Centering Faith-Based Identities in Collaborative Contexts: Critically Prophetic Action at the Robinson Community Learning Center

This paper examines the working philosophy of a university-community collaborative program--the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC), a multifaceted community service center located in the Northeast Neighborhood of South Bend, Indiana, in the United States. This program's multitude of educational and social services includes individualized academic tutoring programs, violence prevention programs, computer classes, exercise classes, health services, and entrepreneurship classes. The invigoration of the Northeast Neighborhood that has occurred consequent to the RCLC's opening appears to be related to not only the significant financial and human resources garnered by its sponsoring higher education and community partners, but also by the shared philosophy of action that guides its everyday work. This philosophy, which is informed by Catholic social teaching, the African American Prophetic Christian tradition, and critical perspectives on social change, is especially evident in the leadership of the RCLC. This paper, then, describes the RCLC's philosophy of action and situates this philosophy in the broader discussion of higher education-community collaboration and critically prophetic action. The paper has implications for institutions of higher education that are seeking effective ways to engage their surrounding communities.