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Learning Eustress Options (LEO): A Police Stress Project

This course addresses police stress in one large police department (Muncie Police Department). The course team (students and others) will measure police stress quantitatively (survey), qualitatively (interviews), and provide data-driven recommendations to the department for responding to and addressing stress. The recommendations will come in the form of a report to the Muncie Police Department. Students will be exposed to appropriate research methodologies, readings on police stress, best practices/evidence-based practices, and how to construct a recommendation report. Working with the Muncie Police Department to study police stress is ideal since Muncie has been considered for many decades as the “typical American city” based on the famous Middletown Studies of the 1920s and 1930s.

Faculty Mentor: Bryan D. Byers
Department: Criminal Justice and Criminology
Community Partners: Muncie Indiana Police Department
Students: Austin Anderson, Deja Clardy, Madison Doyle, Austin Feller, Garrett Grzegorzewski, Angel Hill, Sam Manion, Frank Munoz, Nate Parker, Lexy Rodriguez, Alex Stein, Matthew Wischnowski

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Fundraising for Non-profit Organizations

Most non-profit organizations have a wonderful mission but find it a huge challenge to support those missions. Working as a collaborative team, students partnered with local non-profit organizations to identify their financial needs and to come up with different ways of supporting the organizations. The team developed promotional items ranging from brochures and pamphlets to a book of art created by street children in the Philippines as well as promotional t-shirts and stickers. In addition to providing financial support, these products will promote awareness for these organizations. By using local sustainable resources, the organizations can continue to produce these promotional items while supporting the local economy.

Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: René Church
Department: School of Art
Community Partners: Adventist Frontier Mission, Aria’s Army, Audubon Society, Cradle of Love, Delaware County Futbol, GR3, National Association of Mental Illness, Operation Blackout
Students: Kara Barstead, Jared Brinkworth, Elizabeth Burris, Sophie Gordon, Daniel Hudson, Jordan Jimenez, Kami Kleefish, Lindsey Overstreet, Billy Rollings, Amy Tuttle, Tazia Williams

Fall 2017

Faculty Mentor: René Church
Department: School of Art
Community Partners: GR3 International, Berrien Cancer Services, Cor Fortium, Fanconi Anemia, Delaware County Futbol Club, Child Study Center, Your Story Hour
Students: JR Pegg, Leah Gabbard, Jessica Matthews, Duy Tran, Taylor Barrett, Ramsey Stevens, Bethany Gordon, Kaylie McKee, Trenton Shroeder

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Digging in to Muncie’s Local Food System

Spring 2018: Roughly 64 percent of Muncie residents live in food deserts (defined as living more than a mile from a grocery store) and one in four children do not have access to “enough food to lead a healthy, active lifestyle,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Yet Muncie supports a robust and growing network of nonprofits and neighborhoods dedicated to strengthening the local food system through education and outreach. The project started in fall 2017, when an interdisciplinary team of Ball State students sparked conversation with producers, gardeners, and nonprofit leaders to inspire a storytelling movement to reflect obstacles and opportunities in East Central Indiana. This community-focused journalism has taken the form of profiles, info graphics, photos, and videos that inspire empathy, understanding and action. The website, harvestinghopemuncie.com, captures that storytelling alongside resource guides that detail pantries, farmers markets, farms and festivals in the region. A digital cookbook encourages Muncie residents to share cherished traditions and recipes, and children’s voices join in through drawings that depict favorite foods and meals.

Fall 2017: The students in this project produced compelling journalism that captured the stories and issues related to Muncie’s foodsystem. Through a variety of formats and platforms, they shared stories about the people and partnerships working to feed Muncie and explored the circumstances that influence food insecurity and regulation.

Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: Kate Elliott
Department: Journalism
Community Partners: Farmished, Second Harvest East Central Indiana
Students: Justice Amick, Ana Batres, Demarcus Brookins, Patrick Calvert, Rachel Ellis, Carlee Ellison, Kendall Genier, Jonathan Isbill, Maureen Langley, Tessa Lebo, Anastasia Merkel, Jamie Moynihan, Sam Oyler, Katie Porter, Kelli Reutman, Melody Smith, Kaiti Sullivan, Megan Troyer, Angelica Watts

Fall 2017

Faculty Mentor: Kate Elliott
Department: Journalism
Community Partners: Farmished
Students: William Aiken, Evan Brosman, Ian Buchanan, Ashley Cheesman, Emily Cox, Hunter Garrison, Leslie Gartrell, Brady Hanley, Valerie Jones, David Koenn, Brooke Kratzer, Garrett Looker, Kaylie McKee, Emily Sabens, Sabrina Schnetzer, Mariah Thatch

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Creating Community Through Drama: Outreach at Muncie Civic Theatre

Muncie Civic Theatre is one of oldest civic theatres in the state and is located in one of the oldest buildings in the county. The mission of the Muncie Civic Theatre is to “enrich our whole community through theatre performance, education, and outreach.” (www.munciecivic.org) They do this on a very small budget, and an even smaller staff. The goal of this year-long immersive learning project is to help this Muncie jewel improve its outreach efforts, diversity, connection to Ball State University, volunteer program, and overall impact in the community.

Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: Peggy Fisher
Department: Communications Studies
Community Partner: Muncie Civic Theatre
Students: Elizabeth Arnold, Cameron Cole, Hannah Cordes, Candice Gill, Brooke Gronning, Hannah Janowicz, F. Thomas Mian, Gina Strati, Devin Summan, Courtland Wood

Fall 2017

Faculty Mentor: Peggy Fisher
Department: Communication Studies
Community Partners: Muncie Civic Theatre
Students: Elizabeth Arnold, Cameron Cole, Hannah Cordes, Candice Gill, Brooke Gronning, Hannah Janowicz, F. Thomas Mian,
Gina Strati, Courtland Wood