First-year Master of Public Service students at the Clinton School of Public Service have partnered with nine organizations across Arkansas to launch their 2026-27 Practicum field service projects.
Practicum is the first of three field service projects completed during the Clinton School’s MPS degree program. Teams of first-year students work alongside community organizations to address real-world challenges, utilizing skills in program planning, data collection, asset mapping, and needs assessments to deliver high-impact public service solutions.
“Our Practicum partnerships offer students an unparalleled opportunity to bridge theory and practice,” said Rachel Norris, Director of Domestic Programs in the Office of Field Service. “From Northwest and Northeast Arkansas to the Arkansas Delta, our student teams are delivering meaningful support to communities across the entire state. Through these nine collaborative projects, our student teams are addressing vital issues in healthcare, education, energy, and economic development. We are thrilled to see the positive impact these projects will generate over the coming academic year.”
The community partner organizations for the 2026-27 academic year include the Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Little Rock, Ella the Banker Foundation, Emerging Scholars Leadership Institute at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Little Rock School District, Newport Economic Development Commission, and the Northwest Arkansas Center for Sexual Assault.
The 2026-27 student team members and project summaries include:
Arkansas Advanced Energy Foundation
· Team Members: Abigail Hustead, Cody Harbour, Julien Mrad, and Victoria Hudson
· Project Description: The team is conducting research and stakeholder engagement to help AAEF evaluate how energy costs, infrastructure investments, and emerging energy sectors impact Arkansas households, businesses, schools, and local governments, fostering community-wide economic development opportunities.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
· Team Members: Isabel Crawford, Joseph Winningham, Rachel Carroll, and Tisha Solopa
· Project Description: Supporting the Medical-Legal Partnership between Legal Aid of Arkansas and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the team is evaluating how free legal representation and wrap-around services address social determinants of health and improve long-term family stability across all 75 Arkansas counties.
Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce
· Team Members: August Hutchins, Ayanna Norman, Gweneth Keith-Powell, and Kate Adcox
· Project Description: Working with the chamber’s newly established Nonprofit Roundtable, the team is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to establish shared priorities, foster cross-sector collaboration, and expand capacity for community organizations serving rural Arkansans.
City of Little Rock
· Team Members: Abdou Alassane, Kate Murphy, Samuel Thompson, and Gareth Morgans
· Project Description: Partnering with the Housing and Neighborhood Programs Department, the team is executing a targeted needs assessment to guide disaster recovery initiatives funded through the HUD CDBG-DR program, ensuring housing and economic revitalization following the March 2023 tornado.
Ella the Banker Foundation
· Team Members: Bre’Anna Coleman, Dejhah James, Jordan Hulsey, and Michelle Leyva
· Project Description: The team is researching national best practices to design sustainable, year-round leadership and financial mentorship programming for middle and high school girls in Central Arkansas communities.
Emerging Scholars Leadership Institute (UAPB)
· Team Members: Candise McDonald, Joycelynne Williams, Justice Anderson, and Pouya Parsian
· Project Description: Collaborating with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the team will track cohort progression, address participation barriers, and optimize student retention strategies for the Emerging Scholars Leadership Institute, which serves about 50 students a year.
Little Rock School District
· Team Members: Khushi Modi, Natalie Chidester, Tyren Boyd Jr., Vanessa Martinez, and Nadia Mohammed
· Project Description: The team is gathering data and researching evidence-based enrollment strategies to assist the district in improving middle school student recruitment, retention, and academic engagement across Little Rock public schools.
Newport Economic Development Commission
· Team Members: Alina Aisina, Cooper Horton, Hassan Siddiqui, Miriam Akera, and Jeremy Julian
· Project Description: The team is evaluating business training needs and researching financial and operational sustainability models to help scale Tech Depot, a state-of-the-art workforce development center in Jackson County.
Northwest Arkansas Center for Sexual Assault
· Team Members: Ariyana Muesse, Emily Gilbert, Jayla Jones, and Livia Deitrick
· Project Description: The team is researching national trauma-informed models to design a community-based healing arts program that complements clinical care and empowers survivors of sexual assault through creative expression.