Community Action-Based Field Work: Training Counselors to Become Social Agents in Schools and Communities

The requirement to complete field work hours as “action based pedagogy” allowed candidates in a school counseling program to broaden their cultural perceptions of diverse groups by engaging in action research projects of their own choosing, led by their interest in and commitment to becoming familiar with diverse populations of K-12 students. This assignment allowed candidates to immerse themselves in culturally rich schools as researchers to understand better the experiences of diverse students. In the planning and implementation of these projects, the school counseling trainees deconstructed cultural barriers, changed their perceptions and preconceived stereotypical notions about diverse groups and gained social advocacy skills for use in their work as professional counselors supporting the academic and aspirational growth of minority students. Candidates also became familiar with multicultural literature and resources available concerning diverse populations.