Neighborhood Learning Opportunities
Several great opportunities to improve your neighborhood are coming your way starting this summer! All sessions will occur at the Innovation Connector, 1208 W. White River Blvd. Tickets will be available on Eventbrite and offered through the Muncie Action Plan Facebook event page, so like and follow them for sign-up info! Food will be provided. See below for a list of what’s in store!
INTERACTING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
City Government: Citizen Access to Our City Government
Monday, August 6, 2018 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
This session will cover the basic structure, offices, and activities of your city government.
Participants will understand the various responsibilities of the departments, with a special
emphasis on services.
Presented By: Bowen Center for Public Affairs, Ball State University
County Government: Citizen Access to Our County Government
Monday, September 3, 2018 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
This session will cover the basic structure, offices, and activities of your county
government. Participants will understand the various responsibilities of the departments,
with a special emphasis on services.
Presented By: Bowen Center for Public Affairs, Ball State University
State Government: Citizen Access to Our State Government
Monday, October 1, 2018 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
This session will cover the basic structure, offices, and activities of your state government.
Participants will understand the various responsibilities of the departments, with a special
emphasis on services.
Presented By: Bowen Center for Public Affairs, Ball State University
FUNDING
Crowdfunding Basics for Your Neighborhood
Monday, November 5, 2018 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
Crowdfunding platforms such as Go Fund Me, Kickstarter, and Patroncity offer unique
opportunities to raise funds for your neighborhood. In this session we will review the
basics of these platforms along with fundamental strategies for implementation.
Presented By: Mitch Isaacs (Shafer Leadership Academy), Aimee Fant (Muncie Action Plan), Heather
Williams (Building Better Neighborhoods)
Dues Collection Strategies
Monday, January 7, 2019 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
Several local neighborhood association use “dues” to fund their efforts. Join us for this
panel discussion where panelists will share their strategies for due collection.
Presented By: panel of local associations
Engaging Local Businesses
Monday, February 4, 2019 (5:30 – 7:00 PM)
The businesses in your neighborhood can be great assets. In this session we will discuss the
methods for making local businesses partners in your neighborhood. Business engagement
goes beyond fundraising and incorporates various strategies for including business in
decision making, planning, and implementation.
Presented by: panel of local associations
Presented in Partnership:
Funding Provided by:
Neighborhood Association Organization Guide
This workbook has been prepared for Muncie’s neighborhood organizers under the direction of: Muncie Action Plan’s (MAP) Task Force 2 Initiative and the Building Better Neighborhoods (BBN) program in Ball State University’s Office of Community Engagement.
The following information is based on publicly available information, and the activities of current Muncie neighborhood associations.
In this workbook, you will find a guide to forming and maintaining a neighborhood association, sections addressing issues and challenges faced by neighborhood organizers, and a collection of ideas and resources.
download the handbook (pdf)PAST EVENT: TECH301: Managing Your Digital Emotions – Aug 17
Please join us on August 17th from 5:30 – 7:00 pm at the Innovation Connector, 1208 W. White River Blvd for this free neighborhood association development opportunity.
Modern work and life requires effective digital communication. The digital world, however, carries its own set of rules, practices, and etiquette. Join us for this session as we briefly explore the concept of emotional intelligence, and then examine how to apply those concepts to your digital interactions. This session is ideal for neighborhood association members who are looking for more effective, healthy, and emotionally satisfying interactions in the digital world. Basic knowledge of e-mail, social media platforms, and texting will be required for this session.
This session will be co-hosted by Aimee Fant, MAP Neighborhoods Coordinator and David Neidert, Author and Public Speaker. (http://davidlneidert.com/)
Registration required.
*This event is made possible through the financial support of the Vectren Foundation.
Proposals Are Now Being Accepted for the 2nd Annual Neighborhood IDEA Conference – March 4, 2017
UPDATE: We’re booked! Proposals are no longer being accepted for this year’s conference.
On March 5, 2016, 130 Muncie residents attended the first Neighborhood I.D.E.A. Conference.
The Muncie Action Plan, Shafer Leadership Academy and Building Better Neighborhoods are partnering once again to support the development of neighborhood leaders.
The second annual Neighborhood I.D.E.A. Conference is scheduled for March 4, 2017 on Ball State’s campus. Over 100 of Muncie’s most active local leaders will gather to listen, learn and meet like-minded individuals to share ideas and best practices.
Learn more about this year’s conference in this excellent article over at the MuncieJournal!
The theme of the conference is Intentional Development and Education for Association Members. Sessions will fall within four distinct tracks:
- Beautification and Infrastructure
- Partnering with Local Officials
- Teamwork and Collaboration
- Association Development
Do you have an idea you would like to share at the conference or a topic you want to see discussed? We are currently taking submissions. The Call for Proposals can be found here.
For those individuals and organizations who are interested in presenting at this conference, please submit proposals by January 9th. Questions may be directed to Krista Flynn, BSU Office of Community Engagement at kflynn@bsu.edu.
Intentional Development and Education for Association Members (IDEA) Conference
Conference participants of Muncie’s Neighborhood IDEA Conference at Ball State University
Saturday, March 5, 2016, 9 AM – 3 PM
Ball State University L.A. Pittenger Student Center
Provided in partnership by Building Better Neighborhoods, the Shafer Leadership Academy, the City of Muncie, the Vectren Foundation, and Muncie Action Plan.
Click here to view the agenda (png)
On a brisk Saturday morning in March, dozens and dozens of Muncie residents woke up early, streamed into Ball State’s Pittenger Student Center, and gave their entire day to attend keynote presentations and breakout sessions at the city’s first “Intentional Development and Education for Association Members” (IDEA) conference. The 130 participants represented diverse backgrounds, cultures, and every corner of Muncie, but they, along with conference sponsors Muncie Action Plan, Shafer Leadership Academy, Vectren Foundation, the City of Muncie, and Ball State’s Building Better Neighborhoods initiative, were united in their commitment to improving the quality-of-life in Muncie neighborhoods.
Mobilizing change at the neighborhood level is not a new concept. But as many rust belt cities have faced increases in poverty, crime, and drug use over the last few decades, neighborhood revitalization has increasingly taken center stage as a key strategy for economic and community development.
In 2013, the Ball Brothers Foundation granted funds to Ball State University for the development of the Building Better Neighborhoods initiative to support neighborhood development efforts in Muncie through the Muncie Action Plan and Delaware County’s VISION 2016 economic development plan. To date, 26 neighborhood associations have been established or strengthened through this collaboration. In addition to reinvigorating civic engagement among local residents, the initiative has facilitated uniquely rich immersive learning projects for hundreds of Ball State students. The Muncie neighborhoods website, www.muncieneighborhoods.org, showcases a variety of projects, resources, and neighborhood information.
“Change is most effective when it grows out of the vision and passion of a city’s residents,” said Heather Williams, program manager of the Building Better Neighborhoods initiative. “During the conference, the Student Center ballroom was a remarkable snapshot of the leadership, passion, diversity, and partnerships that have positioned our neighborhoods to be powerful agents in our community.”
Ball State Acting President Terry King, Mayor Dennis Tyler, and State Representative Sue Errington kicked off the day of sessions. “Having been here at the University for almost 10 years now, I think the partnership between the City and the University is the strongest it has ever been,” said King. “We recognize that our success as a university is closely tied to the prosperity and well-being of Muncie and Delaware County. Through Ball State’s Office of Community Engagement and scores of faculty and student projects, we will continue to pursue mutually-beneficial partnerships with the community.”
Conference sessions followed four unique tracks: Working with Government, Visioning and Development, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Association Development. Presenters included Ball State faculty, City of Muncie and Delaware County department heads, neighborhood association leadership, and a final keynote address by Eric Halvorson, former WISH-TV anchor. A mid-day resource fair featured more than a dozen local non-profits and service providers: Huffer Childcare Resource Network, ecoREHAB, Muncie Delaware Clean and Beautiful, Muncie BY5, PathStone Corporation, Edible Muncie, Bike Muncie. Logistical support was provided by Ball State’s Office of Community Engagement.
The conference ended with a $1,500 door prize awarded to members of the South Central neighborhood association. The money will be used for a special neighborhood project of their choosing.
“Through the IDEA conference, Muncie’s neighborhood associations have gained access to tools and resources to sustain effective, collaborative neighborhood networks and keep open the lines of communication between residents and city leadership,” said Aimee Fant, Muncie Action Plan coordinator.
Fant, Williams, and fellow organizers Mitch Isaacs, executive director of the Shafer Leadership Academy, and Krista Flynn, program coordinator in Ball State’s Office of Community Engagement, agreed that a key to the conference’s success was active and intentional collaboration among the conference sponsors. “So many great people and organizations were part of making the event a success,” said Isaacs. “Each sponsor contributed significant and unique resources, and of course, the neighborhood association members brought their passion and commitment for our community. We couldn’t be happier with the results!”