An Inside Look into the Experience of our 2020–21 NLC Menino Fellow, Daniel Daponte

By Claudia Chiappa

Daniel Daponte, the Initiative on Cities’ (IOC) 2020–2021 National League of Cities (NLC) Menino Fellow, is part-way through his second semester of the fellowship, working with the NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education and Families this spring. A junior pursuing a BA in Environmental Analysis and Policy with a minor in Urban Studies, Daniel spoke with us about his fellowship experience thus far.

During the fall 2020 semester, Daniel had the chance to work with IOC Director Graham Wilson on a directed study focused on restorative justice. Daniel compared two community courts, the Red Hook Community Justice Center in New York City and the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court in Chicago, examining their approaches to criminal justice. Daniel said that he initially went into the project looking to compare their methods. However, he ended up comparing their outcomes because of key differences.

While the final paper from his directed study has not been published yet, Daniel shared some of his findings last month. This study was challenging at times, but it prepared Daniel for his role with the NLC. “The directed study research definitely prepared me for the NLC research,” explained Daniel. “I also think the NLC work has really helped me become a better student because it’s helped me improve my research skills.”

His work with the NLC entails different projects, from policy research and technical assistance to compiling resources and case studies analysis.

“It’s already helped me in terms of how to do research,” said Daniel. “I think it will help me in my professional goals because this is the sort of work I would want to be doing in my career, working with cities and helping cities thrive. What I like about the NLC is that it has shown me different avenues of policy.”

Daniel has had the opportunity to explore different areas of city-planning. In his role at the NLC, he has worked with different teams: the education team, the early childhood success team, and the economic mobility team.

With the education team, Daniel has looked at student reengagement during the COVID-19 crisis, exploring what cities have been doing to encourage students to come back to school. “Student reengagement is both about the physical needs of students—so making sure they have shelter and internet connection—but it’s also mental health, making sure these students want to go to school; they feel safe, even if it’s remote,” explained Daniel.

The early childhood success team is trying to expand workforce development for early childhood educators in 13 cities across the country. To help with the project, Daniel has researched possible council members that could support the policies and found agencies that can commit to ensuring the workforce training is implemented in an equitable way. This project in particular stood out to Daniel, as he felt like he learned a lot while completing meaningful work.

“I really enjoyed it because I got to jump down the rabbit hole and learn all about the local politics of 13 cities across the U.S.,” recalled Daniel. “Every city has its own political situation and different approaches with how they do education and especially early childhood education. It was really cool to see how different cities function and also to learn about local politics.”

With the economic mobility team, Daniel has had the opportunity to explore and research case studies of universal basic income, examining how cities all over the country have adopted similar policies.

In addition to Daniel’s valuable technical firsthand experience at the NLC, the position has also helped him network. Meeting people with different experiences and backgrounds has been one of the highlights so far.

“One of my favorite parts about the fellowship has been being able to meet people who have different backgrounds and who do work that I might want to do in the future,” said Daniel. “My direct supervisor, Patrick Hain, has been really good about putting me in touch with people in the NLC who have similar interests as me.”

A lot of the work he was able to do with the NLC reflects many of the aspirations Daniel has for his future career. He plans to work in city planning and community development. He is also interested in environmental policies and sustainability.

“The NLC’s focus on economic development is really insightful for me as I look forward to working with cities or specific communities in cities,” said Daniel.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the fellowship has been entirely remote. While Daniel has missed the office experience, the pandemic has allowed him to explore important ways that the pandemic has affected cities, as well as their needs.

The first priority is economic recovery from the pandemic, both in the short-term and long-term. Remote learning and working from home have proved that many companies don’t need cities in the way we used to think.

“Cities are concerned in the long-term that there might not be the revenue and the interest that has driven them in the past,” explained Daniel. “The next 18 months I think will determine where we’re at, how much cities are able to rebound, and how effectively they are able to rebound economically.”

A lot of Daniel’s research this semester will ultimately be formulated in blog posts and publications by the NLC. He said he is excited to see these publications come to life and reflect all of his work so far.

About a month from the end of his fellowship, Daniel said both the directed study and his role with the NLC have taught him a lot.

“It’s been really interesting to get a glimpse into the different ways cities function and how urban policy happens,” said Daniel. “You can see how everything goes from the federal level, down to the states, and then to the cities. And we are in the front row for that.”