Second Harvest Food Bank Video Project

Second Harvest Food Bank’s mission is to provide food, education and advocacy for people experiencing food insecurity. Most people in the area are familiar with Second Harvest’s hunger-relief and food banking activities, but the organization offers a range of lesser known programs and services that focus on the root causes of food insecurity and assist people in becoming more financially independent. This digital media project was Phase I in a series of projects that will explore how digital media assets, especially video, could help Second Harvest prioritize and promote its continuum of programs and, in doing so, help to attract more clients, volunteers and supporters in the future.


Faculty Mentors: Tim Pollard, Suzanne Plesha
Departments: Telecommunications, Immersive Learning
Community Partner: Second Harvest Food Bank
Students: Miguel Arteaga, Troy Baker, Emma Brashear, Matthew Carson, Daniel Clements, Courtney Correll, Randal Dorsett, Malorie Gill, Briana Hale, Colton Howard, James Johnson, Lauryn Jones, Sean McGarry, Sherill Osborne, Nikolas Risser, Mariana Rodriguez

Second Harvest School Pantries Study

Sociology Capstone students partnered with Second Harvest to conduct face-to-face interviews to gather program evaluation data regarding community member needs and to measure the impact that school pantries are having on student and family engagement.


Faculty Mentor: Melinda Messineo
Department: Sociology
Community Partner: Second Harvest
Students: Adriana Arthur, Katrina Brown, Katina Clark, Whittney Coffman, Julia Conn, Jazmin Deshazer, Laura Drascic, Sam Fields, Sara Garland, Tonya Gregorash, Jennifer Harkcom, Jaze Harris, Stacey Hodges, Griffin Janosky, Devaugn Jones, Drea Kolkinn, Amber Levi, Kerrigan Mccormack, Katie Morris, Sam Mulholland, Emily O’Lena, Malik Paeham-Dunner, Sarah Powell, Ian Quasat, Shelby Sims

 

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

Storytelling and Social Justice

With one third of children currently living below the poverty line, poverty is perhaps the most pressing issue facing Delaware County. The students in “Storytelling and Social Justice” are addressed this issue head-on by partnering with Circles of Delaware County/Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana to share stories about the challenges that individuals living in poverty face. Specifically, “Storytelling and Social Justice” students worked with members of the Circles/Second Harvest community to create both a polyvocal memoir (a compilation of many first-person narratives) and several YouTube videos featuring stories of poverty and empowerment. We circulated the memoir and YouTube videos to the Muncie community and beyond. Circles and Second Harvest Food Bank will also be able to use these materials to both raise awareness and galvanize community support.


Faculty Mentor: Emily Ruth Rutter
Department: English
Community Partner: Circles of Delaware County/Second Harvest Food Bank
Students: Adore Davis, Meredith Dickerson, Hunter Garrison, Britney Kendrick, Malikah McMillan, Dillon O’Nail, Ciara Smith, Zoe Taylor, Levi Todd

Rehabilitating Houses

Students looking at a home to be rehabilitated

Spring 2019: In this immersive learning course, an interdisciplinary team of students worked on rehabilitating existing houses for local nonprofit organizations. The class involved the design and pre-construction phases. Each project started with creating measured existing drawings, determining the scope of work needed, making recommendations for revisions, and then creating plans for the remodeling of the houses. They worked with representatives from the non-profit organizations throughout the process, to ensure the designs meet the needs of the clients. This project began in Fall of 2012, and over the course of eleven semesters, has produced plans for the renovation (or new construction) of 30 houses. Additionally, this semester, the students completed three sets of plans for rehabilitating houses in the 8Twelve area.

Fall 2018: In this immersive learning course, the interdisciplinary team of students (construction management, architecture and interior design) worked on rehabilitating two existing houses for a local non-profit, Urban Light CDC. The class involved the design and preconstruction phases, before construction began. Each project started with creating measured existing drawings, and then determined the scope of work needed, made recommendations for revisions and created plans for the remodeling of the houses. They worked with representatives from Urban Light throughout the process to ensure their designs meet the needs of their clients.

Fall 2017 and Spring 2018: In this immersive learning course, the interdisciplinary team of students worked on rehabilitating existing houses for Habitat for Humanity. The class involved the design and preconstruction phases before construction began. Each project started with creating measured existing drawings, determining the scope of work needed, making recommendations for revisions, and then creating plans for the remodeling of the houses. They worked with representatives from Habitat throughout the process to ensure their designs meet the needs of their clients.

Spring 2017: An interdisciplinary team of students (construction management and architecture) engaged in redesigning structures for Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity to prepare the structures for restoration and renovation. The main tangible outcome was the final documents (construction drawings, scope of work, list of materials and budget) which will then be used by Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity to rehabilitate each house. This semester the documents for two houses will be completed and these houses will then be remodeled in 2017. Students completing this experience received relevant professional experience, as rehabilitating existing structures is a major part of their future professions. The targeted majors, construction management and architecture, will work together throughout their careers, frequently for the same companies. The interdisciplinary student teams in this class were invaluable in providing the students the opportunity to understand the contributions of, and their relationship to, the other professions.


Spring 2019

Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partners: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity, Muncie Mission, Urban Light LLC
Students: Nicholas Beamish, Joshua Brann, Jenna Effinger, Matthew Johnston, Leonard Kline, Spencer McKenney, Jon Miller, Nicholas Murphy, Adycin Rager, Paynter Rhed, Emily Schripsema, John Spencer, Aaron Strayer


Fall 2018

Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Urban Light CDC
Students:Joey Bastian, Madison Castleman, Megan Draper, Taylor Hindman, Natalie Hopf, Jordan Jones, Drew Keil, Susan Lamermayer, Katie McCauley, Stephen Rosiek, Kayli Sommers, Austin White


Spring 2018

Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Students: Justin Baker, Schyler Cerqueira, William Hack, Meaghan Heinrich, Kelsie Kittredge, Logan Melton, Erin Powichroski, Colten Showalter, Joseph St. Clair, Vanessa Wigent


Fall 2017

Faculty Mentor: Janet Fick
Department: Construction Management and Interior Design
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Students: Dennis Basham, Noah Donica, Drew Fairchild, Michael Fleck, Jessica Franke, Stephanie Kailey, Scott Manners, Jacob Mattingly, Collin Mercer, Katie Mercer, Kristine Punzalan, Zachary Rooker, Grant Small


Spring 2017

Faculty Mentors: Janet Fick
Departments: Technology
Community Partner: Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity
Students: Courtney Castleman, Emily Epple, Kaylee Jacoob, Ryan Johnston, Toby McClintic, Collin Mercer, Katie Mercer, Haylee Moscato, Brayton Underhill, Tyler Woolen, Chase Woosley