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Human Rights Symposium

Created in 1964, the Muncie Human Rights Commission studies problems related to discrimination in the city and advocates for quality in education, employment, youth recreation, and housing regardless of race, color, creed, or nationality. Students in this immersive project worked with the Human Rights Commission and other local institutions to develop, administer, and evaluate a Human Rights Symposium for the Muncie community. The purpose of the meeting was to increase awareness for residents’ human rights and the City of Muncie Human Rights Commission’s mission, services, and the process for filing and investigating complaints.

Faculty Mentor: Ruby Cain
Department: Educational Studies
Community Partners: City of Muncie Human Rights Commission, Industry Neighborhood Association, Whitely Community Council, Muncie Public Library, Muncie Housing Authority, It Is Well With My Soul, DePaul University School of New Learning and Service Engagement Projects, Northeast Indiana Workers Project, Inc.
Student Team:Karen Lloyd; Christina Martzall; Althea McWilliams; Taylor Mullins, Dewayne Richmond; Jenny Schultz; Alex Stoltie; Christinia Scott; and Danielle Vorhees

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Capturing “The Big Idea”

Sociology Capstone students administered a survey at 35 different “The Big Idea” school pantries within the eight counties of East Central Indiana. “The Big Idea” is a Second Harvest Food Bank program designed to encourage kids to dream big about their future goals and stories, and for families to encounter resources and relationships with a welcoming school staff that helps them foster big dreams. The purpose of the survey was to measure the degree to which “The Big Idea” has been successful in assisting families to connect with schools. The students also provided a chance to elevate participant voices and find stories about the program.

Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo
Department: Sociology
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank
Student Team:Maegan Ackerson, Roseanna Barber, Grace Brenner, Phillip Brooks, Haley Cook, Emajh Donaldson, Margaret Fishbeck, Erica Fox, Gillian Gray, Lauren Kren, Kristen Leffler, Lilly McElwee, Ty Miles, Jasmine Moehn, Karissa Nance, Dana Northam, Sarah Rice, Jayla Robinson, Tia Sharp, Cassidy Stigall, Carrie Tackett, Catherine Teague, Madelyn Troy, Shelby Vaughn, Braxton Williams, and Amadi Wisdom

View inside Big Idea room Child's water color painting of a girl's face surveys arranged on a table

 

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Renovation of Residential Structures

In this immersive learning course, an interdisciplinary team of students worked on rehabilitating existing houses for local non-profit organizations such as ecoREHAB and Brothers 2 Brothers United. The class focused on the design and pre-construction phases before the construction process began. The students in each project started with creating measured drawings, determining the scope of work needed, making recommendations for revisions, and then creating plans for the remodeling of the houses. Throughout the project, the students worked closely with the non-profits to ensure the designs met partner needs.

Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick
Department: Construction Management & Interior Design
Community Partners: ecoREHAB, Urban Light, and Brothers 2 Brothers
Student Team: Amanda Baugher, Noelle Byrer, Katie Fedoronko, Allexis Fender, Dominick Fidanzia, Courtney Gin, Nikolai Greenwell, Treasure Journey, Tony Kahl, Cheyenne Kalb, Ke’Daira King, Joe Mattick, David Miller, Avery Reiter, Sara Rokosz, Hannah Schuler, Hannah Stineburg, Austin White

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Sustainable Muncie Project:  Assessing Sustainability for the City of Muncie

This spring, the Sustainable Muncie Project was implemented in Urban Planning’s Regional Analysis and Design Studio class. The students inventoried, assessed, analyzed, and mapped the social, environmental, and economic factors for Muncie, Indiana, to promote a more sustainable community and identify its vulnerable populations and areas. The students partnered with the Muncie Action Plan’s Task Force 2, which focuses on strengthening neighborhoods through organizing associations, building leadership, and fostering collaborations. The project produced a location-specific inventory and analysis of indicators for the City of Muncie.

See the StoryMap page | Read the final report (pdf – coming soon)

Faculty Mentor: Sanglim Yoo
Department: Urban Planning
Community Partner: Muncie Action Plan Task Force 2
Student Team: Lauren Bouslog, Sydney Fawcett, Dylan Gehring, Hannah Jones, Riley Jones, Andrew Kanwit, Laiha Lane, Will Snyder, Jeffery Tompkins, and Brett Willaman

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The Muncie Challenge

Take the Muncie Challenge!  Students in the Community Collaboration and Service Learning in Wellness Management class spent spring semester (2020) talking with Muncie residents to uncover what they love about their city and then working with some of those same residents to help others experience Muncie in a new light and find ways to make Muncie a little better each day. Students had fun and found a new appreciation for Muncie.  They then got to share their perspective on how others can take advantage of the great places they learned about.  Students can take what they learned and put it into practice where ever they find themselves in the future.

So what is the Muncie Challenge?  The Challenge encourages you to take action in 10 areas.  These include: Eat, Connect, and be Social; Get Moving; Show Your Community Pride; Enjoy Muncie Parks and Markets; Connect Professionally; Experience Muncie Culture; Give Back to your Community; Jump into the Arts; Learn and Grow; and Use the Cardinal Greenway.  You can participate at 3 levels.  First, try one or two activities in each area or “Give it a Go.”  The you can do some more or “Take a Step Further” and “Make it a Habit.”   Download your passport and get started today!

Faculty Mentors: Jane Ellery
Departments: Kinesiology
Community Partner:
Student Team:

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Halteman Park Landscape Architecture Studio Project

In the summer of 2019, the City of Muncie made the bold decision to reclaim the former Halteman Swim Club property and designate it as a new city park. The public space, called Halteman Park, represents the extensive efforts of the Halteman Village Neighborhood Association (HVNA), a Ball State class taught by Professors Chris Baas and Steve Burrows, and the City’s Park Department to turn this abandoned pool area into a green space for residents to enjoy. In this immersive Building Better Neighborhoods project, Landscape Architecture students built on the work of previous studios to develop plans for the site. Early this spring, students conducted a public work session with members of the HVNA, the City of Muncie, and the community at large to strategize, vision, and create actionable steps for future improvements for the property.

REPORT (pdf)

Faculty Mentors: Chris Baas, Jeremy Merrill, J.P. Hall
Departments: Landscape Architecture, Architecture
Community Partners: Halteman Village Neighborhood Association, City of Muncie, Muncie Parks Department
Student Team: Grace DeBaun, Andrea Eageny, Stephanie Gates, Morgan Getz, Kaitlin Gobrogge, Elise Granlund, Emma Hawkins, Jared Heitkamp, Allison Janik, Emilee Lemmer, Meaghan Lessley, Eva Martin, Sophie Moody, Bryce Muller, Drayson Nespo, Keller Oeth, Violet Overstreet, Ciera Silva, Claire Thurlow, Krista Walterbusch