CASLE Magazine Spring 2016

Engaged

C e n t e r f o r t h e A d v a n c e m e n t o f S e r v i c e - L E A RNIN G E x c e ll e n c e

S p r i n g 2016

EXTENDIN G

K NO W L ED G E . C H A N G IN G

L IVE S .

Mission To support the Mississippi State University mission of research, learning, and service by providing training to the university-wide community in service-learning design; creating intentional opportunities for the advancement, production, and publication of research and coursework focused on the scholarship of engagement; obtaining and providing support for the adoption of service-learning methodologies; highlighting university engagement efforts through assessment, evaluation, publication, and presentation; and becoming a local, regional, and nationally recognized leader in service-learning and community engagement efforts.

Vision To advance and support all faculty, staff, students, and Extension agents in making connections between and finding the value in the creation of engaged scholarship that connects research, service, and learning in the community, state, region, nation, and beyond.

Logo The CASLE logo represents our threefold motto: Learn, Serve, and Become.

The logo in its entirety represents learning (LEARN), as the light bulb shape indicates the “light� that is turned on when students are engaged and critical thinking occurs, when they consider the larger world around them, and as they become active participants in the learning process. The light bulb also represents the learning that occurs when faculty, Extension agents, and others consider how to create new opportunities for students to learn and critically think about their coursework and research. Service (SERVE) is symbolized in the shape of the hand, as students participate in giving of themselves as they contribute to the learning process through active, engaged service and provide a hand to those beyond their current reach. Becoming (BECOME) is represented with an arrow to indicate infinite, boundless growth. As students participate in service-learning and are engaged in their communities, there is no end to their potential growth. As others participate in servicelearning, they can become more engaged in their disciplines and enhance their own learning and responsibility to the communities in which they work and live.

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M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y E X T E N S I O N S E R V I C E

F R O M

T H E

D I R E C T O R

Like any 3-year-old, the Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) experienced exciting growth over the past year. Mississippi State University has a strong desire for its students to be engaged in their communities, and service-learning is a big part of that engagement. Whether in the classroom or outside, MSU students have given of themselves, volunteered in community efforts, worked on community-based projects, and experienced nontraditional education.

In 2015, CASLE once again joined with MSU President Mark Keenum to organize Stop Hunger Now, an effort involving 100-plus students who worked to pack more than 10,000 meals. Efforts such as this event show students ways they can better the world with just a few hours of volunteer work. This year’s meals were distributed to Kampala, Uganda, a region where 80–90 percent of the million-person population live with acute food storage and depend on relief efforts such as Stop Hunger Now. CASLE works with MSU faculty to tie service-learning into the academic setting. In the 2015–16 academic year, 23 MSU classes incorporated CASLE-organized projects into their academic work, including classes in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Fashion Design, Human Sciences, Art, and more. The Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge, supported by grants from the MSU Extension Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture, gave students from five different classes the opportunity to work in groups to develop innovative products that utilized sweet potatoes as a core ingredient.

This report shows the results of CASLE’s service-learning efforts, and it highlights MSU’s work with 30 community organizations.

In closing, we expect more growth for CASLE next year. We will be moving—organizationally—to become part of the Student Leadership and Community Engagement office. We look forward to working with colleagues in our new home to expand opportunities for service-learning into more classes, and to more students. CASLE will be a unique partnership among MSU’s Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Extension, and we welcome the opportunity to bring these three strong areas together for the betterment of our communities.

Dr. Rodney Pearson, Interim Director, CASLE

Director, Student Success

Professor, Management and Information Systems

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LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

CASLE could not function without its community partners, faculty, and students.

SERVICE-LEARNING ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SLAC) CASLE’s Service-Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC) serves as an approval board for coursework submitted for the service-learning “S” designation. When approved, the searchable attribute “S” with the course section number is added to the course display on the master schedule. Additionally, this comment is added on the student transcript: “This is a service-learning designated course.” SLAC members review the faculty servicelearning minigrant applications and the student service-learning scholarship applications, and they provide feedback to the CASLE director on the center’s operations. SLAC members also serve as service-learning ambassadors to their units, promoting service-learning among their colleagues.

The 2015–16 SLAC included the following members:

Dr. Ryan Akers Assistant Extension Professor, School of Human Sciences

Akers serves as an assistant Extension professor focusing on statewide leadership development and implementation of Extension emergency management programming.

He received his PhD from the University of Georgia and specializes in emergency management programming. Akers also serves as the coordinator of the MSU Community Emergency Response Team.

Dr. Michael Brashier Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine

Brashier, an associate professor in the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, received his DVM degree from Louisiana State University. He specializes in equine internal medicine.

John Brocato Instructor, Bagley College of Engineering

Brocato is an instructor of technical writing in the Bagley College of Engineering. He received both his BA and MA degrees in English from MSU. In his free time, Brocato pursues his interests as a musician.

Amy Knight Instructor , Department of Communication

Knight, an instructor in the Department of Communication, received her MS degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in speech communication. She serves as a cochair of the Service-Learning Advisory Committee.

Olivia Lancaster Sophomore, Student Association

Lancaster is a sophomore majoring in microbiology. She is the assistant director of the Research and Development Committee in the MSU Student Association cabinet.

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Dr. Melissa Moore Professor, College of Business

Moore, who earned her PhD from the University of Connecticut, is a professor of marketing at MSU. She was named one of the 2010 MSU Outstanding Faculty Women by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women. Moore is a member of the American Marketing Association, Society for Marketing Advances, and the Marketing Management Association.

Dr. Linda Morse Professor/Director, Center for Teaching and Learning

Morse has a PhD from Florida State University and has had extensive experience working in instructional design, development, and evaluation. In addition to directing the Center for Teaching and Learning, she is a professor of educational psychology and a Grisham Master Teacher, and she serves as a research fellow in the Social Science Research Center.

Dr. Kelly Moser Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education

Moser received her PhD in curriculum and instruction from Mississippi State University.

Her research focuses on foreign language education. She serves on the College of Education Faculty Council and as a Kappa Delta Pi coadvisor.

John Poros Poros, an associate professor in the School of Architecture, received his Masters of Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design. He is currently the director of the Carl Small Town Center, a community design and outreach component of the School of Architecture.

Emily Shaw Student Services Coordinator, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Shaw is the director of undergraduate and graduate academic advising for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She received her MS in technology and her BS in agricultural information science from MSU.

Dr. Jessica Tegt Assistant Extension Professor, College of Forest Resources

Tegt is an assistant Extension professor with research interests in human-wildlife conflict resolution. She coordinates the Starkville Science Club, as well as each individual grade’s Youth Environmental Science (YES!) program. Tegt serves as a cochair of the ServiceLearning Advisory Committee.

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LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

Associate Professor/Director, Carl Small Town Center

2015–16 CASLE

Impact Overview

• CASLE-assisted service-learning efforts took place in all 82 Mississippi counties.

• Eight hundred twenty (820) Mississippi State students participated in 23 service-learning classes.

• Twenty-nine (29) community partners collaborated with MSU faculty and students.

• Six (6) MSU faculty and two Extension agents received CASLE minigrants to fund service-learning projects • Four (4) students received the Dawn Brancheau Service-Learning Scholarships to help offset tuition fees and to fund individual service-learning projects.

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M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y E X T E N S I O N S E R V I C E

GENERAL STATS CASLE facilitated service-learning classes in the following academic colleges in fall 2015 and spring 2016 semesters: Academic college

Number of service learning classes

Number of service learning instructors

Number of community partners engaged

Number of student participants

Number of hours volunteered*

Dollar equivalent contributed to local community**

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

10

10

12

249

4,980

$97,608

College of Architecture, 3 Art, and Design

3

3

49

980

$19,208

College of Arts and Sciences

3

3

3

74

1,480

$29,008

College of Education

3

3

3

65

1,300

$25,480

James Worth Bagley College of Engineering

4

5

8

383

7,660

$150,136

TOTALS

23

24

29

820

16,400

$321,440

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

* Average 20 hours per student. ** Calculated using 2014 Independent Sector’s Mississippi hourly volunteer rate of $19.60 (https://www.independentsector.org/volunteer_time).

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COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES CASLE facilitated the following 2015-16 service-learning classes taught in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Instructor

Course

Community Partner

Outcome

Carley Calico School of Human Sciences

AIS 3333: Presentation in Agricultural and Life Sciences (20 students)

Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge: Dr. Stephen Meyers and Dr. Jason Ward

Students developed products from cull sweet potatoes, including cattle feed.

Dr. Charles Freeman School of Human Sciences

HS 4990: The Design Process (20 students)

Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge: Dr. Stephen Meyers and Dr. Jason Ward

Students investigated using cull sweet potatoes to produce lip gloss, hair dye, and microbial leather.

Corey Gallo Department of Landscape Architecture

LA 4443: Exterior Design/Build (15 students)

MSU Facilities Management

Students constructed a rainwater collection feature in the courtyard of the MSU Landscape Architecture complex.

Jessica Graves Dr. Brandi Karisch Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences

ADS 4221: Capstone in Animal and Dairy Science (30 students)

Local animal and dairy producers: Palo Alto Farm, Heaven’s Jubilee Farm, Bagwell Farm, Little Creek Farm, and Southern Cross Farm

Students worked with local livestock producers to provide scientific solutions to various issues at their farms.

ADS 4221: Capstone in Animal and Dairy Science (30 students)

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4-H Cloverbuds in Clay, Lowndes, and Oktibbeha Counties

Students created a “day at the farm” experience for local 4-H youths.

Dr. Caroline Kobia School of Human Sciences

HS 1533: Apparel Design I (34 students)

Starkville Boys and Girls Club: Jeffery Johnson

Students designed and sewed dresses with girls from the Boys and Girls Club located in Starkville.

Dr. Laura Lemons School of Human Sciences

AIS 3813: Team Leadership in Ag & Life Sciences (30 students)

Catch-A-Dream Foundation

Students proposed and implemented several fundraising events for the Catch-A-Dream Foundation.

Dr. Wes Schilling Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion

FNH 4990: Sweet Potato Food Product Development (20 students)

Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge: Dr. Stephen Meyers and Dr. Jason Ward

Students developed products to be made from cull sweet potatoes, including pizza and tortillas.

Dr. Susan Seal School of Human Sciences

National Association of AIS 4503/6503: International Agriculture Agricultural Education Education (25 students)

Students researched topics to produce agricultural lesson plans that can be used internationally at the high-school level.

Peter Summerlin Department of Landscape Architecture

LA 2544: Landscape Architecture Construction I: Materials (25 students)

Students developed landscape designs to address structure improvements at Needmore Community Center.

City of Starkville: Needmore Community Center

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CO L L E G E O F AG R I C U LT U R E A N D L I F E S C I E N C E S

Beautiful Landscape Architecture Project Educates and Serves MSU Community Assistant professor Cory Gallo’s exterior design/build class in the Department of Landscape Architecture spent the spring 2016 semester developing a new courtyard for the landscape architecture complex. This is the third and last year the course will have students working on the courtyard.

“The design-and-build delivery method fits very well into the service-learning model,” Gallo said. “Students are able to learn about design and construction through a hands-on service project.”

Cory Gallo

The landscape architecture students worked to create weekly reflective journals in which they wrote about past and future activities and drew details of the elements they would implement.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

The new courtyard has multiple gathering areas for classroom activities, native plantings, a flow-through planter, a rain garden, and a central plaza. It also has four winged elm trees that have been dedicated to former professor Glenn Cook who passed away in November 2014. Most of the complex was funded through donations to the department. However, the rain garden was implemented with a $20,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

The finished area will be widely viewed by faculty, staff, students, and visitors. It will have a beautiful deck that serves a functional purpose for the courtyard. Everyone who visits will be able to learn about the sustainable landscape through interpretive kiosks placed at intervals around the space.

The project created several unique features that everyone on Mississippi State’s campus can learn from. Gallo said he is hopeful that several of the stormwater management best management practices will become more widely used on campus as designers and administrators see how they work.

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COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, ART, AND DESIGN CASLE facilitated the following 2015-16 service-learning classes taught in the College of Architecture, Art, and Design:

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Instructor

Course

Community Partner

Outcome

Alexis Gregory School of Architecture

ARC 4536: Architectural Design IV-A (20 students)

Starkville Boys and Girls Club: Jeffery Johnson

Students designed an educational garden with planter beds and shade structures for the local Boys and Girls Club facility.

Leah Kemp School of Architecture

ARC 4613: CREATE Common Ground (14 students)

City of Shannon, Mississippi

Students worked with local stakeholders to design and build structures in the community.

Suzanne Powney Department of Art

ART 3323: Graphic Art Design II (9 students)

Tree Project: MSU’s Department of Forestry

Students created promotional materials and recruitment posters for the quarterly Mississippi urban area tree census.

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CO L L E G E O F A R C H I T E C T U R E , A R T, A N D D E S I G N

Architecture Students Learn and Grow with Local Organization Assistant professor Alexis Gregory’s ARC 4536 students partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle to work on the design and construction of a community garden. They worked alongside several other groups, including the MSU Horticulture Club and College of Education students, to transform the club’s backyard space into a large horticultural area where members can learn to maintain the garden and take home vegetables they have grown.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

Alexis Gregory

The Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle is a nonprofit organization that has a vision to engage staff, local families, and the community, while focusing on appropriate and responsive programs and services that meet the needs of all young people involved in the club. Its mission is to inspire and enable all young people, especially those with the greatest needs, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, caring citizens.

Gregory’s students were able to learn from the Boys and Girls Club about the needs of the young Mississippians they serve. They spent time on site to develop the project parameters and bond with the staff.

This collaboration enabled the students to create an enhanced design. Additionally, the students wrote weekly reflections on their work and created individual booklets summarizing their portions of the project.

One of the students said, “It was a rewarding experience to be able to do something for our community and gain handson experience at the same time.”

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COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES CASLE facilitated the following 2015-16 service-learning classes taught in the College of Arts and Sciences:

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Instructor

Course

Community Partner

Outcome

David Garraway Department of Communication

CO 3333: Advanced Television Production (14 students)

MSU Supplemental Instruction Program

Students produced a highlight video showcasing the Supplemental Instruction Program at MSU.

Dr. Melanie Loehwing Department of Communication

CO 4253: Elements of Persuasion (30 students)

eBaby4u

Students created a persuasive PR campaign for a teen moms’ website, which guides them through pregnancy and motherhood.

Dr. Jason Ward Department of History

HI 3343: Delta History Service and Experiential Spring Break (30 students)

Mississippi Delta Community

Students travelled to the Delta region of Mississippi to work alongside community members and address contemporary issues facing residents.

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History Students Experience the Delta Each spring, Dr. Jason Ward’s HI 3343: Delta History course partners with the MSU Maroon Volunteer Center (MVC) to create a unique learning experience where history comes alive. This year was no exception.

Students enrolled in Ward’s class met once a week to study the history and culture of the Mississippi Delta. Topics covered included the regional importance of agriculture, poverty, education, and the civil rights movement. The class also had the opportunity to hear guest lectures from individuals with expert knowledge of the Delta and its influences.

Once spring break arrived, students and staff from MVC travelled to the region to see and experience it firsthand. Part of MSU’s Alternative Spring Break, the Delta Service Trip seeks to “understand the past, see the future, and make an impact.”

Participants are able to visit historical and cultural sites that are exclusive to the Delta, as well as perform needed service projects for local organizations like the LEAD Center in Sunflower.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

Dr. Jason Ward

One of the highlights of each trip is canoeing on the Mississippi River. This year, due to recent flooding of the area, MSU students gained a different perspective of life on the banks of a large body of water. Quapaw Canoe Company served as the river guides, and students were able to provide trash cleanup as well.

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COLLEGE OF EDUCATION CASLE facilitated the following 2015-16 service-learning classes taught in the College of Education: Instructor

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Course

Community Partner

Outcome

Dr. Kay Brocato EDF 4243: Planning for Department of Counseling and Diversity of Learners Educational Psychology (20 students)

Starkville School District Students worked on a curriculum design for grades 7–12, incorporating intervention techniques.

Dr. Sang Joon Lee Department of Instructional Systems and Workforce Development

TKB 4583: Graphics and Web Design (30 students)

United Way of North Central Mississippi

Students proposed new designs for a nonprofit organization’s website.

Dr. Bethany McKissick Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education

EDX 4133: Methods and Materials for Secondary Disabilities (15 students)

Council for Exceptional Children

Students developed an educational resource fair for parents of special needs children who are transitioning school environments.

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Education Students TEAM Up to Help Children Dr. Bethany McKissick’s EDX 4133 class held an educational resource fair on March 5, 2016, aimed at helping parents navigate the transition of special needs children from one school environment to another. The Transition Based Education and Advocacy in Mississippi (TEAM) Fair, now in its second year at MSU, is a servicelearning project that focuses on diagnostic methods and materials for secondary students with disabilities. McKissick’s students researched and invited a variety of organizations to the event to interact with parents. Representatives from MSU ACCESS and Camp Jigsaw, among others, were able to share information with parents and children about the many benefits of their programs.

Dr. Bethany McKissick

In addition to agencies, area educators had the opportunity to learn more about writing effective transition plans and other essential elements of working with students with disabilities. Students enjoyed the experience as well.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

“It was a very good experience for all involved,” McKissick said. “We were able to physically connect parents with resources. Many of them thanked us profusely.”

“When we began the project, I didn’t know there were so many resources for parents and children in the area,” one student said. “Now, I can use my contacts in my future classroom.”

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JAMES WORTH BAGLEY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING CASLE facilitated the following 2015-16 service-learning classes taught in the Bagley College of Engineering:

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Instructor

Course

Community Partner

Outcome

Dr. Todd French Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering

CHE 4683: Fundamentals of Biofuels Production (48 students)

Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge: Dr. Stephen Meyers and Dr. Jason Ward

Students developed products from cull sweet potatoes, including barbeque sauce and soda.

Dr. Alta Knizley Dustin Spayde Department of Mechanical Engineering

EME 1111: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering (187 students)

4-H Robotics: Dr. Mariah Morgan; Brown & Langston Law Firm: Julie Brown; MSU Autism Clinic: Dr. Dan Gadke; Oktibbeha Humane Society: Christy Crenshaw; Sally Kate Winters: Heather Usry; Salvation Army: Katie Walker

Students generated robotic contest maps and 3D printing activities for 4-H; proposed an interchangeable building sign to advertise downtown Starkville events for the Brown & Langston Law Firm; developed ideas for a behavior-reward machine at the MSU Autism Clinic; designed efficient and affordable doghouse kits for the Oktibbeha Humane Society; developed plans for a recreational area for teens at the Sally Kate Winters Home; and proposed ideas for a new outdoor donation box at Salvation Army.

Dr. LaShan Simpson Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering

ABE 4911/4961: Engineering Seminar (100 students)

Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge: Dr. Stephen Meyers and Dr. Jason Ward

Students developed products from cull sweet potatoes, including catfish feed, a facial mask, and pancakes.

Dr. Lesley Strawderman Department of Industrial Engineering

IE 3123: Industrial Ergonomics (48 students)

T. K. Martin Center: Rebecca Mathis

Students proposed modifications to wheelchairs used by clients at the T. K. Martin Center.

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J A M E S W O R T H B AG L E Y CO L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G

Young Engineering Students Draft Designs to Confront Various Community Challenges For the third academic year, Dr. Alta Knizley and Dustin Spayde taught ME 1111: Introduction to Mechanical Engineering from a service-learning perspective. Their combined classes of 189 students split up into smaller teams and partnered with community organizations in or around Starkville to address a variety of issues.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

4-H Robotics, one of six community partners, asked students to work on 3D printer activities for children, as well as its Dash Robot programming system. 4-H Dustin Spayde Dr. Alta Knizley Robotics also wanted student teams to fabricate designs for robot contest mats. Student groups also worked with the Salvation Army to design a new outdoor drop-off unit to make it easier for Oktibbeha County residents to donate used clothing and household items.

Other groups worked with the Sally Kate Winters Home to design a recreation area for teens. Six groups worked with the MSU Autism Clinic to develop designs for a token-reward machine, which will be used by clients to get prizes for good behavior or mastering new skills. Groups assigned to work with Brown & Langston Law Firm created designs for moveable sign panels that could be used on Lafayette Street. The remaining teams worked with the Oktibbeha County Humane Society to produce designs for affordable, durable doghouse kits that could be constructed and distributed throughout the community.

Student teams worked all semester with their partners to serve the community and gain hands-on knowledge and experience. At the end of the term, each group made a final presentation in which they showed pictures and design illustrations. Community partners selected their favorite proposals to further develop within their organizations.

One of the engineering students said, “I enjoyed being able to apply my ideas for the project, but it was also cool to see my group take my ideas and revise them to make them even better.”

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dawn brancheau service-learning scholars Thanks to the generosity of The Dawn Brancheau Foundation, CASLE awarded four service-learning scholarships for the 2015–16 academic year. Each scholarship provides an undergraduate student with $1,500 ($750 per semester) to offset tuition costs, as well as an additional $500 to complete a service-learning project. Scholarship applicants must be full-time junior- or senior-level students in good standing at Mississippi State University. Following are descriptions of the projects completed by the Dawn Brancheau Service-Learning Scholars.

Brittany Bobo

Madison Buras

Brittany Bobo, a senior in the Department of Art with an emphasis in printmaking, is passionate about people and service. Through her servicelearning project, she sought to use art to uplift the spirits of others.

Madison Buras, a senior in the Department of Biological Sciences with a premedical concentration, completed a project that combined health, fitness, and fun with teaching children.

She loves working with children, and, through her service-learning project, she worked to educate kids about healthy lifestyles, including the importance of nutrition and exercise.

Her project is based on the EXPRESS Yourself (EY) program at the Mississippi State University T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability.

This program was created to enable those with severe physical disabilities to express themselves through art. The EY program goes beyond simple, recreational therapy, as the patients actually become artists by creating viable professional work that is often exhibited and sold.

Bobo became a certified “tracker” and engaged herself fully in the EY process. The T.K. Martin Center operates on grants and donations, so it is not always able to replenish supplies when they are needed. Bobo was able to use money from The Dawn Brancheau Foundation on materials for the EY program.

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She chose to partner with the Sally Kate Winters Memorial Children’s Home to host educational health clinics a few times a month. On her first visit, Buras made smoothies and played tag and other games to show the children that a healthy lifestyle can be fun and easy. She spent the rest of the semester educating the children about the importance of health and showing them how easy it can be to live an active and healthy lifestyle

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Courtney Fancher

Lorianna Livingston

Courtney Fancher, a senior in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science with a specialty in equine science and pre-veterinary medicine, organized an animal health-care day at a local pet products store in Starkville. Her P.A.W.S (Pet Awareness and Wellness Services) for a New Companion took place in March at the Tractor Supply Company.

Lorianna Livingston, a senior in the Department of Art with an emphasis in graphic design, worked with assistant professor Alexis Gregory on an educational garden that was installed at the Starkville Boys and Girls Club. Livingston’s job was to develop graphics that were integrated into the construction and design of the garden beds and two shade structures.

Several local adoption organizations and rescue centers attended the event. Tractor Supply provided tents where the organizations could set up to provide information and encourage pet adoption and care. Fancher worked during the fall and beginning of spring semester to make flyers, posters, and a large banner promoting the event. She also crafted a pamphlet that raised awareness of overpopulation, the importance of spaying and neutering animals, and the benefits of preventatives.

The garden beds were installed in fall 2015, and preliminary work began with the designs. A service ramp and additional storage bins were also completed in the fall. During the spring semester, Gregory and her architecture students completed the remaining structures and had them installed.

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LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

Livingston worked to paint and design the typographic elements that were then integrated into the structures. She also designed and distributed a promotional mail-out to inform the Starkville community about the garden and the recent renovations. This piece was intended to raise awareness and increase publicity for the Boys and Girls Club.

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2015–16 Sweet Potato Challenge Comes to a Close

August 2015 marked the beginning of the second year of the Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge at MSU. The goal of the challenge is to find a market for cull sweet potatoes, which are potatoes that are not purchased by consumers due to their appearance. However, these potatoes are still edible and can be used in many ways.

Mississippi producers have repeatedly identified the loss of revenue on cull potatoes as an issue they would like to address.

Nearly 120 students from engineering, human sciences, and food science began the Sweet Potato Innovation Challenge by brainstorming ideas on how to use cull potatoes. At the end of the fall semester, 36 teams pitched product proposals to a panel of judges.

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From these presentations, nine teams received funds to continue development of their products during the spring semester. In Apri1 2016, four teams returned and did final product pitches for the judges. The winning team of Lee Douglas and Jake Dupree received $2,000 for their deer-attractant product called “Buck Yam.” Douglas and Dupree are pictured above with Dr. Jason Ward, far left, of the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Dr. Stephen Meyers, far right, of the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center.

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MSU Students Address Global Food Insecurity

“There are huge challenges for your generation,” said Keenum in his remarks on the issue of food security and its implications around the globe. “I want all of you to think about how you can impact the world you are about to inherit.”

Ware highlighted the fact that 25,000 people die every day due to hunger. To put that in perspective, he pointed across the street at Davis Wade Stadium.

“It would take less than 3 days to fill the seats with the amount of people who have perished simply because they didn’t get enough to eat,” he said.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

For the second year in a row, CASLE hosted a meal-packing event with international organization Stop Hunger Now. More than 200 students had the opportunity to help assemble more than 10,000 meals. Before the event began, MSU President Dr. Mark Keenum and Stop Hunger Now representative Pat Ware spoke to the students about the importance of their actions.

Stop Hunger Now shipped the MSU meals to Uganda in January 2016.

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CASLE SERVICE-LEARNING MINI-GRANTS PROGRAM

C

ASLE service-learning mini-grants directly support activities related to developing, implementing, or expanding service-learning opportunities for MSU students or 4-H youth. Applicants may request up to $500 for service-learning course or project support. Preference is given to projects that directly impact the expansion and support of service-learning opportunities for MSU students or 4-H youth addressing critical community needs.

DARRELL BANKS

REGINA BOYKINS

Choctaw County Extension agent Darrell Banks created an opportunity to teach 4-H members about gardening, making healthier food choices, selling fresh vegetables at the local farmer’s market, and giving back to their communities.

Regina Boykins, Extension agent in Humphreys County, wanted her 4-H youths to learn more about the importance of community involvement.

She used her minigrant funds to implement MSU Extension’s Keys to the Community program. The goal of the program is for students to connect with local government officials to learn the importance of civic duty.

The Choctaw County 4-H project was divided into two distinct phases. During phase one, the students worked to build six raised-bed gardens.

Students planted a variety of seasonal vegetables after bed construction was complete. The summer garden consisted of tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, and pumpkins, while the fall garden consisted of radishes, greens, and carrots. These vegetables were given to the 4-H cooking clubs for consumption and preservation through canning.

Phase two of the project involved community outreach. This phase introduced the 4-H members to serving their community in two specific ways. They gave some of the vegetables grown in the gardens to needy families in Choctaw County through a local food pantry. This activity enabled the 4-H students to directly engage their community. They took another portion of vegetables to sell at a local farmers market. Funds from the sale were used to purchase seeds for next year’s planting.

The 4-H members will continue planting vegetables every year and maintaining the six newly constructed beds throughout the growing season under the supervision of Banks and other adult 4-H volunteers.

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M I S S I S S I P P I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y E X T E N S I O N S E R V I C E

Students visited the local courthouse, the town museum, and other attractions to speak with officials. They also organized an antilitter campaign for Humphreys County and worked in the Belzoni Community Garden. At the conclusion of the program, students shared their new knowledge with the community at a graduation ceremony.

Any Mississippi State University faculty member (full- or part-time) or Extension agent is eligible to receive a mini-grant. Funding must be spent by the end of the fiscal year and cannot be used to pay for student or faculty salaries. Recipients must also complete a mid- and year-end project report documenting how funds were spent.

Eight service-learning mini-grants were awarded to Mississippi State faculty in the 2015–16 academic year. Pages 22 and 23 feature a few highlighted projects.

JESSICA GRAVES AND DR. BRANDI KARISCH

DR. SANG JOON LEE

Jessica Graves and Dr. Brandi Karisch’s students in the Department of Animal and Dairy Science were tasked with finding a way to show local kindergartners about the realities of working with animals. The Afternoon on the Farm project is part of the ADS 4221 capstone course. Groups of MSU students created stations where the kindergarten students could see and learn about working with sheep, cows, and pigs.

Dr. Sang Joon Lee’s TKB 4583: Graphics and Web Design class partnered with United Way of North Central Mississippi (UWNCMS) to address the organization’s need for a new website.

LEARN • SERVE • BECOME

The event was designed to challenge MSU students to apply knowledge they had learned during their academic careers into information that a kindergartner could understand. For example, they helped the children use balloons, shaving cream, and tongue depressors to simulate sheep shearing. Both Graves and Karisch feel that the topic of farm animals is of particular importance as children are increasingly out of touch with where their food comes from. Their ADS students provided a way for local children to interact with livestock through unique hands-on activities.

Established in 1979, UWNCMS is an organization comprised of community volunteers from a variety of areas who work to positively impact their communities on a daily basis. They build relationships with other public agencies and work together to make a positive impact and change the lives of community members by providing a wide variety of programs and services.

UWNCMS is accountable to the public for the distribution of their donated funds. They enable people who have donated to decide where their money goes to best benefit their community.

The class met with UWNCMS Executive Director Candy Crecink and members of the Communications Committee to hear their visions for the new website. UWNCMS’s website had not been updated in a while, and their leadership felt a redesign was essential for potential clients and donors. The students divided into groups and worked on designs for a new website for the organization.

At the end of the end of the semester, the class presented its proposals to the United Way team, who decided which plan they would implement.

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contact us

Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence (CASLE) 311C Bost Extension Drive Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS 39762 (662) 325-2370 casle@servicelearning.msstate.edu http://servicelearning.msstate.edu/ Center for the Advancement of Service-Learning Excellence

CASLE would like to offer a special thanks to Joshua Rushing of the MSU Department of Communication, as well as Robyn Hearn and Gina Daly of the Department of Agricultural Communications, for their help in completing this publication.

Copyright 2016 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and June 30, 1914. GARY B. JACKSON, Director.

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