A Spring 2015 immersive learning class worked with Muncie youth to write memoir and nonfiction pieces that were recently produced into an anthology. “Stomping Ground” will debut at a book release at Maring-Hunt library on May 28th from 5:00 – 6:00 pm. For more information about this exciting partnership, please read the article published by the Ball State Daily News.
Assessing Business Success and Stability in Distressed Neighborhoods – Summer 2015
Habitat for Humanity has begun a process of Neighborhood Revitalization in its service area. Focusing on the South Central and Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhoods, changing the look and feel of a critical mass of the residences in the target area can achieve significant impact. One element that has been ignored in many programs to date is the businesses that are located within these target neighborhoods. The main goal of this project is to survey the businesses in the target revitalization area to determine the characteristics of the neighborhood that are impacting businesses both positively and negatively.
Students will work directly with community leaders to design a survey instrument, conduct in-person interviews and create a report highlighting the perceived needs of surveyed businesses.
- Students, working in a team, will be responsible for project planning, including establishing timelines, and setting goals.
- Interns will use communication strategies for interacting with target businesses and other community partners.
- Students will develop and administer a survey instrument. Surveys will be administered using a personal interview process.
- Students will enter data and use tools for analyzing data including creating a database and perform basic statistical analyses.
- Students will prepare a professional report for presentation to Habitat board of directors, staff and community partners.
Energy Planning – Summer 2015
The South Central/Thomas Park-Avondale Energy Plan is a project being developed by residents of South Central/Thomas Park-Avondale and Vectren along with Ball State University graduate students from the Department of Urban Planning. The basis of this project is to create an energy plan for a selected region of the South Central and Thomas Park-Avondale neighborhoods in Muncie, Indiana.
Please visit the plan’s website for more information about the project and the student’s assessment and recommendations.
Class Flier (pdf)
Riverside/Normal City Neighborhood Survey – Spring 2015
Melinda Messineo (Ball State University) in partnership with the Riverside/Normal City Neighborhood Association will work with a group of BSU Sociology capstone students during spring 2015 to create and administer a Neighborhood Survey. These capstone students will work with the association to survey the neighborhood in an effort to:
- Help residents describe the benefits of living in the neighborhood (to assist with branding and campaigns)
- Identify goals that the neighborhood has for the next 3 years
- Identify the perceived boundaries of the neighborhood areas to help with getting people together
- Identify untapped participants and resources.
The neighborhood association hopes to learn how to successfully leverage the strengths of the neighborhood and increase shared identity among diverse pockets of the neighborhood. The students will kick-off their efforts at the January 28th meeting of the Riverside/Normal City neighborhood association to begin designing this project.
January 28, 2015 – To help design the survey, the students conducted a brainstorming conversation with active members on Wednesday night. Resident’s were asked to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the neighborhood. Also, discussed at the meeting were opportunities for the neighborhood in the next three years and whether there are any risks or “threats” that we need to be considered.
April 21, 2015 – The students presented the final results of the Riverside/Normal City survey at the monthly Neighborhood Presidents Council meeting. The final report includes the survey results as well as the student’s interpretation of the resident responses.
Schools within the Context of Community at South View Elementary – Spring 2015
Photo credit: Pastor Andy Phipps
Schools within the Context of Community is an immersive learning adventure integrating social studies, science, and language arts, with a practicum experience.
This immersive semester takes place on the south side of Muncie, within the community surrounding South View Elementary School. South View serves students coming from a community in which families have been dramatically impacted by the closing of the factories. Ninety-one percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch and their families deal with the daily impact of living in poverty in America. In order to become impactful teachers, responsive to the needs of all their students, pre-service teachers need opportunities to develop relationships of respect and understanding within the community in which they teach. Ball State students in this immersive learning journey will participate in carefully planned events in the community, along with poverty awareness events, in order to learn more about what life for students and their families might be like when living near or below the poverty line in America. While learning about the impact of poverty in the lives of those with whom they interact, students will identify a specific community need in which they will develop a plan to address in collaboration with community members.
During this immersive experience, the Ball State students will learn about children and their families by participating in community events, such as planning a Family Night that will focus on science integrated with literacy. As part of the literacy night, participating students get to choose a book to read and take home. This year we will be reading and sending science trade books appropriate to students’ reading levels home.
The students will also be working with Ross Community Center, Inc. to provide after school literacy instruction for struggling readers using iPads.
Because of the partnership established between South View, Ross Center, and Ball State, the BSU students will have the chance to develop leadership skills as they focus on high quality education for all.
February 13, 2015 – The Schools within the Context of Community students, their professor, and graduate student attended a day-long field trip visiting agencies that serve the Muncie community. The day began with a stop at the YWCA of Muncie and an inspirational tour of the East Charles St. facility given by Niki Fitzgerald, Residential Director.
Students and Faculty next stopped at the Boys & Girls Club to learn more about the programs offered to the city’s youth. Executive Director, Micah Maxwell, inspired the immersive learning students to speak up and be prepared to present about their own program.
Bob Ball introduced the students to Inside Out and the many services it provides to help feed the city’s hungry. The students were eager to learn about the organization’s food pantry, community kitchen and after-school food program.
The next stop took the class to Bridges Community Services where Executive Director, Susie Kemp, gave a brief history of the organization and the Muncie population that it serves. The students were able to visit one of the housing facilities owned and operated by Bridges for a first-hand look at homelessness.
The day’s tour ended at the historic Shaffer Chapel museum where the Schools within the Context of Community students were able to learn more about the city’s African American heritage. Eva Zygmunt, Associate Professor in the Department of Elementary Education, shared the history of the museum and the documents that it houses.
Thank you to all those who participated in this event. The students were very excited to learn first-hand from the organizations that provide food, housing, and education to our Muncie community.
Southside Neighborhood Survey – Spring 2015
The Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2 is working to energize and mobilize the neighborhood associations of Muncie. There is a need to better understand how the various neighborhoods conceptualize their boundaries and define their unique identities in order to best meet resident’s needs and increase engagement.
Melinda Messineo (Ball State University) in partnership with Building Better Neighborhoods and the Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2 (TF2), will work with 12 Sociology capstone students during spring 2015 to create and administer a Southside Neighborhood Survey.
The project will begin in January with meetings between the students, Task Force 2 and other stakeholders, including representatives from the City’s Community Development Department, Mayor’s office and other elected officials. The survey will be created, reviewed and then administered in early March. A presentation of the final project is scheduled to take place at the Neighborhood President’s Council meeting at Maring-Hunt libary, April 21st from 6:00-7:00 pm. All are welcome to attend.
January 22, 2015 – Melinda Messineo and the BSU Sociology students met with representatives from City government, elected officials and long-time residents of the neighborhood to discuss the history and culture of Southside. The students will consider this information as they prepare their final survey document.
April 21, 2015 – The results of the survey were presented to the community partner at the April Neighborhood President’s Council meeting. Only 44 respondents participated in this initial round of surveying. The students will continue to collect survey results throughout the summer to gather more input from the residents.