IDCE Students Profiles
Quinton Sankofa (CDP '09)
Quinton Sankofa (CDP '09) believes that IDCE's integration of national and international development perspectives makes him a well-rounded planner, able to effect social change
in any region of the world.
1. Please describe your present professional position? Please include the URL of your organization.
I am the programs director of Mandela MarketPlace, a nonprofit organization based in West Oakland with a mission to provide civic engagement, economic, and entrepreneurial opportunity to low-income residents and minority farmers.
www.mandelamarketplace.org
We are also on Facebook and Twitter: mandelamarket
2. What do you find satisfying about your position?
The opportunity to serve a community that is much like the neighborhood I grew up in. I also really enjoy speaking to residents about issues around food access and economic justice and how our organization is working to make positive changes in the lives of our people.
3. How did the CDP program at Clark University help to prepare you for the real world?
The CDP program was great because it helped give me both a theoretical grounding in concepts like participatory action research and also practical skills like grantwriting and nonprofit management. Mark Tigan, Laurie Ross, Dodi Swope, and Miriam Chion were all right!!!! I use the knowledge I gained on a daily basis.
4. Why should prospective students enroll in the CDP program at Clark University?
If you are new to the field of community development and planning then IDCE will give you a great foundation and introduction to the field. If you already have experience in community development and planning then IDCE provides a wonderful opportunity for a student to broaden their understanding of local development but in an international context.
5. Did you have an internship as part of your Clark education? If so, how did it help to connect you to your current career?
I had the privilege of working with Laurie Ross on Weed and Seed. As a research assistant I walked the Piedmont/Main South Neighborhood speaking with residents about their opinion of the PROS and CONS of the neighborhood and what they thought should be done to address their needs.
As the Programs Director at Mandela MarketPlace I continue that work every day as I am planning for our various programs and services. That experience reinforced my commitment to active listening, engaging with and believing in poor people, and their self-determination.
6. What was the topic of your research while at Clark University?
“The Social Tensions Between African and African Americans living in Worcester”
7. Is there anything else you would like to add?
Check out our social media (website, twitter, and facebook) and if you like what you see and believe in the work we are doing, consider making a donation.
I see the task of changing the world as a complex, global challenge. The most pressing
issues are often multifaceted and not easy to solve. Having the ability to weave both domestic and international perspectives on community development and planning makes Quinton stand out among most city planners.