Forty-seven students are currently working on their final field service projects throughout Arkansas and the world to complete the Clinton School’s Master of Public Service (MPS) degree program.
The students are partnering with public service organizations on projects related to economic and community development, health care, social inequality, and efficient energy consumption, among other areas. The projects require individual students to work with community leaders to help build healthy, engaged, and vibrant communities, and demonstrate their ability to work effectively in public service.
Through the course, students have the opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired during their time at the Clinton School to real-world scenarios.
“Field service is a major component of our program,” said Dean Skip Rutherford. “Each project reflects on the individual skills and interests of our students and often leads to jobs after graduation.”
This is the third public service project students complete during the two-year MPS degree program, along with a team-based project in Arkansas during their first year and the International Public Service project, an individual project completed during the summer between their first and second year.
Here are some examples of current student projects and project locations:
Nouroudine Alassane (Linguere, Senegal)
Organization: Heifer International (www.heifer.org/Senegal)
Alassane will create a baseline for the Sahel Project prototype using surveys and focus groups to create a baseline benchmark for Heifer’s program in the Sahel region of West Africa. This will serve as a model for all other projects in the Sahel aimed at fighting water and food insecurity, environmental degradation, and poverty among the populations in this region.
Kathryn Baxter (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Women’s Foundation of Arkansas (http://womensfoundationarkansas.org/)
Baxter is developing a toolkit of teen pregnancy prevention strategies tailored to meet the needs of Arkansas communities. Baxter will interview and survey youth-serving professionals across the state and develop an original resource of effective strategies and resources based on the identified needs of participants.. The toolkit will be used by local health education teachers, school nurses, school administrators, and staff of community organizations to implement the approaches that will be most effective in their own communities.
Abby Bi (Washington, D.C.)
Organization: U.S. Chamber of Commerce (https://www.uschamber.com)
Bi is working at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center, which is helping advance the positive social, economic, and environmental impact of business. Bi is creating case studies on circular economies, which are restorative and regenerative by design and aim to keep products, components, and materials at their highest utility and value at all times. Bi is also researching supplier diversity in the international supply chain. The project will explore how to reduce waste in business processes and leverage business for economically empower women, minorities, and small businesses.
Romerse Biddle (Texarkana, Ark./Texas)
Biddle will develop the foundation for a strategic community development plan that will include: economic integration, identification of barriers to full economic and community participation, desires of the community, community assets and challenges, and assist the community in the development of a five-year community vision for the community
Katherine Brown (Pine Bluff, Ark.)
Organization: City of Pine Bluff Economic and Community Development Department (http://pbecd.com/about.html)
Brown is researching supportive housing models for persons with disabilities for the City of Pine Bluff Economic and Community Development (ECD) Department. Brown will analyze best practices, especially in light of existing supportive services within the city, and generate a report specifying feasible housing development models and a review of available grants to implement the models.
Amanda Cullen (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: DePaul USA (http://www.depaulusa.org/our-programs/little-rock-ar/)
Cullen is conducting a needs assessment of the community surrounding the Jericho Way Resource Center in Little Rock. By surveying local residents for their needs and opinions regarding Jericho Way, Cullen will generate data and recommendations to increase community engagement with this organization.. The assessment results will be used by Depaul USA to meet the needs of local residents, build a stronger sense of community between local residents and Jericho Way participants, and to ensure that Jericho Way is known as a resource for anyone to access.
Andrew Forsman (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Department of Human Services (Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support) / Corporation for National and Community Service (www.humanservices.arkansas.gov/dcsns) (www.nationalservice.gov)
Forsman will conduct an organizational analysis of the Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support and spearhead the creation of their logic model and theory of change. He will also collaborate with Division staff to develop a performance monitoring system for their capacity-building efforts.
Georgia Genoway (Monrovia, Liberia)
Organization: Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa (www.gboweepeaceafrica.org)
Genoway is conducting an impact assessment of the Gbowee Peace Foundation-African Girls Leadership Initiative (AGLI). AGLI provides full scholarship, financial aid, leadership, and mentorship opportunities to girls and women in Africa. Genoway will develop a comprehensive report by analyzing information generated from interviews. The report would be used by GPFA to secure funding for expanding and improving the program.
Jennifer Guzman (Washington, D.C.)
Organization: Vital Voices Global Partnership (www.vitalvoices.org)
Guzman is working with the Human Rights team at Vital Voices Global Partnership to evaluate the effectiveness of the “Institute Model” frequently utilized for training and capacity-building programs. The Vital Voices Institute Model convenes local actors from across the criminal justice and service-provider sectors in program-based countries to build a framework for a coordinated response to gender-based violence crimes, thereby improving victim access to justice and services. Guzman is a McLarty Global Fellow at Vital Voices.
Lakaija Wood Johnson (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: UAMS College of Nursing (http://nursing.uams.edu/)
Johnson is conducting a process evaluation of the “A Day in the Life of a Nurse” Program. This event is a one-day component of the “Growing Our Own in the Delta” (GOOD) project that seeks to promote nursing as a career for high school students from the Arkansas Delta region. The GOOD project is supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration. After conducting an assessment of current practices, Johnson will develop & enhance strategies to recruit underrepresented and disadvantaged students interested in pursuing professional nursing education.
Bolton Kirchner (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Arkansas Children’s Hospital (www.archildrens.org)
Kirchner is developing a program evaluation plan for a school-based health center at Franklin Elementary School in the Little Rock School District. A school-based health center reduces disparities in health by providing physical, mental and wellness services where students learn, decreasing the barriers children and their families face when seeking care. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a vital partner in this school-based health center, providing leadership and clinical services. This evaluation plan will help improve clinic processes and in the future it will measure the impact on students’ attendance, grades, and health, showing how this investment allows students to be more engaged learners today and healthier into the future. Based on the experience of developing and conducting the evaluation, Kirchner is also creating and presenting a program evaluation workshop to increase the skills capacity of ACH staff.
Coby MacMaster (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Organization: Office of Mayor-elect Rosalynn Bliss (http://www.grcity.us)
MacMaster is working with local officials to build a roadmap for the implementation of the city’s sustainability goals at a neighborhood level. He will research best practices in environmental sustainability for city and municipality governments, along with ways to integrate these practices at a neighborhood level. By exploring the practices of other local governments and examining what is currently being done in Grand Rapids, MacMaster will provide specific initiative recommendations for the City of Grand Rapids to move forward.
Amanda Mathies (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Department of Political Science at the University of Arkansas- Little Rock (www.ualr.edu)
Mathies will be compiling a large and diverse dataset of individual peacemakers, which will make advanced statistical analysis possible for the first time. The overarching goal of this project is to collect individual-level data from peacemakers in order to better understand peacemaker persistence and success. Mathies will be presenting her findings at the International Studies Association Conference in March of next year.
Emma McAuley (Chicago, Ill.)
Organization: The Field Museum (http://www.fieldmuseum.org/)
McAuley is working with the Field Museum to evaluate the Field Ambassador program, a professional development course for teachers at the Field Museum. She is examining the ways in which teachers continue to utilize the program after finishing their initial year-long commitment in order to help improve the experiences for the teachers. The purpose of the project is to develop an organizational framework that will help to improve the sustainability of the program as well as allow teachers to have more ownership over their experiences as Field Ambassadors.
Molly Miller (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Arkansas Community Health Workers Association (www.archwa.org)
Miller is working with ARCHWA to develop its organizational capacity to influence healthcare systems in Arkansas. By examining the current status of Arkansas’s CHW workforce as well as the training opportunities currently available to Arkansas CHWs, Miller will identify gaps in training that will be used to organize Regional Training Meetings for Arkansas CHWs. These meetings will focus on capacity building through sharing best practices and will empower Arkansas CHWs to take on a more prominent role in the Arkansas health care system.
Ashley-Brooke Moses (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Department of Human Services (Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support) (http://humanservices.arkansas.gov/dcsns/Pages/default.aspx)
Moses is gathering best practices from high school service-learning programs across the state through interviews and focus groups with high school service-learning students, service-learning faculty members, and partnering community service sites. Data gathered from participants will be used to update service-learning program materials and ensure that necessary resources are available for high schools to implement service-learning programs as part of their academic curriculum. By updating materials and providing additional resources for schools, The Division of Community Service and Nonprofit Support will support an effort to engage more high schools in service-learning participation.
Florence Mueni (Little Rock and Monticello, Ark.)
Organization: Vera Lloyd Presbyterian Home and Family Services (www.veralloyd.org)
Florence is developing a best practice framework for transitional programs for youth aging out of foster care at Vera Lloyd. The framework will be used by Vera Lloyd to design specific services that will prepare youth in foster care for independent living.
Michelle Perez (Washington D.C.)
Organization: Vital Voices Global Partnership (www.vitalvoices.org)
Perez is conducting an evaluation of the global mentoring programs of Vital Voices Global Partnership to assess whether these are helping women leaders become more effective, specifically within The Global Ambassadors Program, The VVLead Fellowship, and The Fortune/U.S. State Department Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership. The mission of Vital Voices is to invest in women leaders who improve the world. Their work focuses on deep investments in high-potential leaders to accelerate economic opportunity, expand political and public leadership, and end violence against women. Perez is a McLarty Global Fellow.
Shanell Ransom (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Organization: Wells Fargo Regional Foundation/ Community Development Corporation (https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/regional-foundation/)
Ransom is working to create and implement a documentation system for the Wells Fargo Regional Foundation/Community Development Corporation: Neighborhood Grants Program National Pilot. The documentation system will be used as a progress log to note successes, and deficiencies, and identify processes to change when replicating the program. This project will highlight best practices and recommendations for program expansion and inform future decisions for permanent programs in Seattle, Washington, Houston, Texas, and Baltimore, Maryland.
Maddy Salzman (Washington, DC)
Organization: U.S. Department of Energy (http://energy.gov/eere/buildings/home-energy-score)
Salzman is working with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Technology Office on its Home Energy Score program, which helps homebuyers understand how much energy a home is expected to use and provides suggestions for improving energy efficiency. Salzman’s project focuses on identifying capacity for program growth and developing a program sustainability plan.
Kat Short (Manila, Philippines)
Organization: Community and Family Services International (http://www.cfsi.ph/)
Short is conducting a summative participatory monitoring and evaluation of a Typhoon Haiyan-focused livelihood recovery project. By monitoring livelihood projects and conducting focus groups with beneficiaries, Short will address issues and recommendations, as well as provide an analysis of successful projects. The report will be used by Community and Family Services International (CFSI) to steer future livelihood projects in order to empower beneficiaries in rebuilding their lives and well-being.
Dustin Smith (Zanzibar, Tanzania)
Organization: Barefoot College (www.barefootcollege.org)
Smith is piloting a monitoring and evaluation toolkit for Barefoot College’s Barefoot Solar Initiative in rural communities of Kenya and Tanzania, which will be standardized at the organization. The Barefoot Solar Initiative teaches women from rural communities how to build, install, and maintain home solar electrification systems. Data collected with this toolkit will be used to demonstrate the impact of the Barefoot Solar Initiative to current and future partners and to improve the community electrification process.
Becky Twamley (St. Paul, Minn.)
Organization: Twin Cities Mobile Market/ Wilder Foundation (http://www.wilder.org/programs-services/tcmm)
Twamley is interviewing customers of the Twin Cities Mobile Market to assess how access to healthy food choices influence eating habits and what interventions are likely to improve nutrition and overall health. She will also survey health care professionals at a neighborhood clinic about their role in influencing the nutrition and food choices of their clients. The data collected will set the groundwork for future research linking access to healthy food and health outcomes.
Nathan Watson (Little Rock, Ark.)
Organization: Arkansas Good Roads Foundation (www.argoodroads.com)
Watson is conducting an economic impact assessment to measure the economic impact road development has caused in Arkansas. By analyzing data such as sales tax, industry reports, and employment statistics, Watson will identify any economic change due to road development in the state. This impact assessment will help inform the Arkansas Good Roads Foundation as they create a strategic plan to leverage Arkansas’s transportation systems for economic growth.
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