Category: Projects

Community-neighborhood projects

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Reimagining Muncie’s Foodshed

Indiana is an agricultural state with the value of agricultural products sold in excess of $11 billion. Then, why do we still have hungry people in our backyard? Like many Rust Belt regions of the country, East Central Indiana (ECI) experienced a slower recovery from the 2008 economic downturn. Once a reliable choice, careers in car and industrial manufacturing have been severely limited. ECI counties show some of Indiana’s highest poverty and unemployment levels. As well, nearly 17% of ECI residents and 25% of children are food insecure. How can we help local farmers expand their share in the food market AND help feed hungry people in our communities? These issues are complex and multi-faceted. In this project, students explored the issues surrounding food insecurity and methods of developing sustainable food systems in Muncie and East Central Indiana. We explored ways to best serve our community and empower a resilient and sustainable food-based economic engine that has the capacity to provide fresh, healthy foods to its residents.

Faculty Mentor: Josh Gruver
Department: Natural Resources and Environmental Management
Community Partner: Muncie Food Hub Partnership, Edible Muncie, Urban Garden Coalition, Ball State Student Farm
Students: Kaitlin Carroll, Libonique Chandler, Kristina Chier, Praphulla Devanapally, Abby Fischer, Dylan Ford, Maryssa Gosnell, Rachael Hanley, Paige Jones, Mitch Kaverman, Kami Kleefisch, Kate Koenig, Tyler Mulhall, Garrett Mullins, Hunter Phillips, Preeti Samra, Caroline Tegeler, Taylor Wilson, Nora Zaher

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Ross Community Center Renovations and Baseball Fields

The Ross Community Center, located at 1110 W 10th St in Muncie, has seen some major renovations in the past year. June 2nd marked the grand opening of the new Ross Center baseball fields. The development includes youth baseball and softball fields, and other recreational facilities for the surrounding communities. The land for the baseball fields were paid for by a grant funded by the Ball Brothers Foundation and a donation from the Vectren Foundation. The anticipation of the fields sparked many other transformations at the center. Most recently, volunteers from Lowe’s worked on the construction of 10 pergolas, mural paintings on the building, painting of new picnic tables, and the construction of a stage with future plans of building an amphitheater. Lowe’s donated $2,500 in materials and two days of labor to the community center. The community center hopes that these renovations will help to revitalize the surrounding Thomas/Avondale neighborhood and bring more economic development opportunities to the area.

Photos provided by the Ross Center Facebook Page:

Photos provided by Heather Williams:

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Gatewood Neighborhood Gates Restoration Project

Gatewood has completed the neighborhood-sponsored leveling, cleaning, tuck-pointing and restoration of their historic Gate Pillars installed almost 100 years ago in 1927.  Here are some before and after photos of the Gate Pillars at University And Forest Avenues.

 

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Reber Woods

Reber woods is a diverse, wetland area that was recently acquired by Muncie-based Non-profit Organization Red Tail Land Conservancy. With the help of nine Ball State Students, Red Tail and students a part of the sustainability immersive learning course are working together to create a nature preserve on the property to ensure the healthy development of the ecosystems that are located there. Ideas for a –net-zero energy, sustainable structure –that would serve as a headquarters for the organization have been mapped out by architect and urban planning students. Nature trails and educational material about the wildlife on the land are being considered by biology students. Additionally, community outreach programs hosted by the marketing and journalism students are also underway. These parts are coming together to create a space for the Muncie Community to learn about sustainability, wetlands, various tree species, and several types of wildlife that are native to the area.

Faculty Mentor: Kevin Kenyon
Department: Sustainability Minor Program
Community Partner: Red Tail Land Conservancy
Students: Holly Biller, Tyler Freudenthal, April Hart, Breanna Heath, Andrea McDermott, Paul Nicholas, Noah Porter, Ki Shirey, Lena Spotts

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Professional Practice for the Visual Artist

This immersive learning project covered professional practices for the visual artist from administration through creative production and final presentation involving 3 components: arts management, production and exhibition, and a professional toolkit. An interdisciplinary group of students worked with the Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MACC) to develop 3 projects: PlySpace Artist Residency, a new NEA funded artist in residence program; That One Film Festival, a 2-day event featuring experimental film from around the world, and the production of a a community engaged public artwork.

Faculty Mentors: Brent Cole, Maura Jasper
Department: School of Art
Community Partner: Muncie Arts and Culture Council
Students: Alexis Brooks, Danielle Campbell, Mallory Creekmur, Veronica DeBone, Mike Dorsey, Mikey Higgins, Megan Lange, James Lupkin, Rowan Mayo, Summer Moore, Megan Sutton

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Philosophy for High School Students

Philosophy encourages students to ask questions, look at familiar things in new ways, listen to one another, and examine personal beliefs and positions. It is a fantastic way for high school students to learn about themselves and the world around them. It also helps them prepare for their futures in a complex, ever-changing world. Students in this immersive learning class explored best practices in philosophy education for high school students, ran a high school philosophy club at Muncie Central, and finally, planned and hosted an innovative, state-wide, high school philosophy conference at Ball State.

Spring 2019

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Vitale
Department: Philosophy and Religious Studies
Community Partner: Muncie Central High School
Students: Mendim Akiti, Hannah Bartholf, Kasey Brandenburg, Grace Dudas, Daniel Klinestiver, Zoe Lawson, Abigail Meus, John Rash, Cameron Surdyk, Dusti Troyer, Alexis Wood

Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: Sarah Vitale
Department: Philosophy and Religious Studies
Community Partner: Muncie Central High School
Students: Justin Archer, Hannah Bartholf, Elizabeth Bolinger, Daniel Klinestiver, Zoe Lawson, Michael Mares, Owen Miller, Luke Owens, Gabriel Shetterley, Lexi Wood