Final Project Description

Students in the class will work with a non-profit Brazilian-American organization that was set up in Framingham to create a Brazilian political presence in the Boston region. They will work with the organization's leadership to identify the most pressing issues the non-profit currently faces. Then, they will develop and execute a project in the Brazilian immigrant community.

Final project proposals are due by Session 8 and should include a one-page description of the project and one page of sources (which may include a list of interviews). Final projects should be in draft form  by Session 11 so students can get input on their work before it is due in the final session.

Issues Identified:

1. Framingham is about to undertake a major redevelopment project in its downtown. The project area is located in a building currently occupied by a number of small Brazilian-owned businesses. The business-owners, however, have been largely uninvolved in the approvals process, and many remain uninformed about the project details. The non-profit needs help figuring out how to make sure that the needs of the Brazilian community will be met.

2. The organization is an important support system for the Brazilian community, but it lacks the resources it needs to expand the scope of its work. It needs students to e valuate what are the organization's internal development needs and research resources the non-profit can use to increase its organizational capacity.