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:

  1. Help residents describe the benefits of living in the neighborhood (to assist with branding and campaigns)
  2. Identify goals that the neighborhood has for the next 3 years
  3. Identify the perceived boundaries of the neighborhood areas to help with getting people together
  4. 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.

January 19, 2015 – Shaffer Chapel Museum Opening

Historic Shaffer Chappel, 1501 E. Highland Ave.

In order to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., a public opening of the newly created Shaffer Chapel Museum took place from 12:00 pm – 7:00 pm on January 19, 2014. The museum celebrates the historical significance of Shaffer Chapel, as well as the history of the African American community in Muncie. Co-created by members of the Shaffer congregation, the Whitely Community Council, and Ball State University students and faculty, the museum is a testament to the power of community mobilization in realizing positive social change.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Southside Neighborhood Report Spring 2015

Industry Neighborhood Action Plan – Spring 2015

Industry-meeting-5-620x465The Industry Neighborhood Action Plan (INAP) will be a citizen-generated policy regarding the future of the neighborhood, containing initiatives that will developed by the residents of the neighborhood with the assistance of Ball State Urban Planning students.  The INAP will fall under the umbrella of the Muncie Action Plan, which is a strategic guide for the city to create an action agenda for the future.  An INAP Handbook will also be produced as a document to aid citizen planners when they begin to enact initiatives from the Plan.

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January 22, 2015 – The BSU planning students presented to a full house at the Thursday night Industry neighborhood association meeting. Residents compiled a list of items that they like about their neighborhood as well as a list of things that could be improved. The students will use these lists to help draft the neighborhood’s action steps that may then be used by residents to build upon neighborhood strengths and make the necessary improvements.

Please visit and like the Industry Neighborhood Action Plan site on Facebook so that you may be updated on upcoming meetings and news.

April 23, 2015 – The BSU planning students gave their presentation of the final Neighborhood Action Plan at the Industry neighborhood association meeting. Residents may access the webpage to view the report athttps://industryactionplan.wordpress.com/.

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Blaine/Southeast Neighborhood Action Plan – Fall 2014

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Lisa Dunaway, Instructor of Urban Planning, is leading a class of BSU undergraduate planning students in developing a neighborhood action plan for the Blaine/Southeast neighborhood. During the development process, the students conduct an analysis of current neighborhood conditions and receive input from the neighborhood association. The students research best practices and assess the needs of the neighborhood to determine the action steps necessary to reach attainable goals. The final neighborhood action plan will include initiatives created by the residents but written by the students. Each initiative will include relevant case studies, step-by-step procedures, potential funding sources, priority levels, and target dates. The plan will conclude with steps for the residents to begin enacting the plan.

To view the Blaine/Southeast Neighborhood Action Plan online please follow this link.

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