Spring 2019 Ball State Immersive Learning Projects

Ball State faculty, students, and community partners worked together this spring on a number of immersive learning projects in and around Muncie.

Bringing in and Branching out: Recruiting Employees and Building Community Connections (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Peggy Fisher, Department of Communication Studies
Community Partner:  Open Door Health Services

The Children Facing Challenges Literature Project
Faculty Mentor:  Carolyn Hitchens, Department of Elementary Education
Community Partner:  Wes Del Elementary

Cultural Identities and Community Engagement
Faculty Mentor:  Ruby Cain, Department of Educational Studies
Community Partners: Human Library Fort Wayne, Muncie Public Library, Purdue University Fort Wayne, It is Well With My Soul, Whitely Community Council, Industry Neighborhood, Fort Wayne Urban League

DANCE! Muncie After School (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Melanie Swihart, Department of Theatre and Dance
Community Partner:  Muncie Community Schools

Developing Healthy Neighborhoods
Faculty Mentor: Jane Ellery, Department of Kinesiology
Community Partner:  Building Better Neighborhoods

Energy Assessment for Small Commercial Buildings in Muncie
Faculty Mentor:  Sherif Attallah, Department of Construction Management
Community Partner:  Muncie Chamber of Commerce

Healthy Moms, Healthy Communities:  Understanding Perceptions and Evaluating Maternal Opiod Treatment in Muncie
Faculty Mentor:  Caitlyn Leonardson-Placek, Department of Anthropology
Community Partner:  Suzanne Gresham Center

Immersive Learning Video Project (Second Harvest Food Bank)
Faculty Mentor:  Tim Pollard, Department of Telecommunications; Suzanne Plesha, Office of Immersive Learning
Community Partner:  Second Harvest Food Bank

Making Housing Advocates with the 8-12 Coalition
Faculty Mentor:  John West, Department of Urban Planning
Community Partner:  Building Better Neighborhoods, Habitat for Humanity

Muncie Neighborhood Visual Identity Design (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Shantanu Suman, School of Art
Community Partners:  Building Better Neighborhoods, Muncie Action Plan

Partnering with the Whitely Community to Establish an Understanding of Community and Police Interactions
Faculty Mentor:  Kiesha Warren-Gordon, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Community Partners:  The Facing Project, Whitely Community Council

Philosophy for High School Students (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Sarah Vitale, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Community Partner:  Muncie Central High School

Purple Cow: Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary Care for Children (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Stacey Allred, Department of Elementary Education
Community Partner:  Kidz Korner Child Care Center

Second Harvest School Pantries Study
Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo, Department of Sociology
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank

Serious Game Design with Minnetrista (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Paul Gestwicki, Department of Computer Science
Community Partner:  Minnetrista Cultural Center

Tips and Tactics on Prevention of Human Trafficking
Faculty Mentor:  Ronald Dolon, Department of Social Work
Community Partner:  A Better Way

Unmasked: Recovery and Redemption
Faculty Mentor: Juli Metzger, Department of Journalism
Community Partner: Ball Brothers Foundation

Summer & Fall 2018 Ball State Immersive Learning Projects

Ball State faculty, students, and community partners worked together this summer and fall on a number of immersive learning projects in and around Muncie.

Book Arts Collaborative 2018-19
Faculty Mentor:  Rai Peterson, Department of English
Community Partner:  Tribune Community Showprint Posters

Bringing in and Branching out: Recruiting Employees and Building Community Connections
Faculty Mentor:  Peggy Fisher, Department of Communication Studies
Community Partner:  Open Door Health Services

The Brownfields to Brightfields Project Phase II:  Analysis of Solar Potentials for Brownfields in East Central Indiana (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Sanglim Yoo, Department of Urban Planning
Community Partner:  Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter

Computer Science for Middle Schoolers (CS4MS ongoing) 
Faculty Mentor:  Dave Largent, Department of Computer Science
Community Partners:  Northside Middle School, Daleville Junior/Senior High School and Burris Laboratory School

Finding Voices: Mentorship in Forensics and Argumentation
Faculty Mentor:  Dallis Pike, Department of Communication Studies
Community Partner:  Muncie Central High School

#keepmuncieweirdandwhimsical
Faculty Mentor:  Darolyn Jones, Department of English
Community Partner:  Muncie residents

Let’s Build (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Jennifer Warrner, Department of Construction Management & Interior Design
Community Partner:  Longfellow Elementary School

Muncie Action Plan 3 (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor: Lisa Dunaway, Department of Urban Planning
Community Partner: Muncie Action Plan

Maplewood Mansion Learning Lab (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor: Carla Earhart, Department of Management
Community Partner: Maplewood Mansion Learning Lab, Ball Brothers Foundation, IU School of Medicine-Muncie

Muncie Arts and Culture Council Video Project 
Faculty Mentors:  Suzanne Plesha, Office of Immersive Learning; Tim Pollard, Department of Telecommunications
Community Partner:  Muncie Arts and Culture Council

Old West End Action Plan
Faculty Mentor: Lisa Dunaway, Department of Urban Planning
Community Partners: Old West End Neighborhood Association, Friends Memorial Church

Preliminary Study of Lead (Pb) in Muncie (PSLM) (ongoing)
Faculty Mentors:  Carolyn Dowling, Department of Geological Sciences and Jessi Haeft, Department of Natural Resources Environmental Management
Community Partners:  United Way of Delaware County, Muncie Action Plan

Purple Cow: Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary Care for Children (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor:  Stacey Allred, Department of Elementary Education
Community Partner:  Kidz Korner Child Care Center

Reading the Wor(l)d Critical Literacy and Culturally Responsive Classroom Libraries
Faculty Mentors:  Kristin Cipolione and Susan Tancock, Department of Elementary Education
Community Partners:  Whitely Community Council, Longfellow Elementary School

Rehabilitating Houses (ongoing)
Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick, Department of Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity

Scenery in Space
Faculty Mentors:  Mickie Marie & Kerry Chipman, Department of Theatre and Dance
Community Partner:  Muncie Civic Theatre

School Safety, Data-Driven Evidence-Based Findings, and Recommendations
Faculty Mentor:  Bryan Byers, Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Community Partners:  Muncie Community Schools, Burris Laboratory School

Serious Game Design with Minnetrista
Faculty Mentor:  Paul Gestwicki, Department of Computer Science
Community Partner:  Minnetrista Cultural Center

Sustainable Food Production: Integrating Collaboration within the Community

This project’s goal was to promote collaboration with local organizations, including Ball State University and the local community. To achieve this, the students created an ongoing directory of contact information to bring all organizations and participating individuals together. Making information clear and accessible will help foster more effective communication. Moving forward the goal is to facilitate the integration of food resources for the local community for many years to come.


Faculty Mentor: Gerald Waite
Department: Center for Peace and Conflict Studies
Community Partner: Muncie Food Hub
Students: Tony Brandon, Liz Digennaro, Jessi Lynn, Megan Stenftenagel, Amy Whitehead

Spring 2018 Ball State Immersive Learning Projects

Ball State faculty, students, and community partners worked together this spring on a number of immersive learning projects in and around Muncie.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware County
Community Partner:  Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware County
Faculty Mentor:  Suzanne Plesha, Office of Immersive Learning; Tim Pollard, Department of Telecommunications

Creating Community Through Drama: Outreach at Muncie Civic Theatre (ongoing)
Community Partner: Muncie Civic Theatre
Faculty Mentor: Peggy Fisher, Department of Communication Studies

Dance! Muncie After School
Community Partner: Muncie Community Schools
Faculty Mentor: Melanie Swihart, Department of Theatre and Dance

Digging in to Muncie’s Local Food System (ongoing)
Community Partner:  Farmished, Second Harvest East Central Indiana
Faculty Mentor:  Kate Elliott, Department of Journalism

Fundraising for Non-profit Organizations (ongoing)
Community Partners:  Adventist Frontier Mission, Aria’s Army, Audubon Society, Cradle of Love, GR3 International, Delaware County Futbol Club, National Association of Mental Illness, Operation Blackout
Faculty Mentor:  René Church, School of Art

Maring-Hunt Community Garden Market Pavilion and Outdoor Kitchen (ongoing)
Community Partners: Maring-Hunt Public Library, Thomas Park/Avondale Neighborhood Association
Faculty Mentor: Pam Harwood, Department of Architecture

Mathematics in Cultural Contexts 2018: Emergent Professionals Today and Responsible Educators Tomorrow
Community Partner: East Washington Acadmey
Faculty Mentor: Sheron Fraser-Burgess, Department of Educational Studies; Sheryl Stump, Department of Mathematical Sciences; Lynette Varner, Department of Elementary Education

Muncie Action Plan 3
Community Partner: Muncie Action Plan
Faculty Mentor: Lisa Dunaway, Department of Urban Planning

Nutrition Grows on You! A nutrition Demonstration Project for 4th Grade Students in Muncie Public Schools
Community Partner: Muncie Community Schools
Faculty Mentor: Carol Friesen, Department of Nutrition and Health Science

Philosophy for High School Students
Community Partner: Muncie Central High School
Faculty Mentor: Sarah Vitale, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies

Professional Practice for the Visual Artist
Community Partner: Muncie Arts and Culture Council
Faculty Mentor: Brent Cole & Maura Jasper, School of Art

Purple Cow: Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary Care for Children (ongoing)
Community Partner: Kidz Korner Child Care Center
Faculty Mentor: Stacey Allred, Department of Elementary Education

Reber Woods
Community Partner: Red Tail Land Conservancy
Faculty Mentor: Kevin Kenyon, Sustainability Minor Program

Rehabilitating Houses (ongoing)
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick, Department of Construction Management and Interior Design

Reimagining Muncie’s Foodshed
Community Partners: Muncie Food Hub Partnership, Edible Muncie, Urban Garden Coalition, Ball State Student Farm
Faculty Mentor: Josh Gruver, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management

Second Harvest Survey 2018
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank
Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo, Department of Sociology

Solar Start Project
Community Partner: Islamic Center of Muncie
Faculty Mentor: Sherif Attallah, Department of Construction Management and Interior Design

Team 2 – Reading Intervention at the Youth Opportunity Center (ongoing)
Community Partner: Youth Opportunity Center
Faculty Mentors: Ruth Jefferson & Maria Sciuchetti, Department of Special Education; Janay Sander, Department of Educational Psychology

Solar Start Project

Students engaged in the design and procurement process needed to install a 5 KW solar panel system and then monitored and analyzed the system’s performance after installation was complete. This partnership, which involves the Islamic Center of Muncie and an electrical contractor, will capitalize on increasing awareness for renewable solar energy on campus and in the Muncie community.


Faculty Mentor: Sherif Attallah
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Islamic Center of Muncie
Students: Kyle Alcaraz, Jeff Gasper, Grant King, David Kosciulek, Hanbit Lee, Thomas Steussy-Williams, Brandon Watson, Darian Wiley, Ross Williams, Kevin Zielinski

Second Harvest Survey 2018

The survey of clients in the surrounding eight counties has been requested by Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana. The goal is to provide data similar to that from a now-discontinued survey conducted by Feeding America. The Feeding America survey was conducted every four (4) years and the data it provided was used by Second Harvest for purposes such as (but not necessarily limited to) promotional outreach material and grant proposals. It is hoped that this proposed survey will fill the information void left and bring new communities stories to light.


Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo
Department: Sociology
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank
Students: Victor Boggs, Rachael Finchum, Dorothy Forster, Alli Goins, Sam Halter, Samaria Hamilton, Katarina Johnson, Samuel Johnson, Danae King, Catina Mccord, Jessy Menker, Peter Moskalew, Olivia Power, Jenny Schultz, Daphne Scott, Iynsey Shockley, Darren Svitko