{"id":168,"date":"2025-05-28T16:24:29","date_gmt":"2025-05-28T20:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/?page_id=168"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:15:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T19:15:37","slug":"mellon-grant","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/mellon-grant\/","title":{"rendered":"Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-umflint-templates umflint-template-default_no_jumbotron\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-371\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www-s3.umflint.edu\/wp\/blogs.dir\/61\/files\/2025\/03\/Blue.UCEN_.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\"\/><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\" style=\"background-color:#FFF\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-c531517a1a1844e56c6e7b3971cc14af\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);font-size:clamp(31.152px, 1.947rem + ((1vw - 3.2px) * 1.863), 55px);font-style:normal;font-weight:600;text-transform:uppercase\"><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-secondary-color\">Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative<\/mark><\/h1>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-row row\">\n\t\n\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-3\">\n\t\t\t\n<button class=\"btn btn-section w-100 px-0 wp-menu-block-toggle mobile-nav-toggle d-none\" data-target=\"wp-menu-block-side-menu\">\n          <span class=\"h-100 mr-3 mt-1 d-block mobile-nav-icon\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"mb-1 transition bg-dark d-block mobile-nav-icon-line\"><\/span>\n\t\t  <\/span>\n          Institute for Society and Technology<\/button><nav id=\"wp-menu-block-side-menu\" class=\"wp-menu-block sidebar-nav wp-block-umflint-menu-block\"><div class=\"nav-sidebar-title-container\">\n                <div class=\"nav-sidebar-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\">Institute for Society and Technology<\/a><\/div>\n                <a class=\"nav-sidebar-title-close\" href=\"#\" data-target=\"side-menu\" aria-label=\"Close\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n                    <svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"100%\" height=\"50\" fill=\"currentColor\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <title>close<\/title><path d=\"M19,6.41L17.59,5L12,10.59L6.41,5L5,6.41L10.59,12L5,17.59L6.41,19L12,13.41L17.59,19L19,17.59L13.41,12L19,6.41Z\" \/>\n                    <\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n            <\/div><ul id=\"menu-side-menu\" class=\"menu nav nav-sidebar flex-column\"><li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-32\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-32 nav-item\"><a title=\"Leadership\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/committee\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Leadership<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-106\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-106 nav-item\"><a title=\"Affiliated Faculty\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/faculty\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Affiliated Faculty<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-139\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-139 nav-item\"><a title=\"Recent Events\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/recent-events\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Recent Events<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-64\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-64 nav-item\"><a title=\"Research and Data Collection\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/research-and-data-collection\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Research and Data Collection<\/a><\/li>\n<li itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/www.schema.org\/SiteNavigationElement\" id=\"menu-item-203\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-post_type menu-item-object-page menu-item-203 nav-item\"><a title=\"Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/mellon-grant\/\" class=\"nav-link\">Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul><\/nav>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"col-12 col-md-9\">\n\t\t\t\n<nav aria-label=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb mb-3\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"\/\">Home<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\">Institute for Society and Technology<\/a><\/li><li class=\"breadcrumb-item active\" aria-current=\"page\">Mellon Cracks in the Pavement Initiative<\/li><\/ol><\/nav>\n\n\n<p>Affiliated with the Institute for Society and Technology and led by IST directors Jacob Lederman and Kimberly Saks, the Mellon Grant Cracks in the Pavement Initiative investigates the everyday forms of democratic civic and political life that characterize the Flint community and region. The initiative draws on the expertise of IST-affiliated faculty to explore the social consequences of technological change and grassroots democratic practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The IST leadership received a grant from the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.umflint.edu\/2025\/01\/27\/um-flint-receives-495k-mellon-grant-to-explore-cracks-in-the-pavement\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mellon Foundation for its three-year research<\/a>&nbsp;and community engagement project, Cracks in the Pavement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-a89b3969 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-secondary-color has-primary-background-color has-text-color has-background has-link-color has-text-align-center wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/case\/research\/mellon-cracks-pavement\/\">Check out the work we&#8217;re doing in Cracks in the Pavement<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3b2836dcc3940fc9f3e53caa814eb7f8\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">About the Grant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cracks in the Pavement initiative is supported by a $495,000 grant from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mellon.org\/\">Mellon Foundation<\/a>, awarded to UM-Flint\u2019s <a href=\"http:\/\/umflint.edu\/case\/\">College of Arts, Sciences &amp; Education<\/a>. This interdisciplinary project seeks to examine how Flint residents are actively reimagining democratic participation beyond traditional forms of governance and electoral politics.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover\" style=\"min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-primary-background-color has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-secondary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-ce191e4e198b51e1add36f3439b7f7bf\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Goals &amp; Activities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Community Symposium Fall <\/strong><span style=\"margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>2025<\/strong>: Launch<\/span> event featuring local and national speakers discussing innovative forms of democratic engagement.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Curriculum Development<\/strong>: Beginning in 2026, new UM-Flint courses on <em>\u201c<\/em>Cultures of Democracy<em>\u201d<\/em> will provide immersive, community-based learning for students.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Faculty Workshops<\/strong>: Faculty will design learning modules that rethink public engagement, civic identity and democratic space.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Student Engagement<\/strong>: Undergraduate students will partner with UM-Flint&#8217;s Urban Institute to apply humanities-based research methods in local communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Community Arts Festival<\/strong>: The Dancing in the Streets festival, launched initially under UM-Flint\u2019s previous Mellon grant, will return in fall 2026 and 2027. It will celebrate public art, dance and local activism.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover is-light\" style=\"min-height:50px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-white-background-color has-background-dim-100 has-background-dim\"><\/span><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-cover-is-layout-346627ba wp-block-cover-is-layout-constrained\"><div class=\"wp-bootstrap-blocks-container container mb-2\">\n\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-6874e39b8ace39988175d7648c36bdac\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Research Focus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"mb-2\">This initiative aims to document:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unconventional democratic practices in Flint\u2019s neighborhoods.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partnerships with local organizations and grassroots community groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The often-overlooked resilience and innovation within Flint\u2019s civic culture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-secondary-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-secondary-background-color has-background\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-primary-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8ec812604dc2985d0040bb02fe9f4045\" style=\"margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--40)\">Past Mellon Grant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>UM-Flint\u2019s first Mellon Foundation grant in 2020, Borders and Crossings, funded immersive student experiences like a road trip tracing the Great Migration\u2019s impact on Flint. That groundwork expands through Cracks in the Pavement, advancing UM-Flint\u2019s commitment to community-driven scholarship.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> [&#8230;]<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"btn btn-secondary understrap-read-more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/mellon-grant\/\">Read More&#8230;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-168","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/168\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":245,"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/168\/revisions\/245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.umflint.edu\/ist\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}