Author: Jes Beals

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VIDEO: Primacy of Place: Whitely Neighborhood

Muncie’s Whitely Community Council is recognized as the most productive and inspiring neighborhood association in Muncie, due in large part to the tireless leadership of Cornelius and Mary Dollison and other committed members of the Whitely neighborhood. Since 1966, the Council has overseen improvement projects in seven strategic areas: safety, education and health, infrastructure, employment and business support, neighborhood pride and event planning, resource development and fundraising, and advertising and public relations. The council meets on the second Monday of every month, with a consistent attendance of 60-70 individuals.

https://vimeo.com/115112737

Muncie’s Primacy of Place Video Series was produced by Ball State Student Media and funded by the Ball Brothers Foundation. The series explores six main ‘pillars’ of quality of life: Parks and Recreation, Neighborhood Development, Farm to Table, Volunteerism, Education, and Philanthropy.

Research and practice shows the single most important element in strengthening local economies is attracting and retaining talented individuals. This requires not only good jobs and schools, but attention to the quality of life in individual communities. Primacy of Place describes a community’s strategic decision to dedicate resources to improving life experiences for residents, businesses and visitors. Read more about Ball State’s Primacy of Place initiative.

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Muncie-based Sociology Immersive Learning Projects – Fall 2015

Associate Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Sociology, Melinda Messineo, led several groups of Ball State students in sociological Immersive Learning projects around the city.  Organizations partnered included the United Way of Muncie and Delaware County, Edible Muncie, and the Muncie Redevelopment Commission.  In these projects, students worked with their community partners to gather information about literacy opportunities in build spaces (United Way) food scarcity and pantry use (Edible Muncie) and residential decision making processes for young professionals (Muncie redevelopment).  The data will be used to inform programs for each of the partners over the next year.

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Ex-Chevy Plant Site will become Neighborhood Asset

A portion of the ex-Chevy property on East 8th St. has been acquired by the Ross Community Center and will become part of a revamped and enlarged youth baseball facility. Funds for the purchase were provided by the Ball Brothers Foundation, which has remained committed to supporting revitalization efforts in the city’s Thomas Park/Avondale neighborhood. More information about the sale can be found in this Star Press article

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CLOSED: Neighborhood I.D.E.A. Conference Call for Proposals

The Muncie Action Plan, Shafer Leadership Academy and Building Better Neighborhoods are partnering together to host a conference to support the development of neighborhood leaders. The Neighborhood I.D.E.A. Conference is scheduled for March 5th on Ball State’s campus. Over 100 of Muncie’s most active local leaders will gather to listen, learn and meet like minded individuals to share ideas and best practices. The theme of the conference is Intentional Development and Education for Association Members.

Sessions will fall within four distinct tracks:

  1. Working with local government
  2. Visioning and Revitalization
  3. Teamwork and Collaboration
  4. Association Development

Do you have an idea you would like to share at the conference or a topic you want to see discussed? We are currently taking submissions. The Call for Proposals can be found here.

For those individuals and organizations who are interested in presenting at this conference, please submit proposals by January 1st. Questions may be directed to Krista Flynn, BSU Office of Community Engagement at kflynn@bsu.edu.