Master in Community Development (MCD) Capstone Projects | Carsey School of Public Policy

Master in Community Development (MCD) Capstone Projects | Carsey School of Public Policy
Master in Community Development (MCD) Capstone Projects
Students in the
Master in Community Development program
complete a four-term Capstone project as the culmination of their graduate work. The Capstone is designed to provide them with an opportunity to directly apply theories learned in the classroom to a major applied project within their communities. Students take a series of project courses over four semesters in design, implementation, management and monitoring/evaluation while carrying out their community project. This provides an ideal learning experience for our students while also benefiting a community.
Past MCD Capstone Projects
Women Refugees and Immigrants From Africa Face a Difficult Path to Employment, Manchester, New Hampshire
Kioni Ngoy
Immigrant women and refugees from Africa living in Manchester, New Hampshire, face a difficult path to employment. Working with two strategic partners, International Institute of New England and the City of Manchester, my project seeks to facilitate their integration into the workforce and increase their independence so they can make real progress in their lives.
Building Operations in Microlending Organizations, Uganda
Drew Obston
Micro-lenders in Uganda have extremely inefficient operations: large amounts of time are spent traveling to borrowers; applications take a long time to be reviewed; funds are distributed very slowly; and there is minimal effective interaction between borrowers and the lending organization. My project focused on using different technological tools to improve operations in financially inclusive organizations in order to provide better service to borrowers, lower interest rates on loans, and reach a greater volume of borrowers in a more timely manner.
Why Women Underutilized Material & Child Health Care
Catherine Wambui Wanjiru '16
This project looks into why women in the village are under-utilizing maternal related services from clinics and hospitals. Although Ewaso Ngiro community carries a diverse group of tribes, majority are from the Maasai tribe. The Maasai tribe live a nomadic life. Although they are regarded as one of the only nomadic indigenous groups that have not fully been impacted by western culture, it seems that the western culture is emerging into their culture. Elders are working their hardest to keep their communities from being westernized. Which includes utilizing formal maternal and child health care services, traditional medicine is still highly practiced within the tribe. Expected outcomes include long-term, intermediate and short-term goals that follow; pregnant women and new mothers will be more knowledgeable on maternal and child health care, improving their health and safety as well as of their infants, improve awareness on services provided and their availability.
Addressing the Potential Health Impacts of Open Defecation
Jowie Guevarra '18
My project addresses the potential health impacts that open defecation has on the rural and urban poor communities in the Bicol Region of the Philippines by increasing awareness, increasing access to loans for families to construct safe toilet facilities, and training on the use and maintenance of toilets. Open defecation is linked to the deterioration of potable water quality which can cause diarrhea in children and adults. The project’s long-term outcome is to decrease diarrhea incidents among children and adults in the Bicol Region by improving the quality of potable water in this region through the increased construction and use of safe toilet facilities.
Dolores Women’s Cacao Project
Robin Husslage '12
The women cacao farmers living in the remote Mayan village of Dolores, Belize, are unable to access the organic cacao market in Punta Gorda with improved commodity prices in order to increase their incomes above subsistence levels. This project is designed to sustainably increase the incomes of 49 women cacao farmers, allowing them to provide for their family’s healthcare and education needs by providing the training, support, and tools required for increasing the quantity and quality of their processed cacao beans. This includes new facilities (nursery, fermentation, and drying), quality control/tracking procedures, and the safe storage and transportation of beans to access premium Fair Trade pricing.
The Reentry Women's Initiative: Bridging Civic Education with Food Justice
Lee Domeika '17
In Baltimore, Maryland, incarceration rates are ever increasing, with approximately $300 million dollars alone spent each year on incarcerating Baltimore individuals. The painful reality is that 40.5% of individuals released from jail or prison will recidivate within 3 years due to lack of support, poor policy, and weak services. Reentry service options for individuals coming home, especially women, are extremely limited. Out For Justice's Reentry Women's Initiative (RWI) seeks to create a reentry women-focused program that combines core tools for civic engagement with food justice and food growing. It is our hope that this project will inspire women to be more active with local politics, as well as provide tools for when policy fails to support the reentry community.
Carsey School of Public Policy
Academic Programs
Show
Academic Programs submenu
Masters Programs
Show
Masters Programs submenu
Master in Community Development MA (Online)
Show
Master in Community Development MA (Online) submenu
Carsey Stories: Local Community Development
Carsey Stories: From Ukraine to Durham
Carsey Stories: Community Capstone Project
Carsey Stories: Expanding Horizons
Carsey Stories: A Degree for Working Professionals
Carsey Stories: Careers in Nonprofit Management
Carsey Stories: Different Perspectives
Master of Global Conflict and Human Security (Online)
Master of Public Administration MPA (Online)
Show
Master of Public Administration MPA (Online) submenu
Carsey Stories: A Flexible Degree Program
Carsey Stories: A Calling to Civic Leadership
Carsey Stories: Earning Your Degree Your Way
Carsey Stories: Leveraging Education for a Late-Career Move
Carsey Stories: Serving Others Through Affordable Housing
Carsey Stories: Building Skills
Master in Public Policy MPP
Show
Master in Public Policy MPP submenu
Carsey Stories: It's All Worth It!
Carsey Stories: Communicating Policy
Carsey Stories: Say "Yes!" to Opportunity
Carsey Stories: Sustainable Solutions
Carsey Stories: Just Do It!
Carsey Stories: Representing
Carsey Stories: Intern Working Against Internment in Washington, D.C.
Carsey Stories: Dreams Fulfilled
Master in Public Policy and Juris Doctor Dual Degree MPP/JD
Executive Masters
Accelerated Masters
Dual Degrees
Graduate Certificates
Continuing Education
Changemaker Collaborative
Student Experience
Show
Student Experience submenu
Summer Engagement Lab
Carsey Fellowships
Show
Carsey Fellowships submenu
The Judge William W. Treat Fellowship
Governor John G. Winant Fellowship
Master in Public Policy Fellowships
Nordblom Fellowship
S. Melvin Rines Fellowship (MCD Students)
Discover the Carsey Community: Students, Alumni & Faculty
Show
Discover the Carsey Community: Students, Alumni & Faculty submenu
Meet Our Alumni
Meet Our Students
Meet Our Faculty
Washington, D.C., Colloquium
Show
Washington, D.C., Colloquium submenu
2023 Washington, D.C., Colloquium Highlights
Master in Community Development Capstone Projects
Master of Public Administration Capstone Projects
Recorded Information Sessions
Upcoming Information Sessions
Admissions
Show
Admissions submenu
Application Checklist: How to Apply
Paying For School
Show
Paying For School submenu
Scholarships
Show
Scholarships submenu
The City Year Scholarship
Community Opportunity Alliance Scholarship
Coverdell Fellow Scholarship
First Responders Scholarship
Grow America Scholarship
Inclusiv Scholarship
LISC Employee Scholarship
NALCAB Scholarship
NeighborWorks Scholarship
New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits Scholarship
New Hampshire Municipal Association (NHMA) Scholarship
North American Family Institute (NAFI) Scholarship
OFN Employee Scholarship
Segal AmeriCorps Match Scholarship
Semester in the City Scholarship
The Washington Center Scholarship
Schedule a Campus Visit
Research & Centers
Show
Research & Centers submenu
Centers
Show
Centers submenu
Center for Impact Finance
Center for Demography
Center for Social Policy in Practice
New Hampshire Listens
Concentrations & Tools
Show
Concentrations & Tools submenu
Community, Environment, and Climate Change
Show
Community, Environment, and Climate Change submenu
School Funding Study
New Hampshire
Show
New Hampshire submenu
Tracking Changes in the North Country
2020 New Hampshire Civic Health Index
What is New Hampshire?
Research Webinars
Publications
News & Events
Show
News & Events submenu
Carsey Policy Hour
About
Show
About submenu
Annual Reviews
Carsey Blog
Carsey Newsletters
Communications
Show
Communications submenu
Newsletters
Social Media
For the Media
Giving to Carsey
People
Show
People submenu
Faculty
Fellows
Past Carsey Fellows
Staff
Writing for Carsey
Academics
Show
Academics submenu
Explore Degree Programs
Areas of Study
Show
Areas of Study submenu
Certificate Programs
Continuing Education
Professional Development & Training
Colleges & Schools
Show
Colleges & Schools submenu
Carsey School of Public Policy
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
College of Health and Human Services
Colege of Liberal Arts
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
Show
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture submenu
UNH Extension
College of Professional Studies
Franklin Pierce School of Law
School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering
Online
Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics
Experiential Learning
Show
Experiential Learning submenu
Study Abroad
Honors Opportunities
Outcomes & Value
Admissions & Aid
Show
Admissions & Aid submenu
Access & Affordability
Show
Access & Affordability submenu
Financial Aid
Apply
Show
Apply submenu
Apply Undergraduate Programs
Apply Graduate Programs
Apply Law Programs
Plan a Visit
Admitted Students
International Students
Parents & Family
Life at UNH
Show
Life at UNH submenu
Explore Campuses
Show
Explore Campuses submenu
Durham Campus
Athletics & Recreation
Show
Athletics & Recreation submenu
Campus Recreation
Show
Campus Recreation submenu
Intramural Sports
Outdoor Recreation
Recreational Sport Clubs
Campus Safety
Dining
Show
Dining submenu
Dining Options & Meal Plans
Getting Involved
Housing
Health & Well-Being
Military and Veteran Services
Research
Show
Research submenu
Centers & Institutes
Sustainability
About UNH
Show
About UNH submenu
Facts & Figures
Alumni & Friends
NH Impact
UNH Faculty & Staff Resources
UNH Leadership
Wildcat athletics
My UNH portal
UNH Today
Give