Bringing in and Branching Out: Recruiting Employees and Building Community Connections

According to data from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development in 2016, the poverty rate in Delaware County was 21.6%, and poverty among children under the age of 18 was 25.7% (www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/). These alarming statistics speak to the need for Open Door Health Services (ODHS) and the services it provides our community. In this two semester project, the immersive learning team will help ODHS draw and retain qualified service providers by updating their website, producing new recruitment videos and materials, and updating the onboarding process for both medical and non-medical employees. The team will also assist ODHS in determining current marketing needs through interviews and focus groups, assessing and improving the new patient orientation process, and upgrading its social media presence.


Spring 2019

Faculty Mentors: Peggy Fisher
Departments: Communication Studies
Community Partners: Open Door Health Services
Students: Abigail Bensman, Haley Collison, Marisa Conaster, Ryan Cosey, Olivia DeSalvo, Margo Morton, Gaylan Owens, Taylor Ross, Erica Smith, Ashley Taylor


Fall 2018

Faculty Mentors: Peggy Fisher
Departments: Communication Studies
Community Partners: Open Door Health Services
Students: Abigail Bensman, Haley Collison, Marisa Conaster, Olivia DeSalvo, Margo Morton, Gaylan Owens, Taylor Ross, Erica Smith, Ashley Taylor

Book Arts Collaborative 2018-19

Book Arts Collaborative is a community letterpress and book bindery located in the Madjax Building in downtown Muncie. Each semester, we preserve and teach apprentice-taught skills and run a small business. Students are taught analog design skills, business skills, and professionalization of all majors.


Faculty Mentors: Rai Peterson
Departments: English
Community Partners: Tribune Showprint Posters, Inc.
Students: Jodi Aleshire, Danielle Borst, Jessica Bowles, Lane Cary, Erin Davenport, Marie Drascic, Sarah Fox, Rachel Haywood, Morgan Kaufman, Carolyn Kelley, Whitney Kendall, Rayah O’Rear, Katie Obryan, Carrie Pawlovich, Bonnie Prindle, Aaron Stephens, Simeon Stults, Taylor Townsend, Kelli Turkupolis

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

Purple Cow: Moving from Ordinary to Extraordinary Care for Children

BSU student helping a child at Kidz Korner

This immersive project involved a partnership with Kidz Korner Child Care Center in downtown Muncie. The project team organized and implemented family nights that involved other community agencies. Additionally, the student team promoted and fostered collaborative partnerships between the center and these local agencies. The ultimate goal of this project was to establish and maintain community connections while strengthening parent and family relationships between the school and daycare center and homes.


Spring 2019

Faculty Mentor: Stacey Allred
Department: Elementary Education
Community Partner: Kidz Korner Child Care Center
Students: Sidney Barkdull, Alexeya Barr, Addison Berry, Lindsey Brashear, Bailey Crist, Audrey Doerner, Audrey French, Ashley Gable, Marina Garcia, Haidan Gates, Kaitlyn Johnston, Zoie Mann, Kayle McKnight, Demitra Novinger, Jocelyn Peckham, Hannah Petrie, Kiersten Rodman, Lauren Roth, Sara Runyon, Kendra Shadle, Elizabeth Smith, Jenna Sovine, Rachel Sweeney, Kimberly Swisher, Leigha Underwood


For the Fall 2018 semester, the project team organized and implemented three family nights that involved several community agencies (Ball State University Student Theater and Dance Organization, Hillcroft Services “Music Together”, Muncie Symphony Orchestra “Together in Music”, and Muncie BY5). The team promoted and fostered collaborative partnerships between the center and these local agencies. The ultimate goal of this project was to establish and maintain community connections while strengthening parent and family relationships between the school and daycare center and homes.

Fall 2018

Faculty Mentor: Stacey Allred
Department: Elementary Education
Community Partner: Kidz Korner Child Care Center
Students: Sarah Brandt, Kaitlyn Butler, Kelsey Collins, Claudia Daugherty, Cassie Deakyne, Dakota Dempler, Alexandria Forte, Caroline Friedly, Victoria Goodrich, Grace Pieczynski, Payton Rawlings, Abbie Rooker, Sofia Shine, Melissa Wetter, Hannah Wezensky, Jordan Witmer, Seraphim Muir


In the Fall of 2017 and the Spring of 2018, the project teams created and administered a parent/family needs survey. They also designed and printed a logo for the center. The team promoted and fostered collaborative partnerships between the center and local agencies. They also developed and implemented a professional development session for the staff at Kidz Korner Child Care Center. The ultimate goal of this project was to establish and maintain community connections while strengthening parent/family relationships between the school/daycare center and homes.

Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: Stacey Allred
Department: Elementary Education
Community Partner: Kidz Korner Child Care Center
Students: Madison Beerbower, Erin Coogan, Cheyenne Fisher, Emily Fontaine, Ania Gonzalez, Kennedy Green, Carly Kirk, Kailyn Lambertson, Tiler Langston, MaKenzie Manship, Mycaela Messer, Rebecca Robbins, Haley Shotts, Chelsie Taylor, Michelle Taylor, Jolie Wariner, Kendra Tessman


Fall 2017

Faculty Mentor: Stacey Allred
Department: Elementary Education
Community Partner: Kidz Korner Child Care Center
Students: Margaret Buettner, Krysta Henson, Sierra Hobbs, Hilda Nieves, Alaina Page, Elaine Shull, Alissa Switzer, Lindsey Turner, Victoria Wheatley, Lilly Wright-Cayetano

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

TEAM 2 – Reading Intervention at the Youth Opportunity Center

The TEAM 2 project implemented a reading intervention program with at-risk youth at the Youth Opportunity Center (YOC), a residential treatment facility in Muncie. Students in this project studied psychological, environmental and cultural factors that contribute to reading difficulties, and developed skills in applying proven reading strategies. This project is tied to an education-focused research study related to youth in the juvenile court system at YOC. Working collaboratively with the YOC, students spent the semester making a real difference in the lives of young people. Through funding by the National Institute of Justice, this project started in summer 2016 and will continue until spring 2018.


Spring 2018

Faculty Mentors: Ruth Jefferson & Janay Sander
Departments: Special Education & Educational Psychology
Community Partner: Youth Opportunity Center
Students: Rayven Brackeen, Simone Courtright, Sarah Hapner, Natalie Kitchin


Summer & Fall 2017

Faculty Mentors: Ruth Jefferson & Janay Sander
Departments: Special Education & Educational Psychology
Community Partner: Youth Opportunity Center
Students: Vicki Baur, Megan Chalfant, Morgan Clark, Estrella Gonzalez, Krista Kranz, Mac Mckinney, Tonia Morales-Zelaya, Mike Moses, Devyn Phillips, Abby Reiff, Lindsay Rye, Amanda Wadman, Taylor White, Shelby Zann