Empowerment and Capacity-Building: It’s About ‘Us’ | Teresa Strausz, MSOD, LMSW

Empowerment and Capacity-Building are words and phrases I hear (and use) in my work almost daily. I often hear these terms used to describe something that is given or provided as if they were commodities that can be wrapped up like a gift and handed out to those in need of them. Those of us in the business of empowerment and capacity-building feel good about this version of the story. We are helping. We are making lives, communities, and organizations better.

February 20, a group of dedicated Wichita State University students and Wichita State VISTA Fellows attended the inaugural WSU Civic Leadership & Service Summit co-sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement and the Center for Community Support and Research. After a couple of hours of panel discussions and workshops about civic engagement and service learning, participants selected one of two sites in which to engage in service. One of the sites, Rainbows United, Inc. provided an opportunity for volunteers to engage with youth with different abilities to make paper chains. The activity was to not only provide the youth with opportunities to engage in a fun activity with the visitors, but also for the volunteers to learn first-hand what it is like for persons with different abilities to be involved in such activities meaningfully.

What a lesson. The tender moment at which this youth and volunteer connected to mutually help each other. That is empowerment. Both gave and received a gift. Empowerment is less about what we do and more about what we do with those with whom we are working. The end result? Beautiful!