThroughout the course, students had multiple opportunities to engage with the concept of community as place, both with guest speakers invited into the classroom and through service-oriented assignments outside\u202fthe classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlace-based education is using the community to educate,\u201d Crommarty said. \u201cBecause UW Bothell is so community-driven, and we\u2019re a part of this larger, interconnected community, one of the things we talk about in class is reciprocity \u2014 when we are working to give back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To complete the course\u2019s service component, students each did at least 15 hours of volunteer work in a community-based or education-oriented setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clara Hansen, a junior majoring in Educational Studies, was interested in finding an educational setting and volunteered in a first-grade classroom at Woodin Elementary in Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI learned specific tactics for teaching long and short vowels and how teaching styles differ between ages,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cI also learned about how much work goes on behind the scenes of a classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am pleased to say my desire to teach first grade was reaffirmed and even grew after spending time at Woodin working with teachers and kids.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Future educators<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nStudents from all academic disciplines and walks of life can benefit from learning how to think about creating and recognizing Black spaces \u2014 both in education, and beyond, Crommarty said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Initially an Interdisciplinary Arts major, Hansen came across his course when looking to meet new degree requirements after switching majors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe description focused on Black people and Black space, which immediately piqued my interested as a mixed Black woman wanting to become a teacher,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cOne beautiful thing about this class is that it highlights the good and the beauty of Blackness. It\u2019s extremely refreshing to honor and celebrate Black people by learning about Afrocentricity and the resilient, uplifting histories and \u2018herstories.\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hansen added that she\u2019s already applied the concepts from the course in her everyday life by sharing them with her family. She recalls Crommarty\u2019s reminder in class that, \u201cWe all teach in some form, no matter what profession we choose.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI would absolutely recommend this class to other students,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cFor Black students and students of color especially because the class material is so empowering, but I also watched students from all different backgrounds get impacted by this class. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cClasses like these build unity and community across UW Bothell.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n
\n
Throughout the course, students had multiple opportunities to engage with the concept of community as place, both with guest speakers invited into the classroom and through service-oriented assignments outside\u202fthe classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlace-based education is using the community to educate,\u201d Crommarty said. \u201cBecause UW Bothell is so community-driven, and we\u2019re a part of this larger, interconnected community, one of the things we talk about in class is reciprocity \u2014 when we are working to give back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
To complete the course\u2019s service component, students each did at least 15 hours of volunteer work in a community-based or education-oriented setting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clara Hansen, a junior majoring in Educational Studies, was interested in finding an educational setting and volunteered in a first-grade classroom at Woodin Elementary in Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI learned specific tactics for teaching long and short vowels and how teaching styles differ between ages,\u201d Hansen said. \u201cI also learned about how much work goes on behind the scenes of a classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am pleased to say my desire to teach first grade was reaffirmed and even grew after spending time at Woodin working with teachers and kids.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n