Advancing Impact Across the Wabash Valley and Beyond
Community-Engaged Alliance is proud to celebrate Indiana State University (ISU) for an extraordinary year of community-engaged scholarship and action. During the most recent grant cycle, Indiana State University faculty and staff were awarded six Community-Engaged Alliance grants, reflecting a deep and sustained commitment to connecting teaching, research, and service with real community needs.
Spanning sustainability, disaster preparedness, early childhood education, public health, construction safety, and service to unhoused neighbors, these projects demonstrate the breadth of ISU’s engagement and the meaningful ways its faculty, staff, and students are partnering with communities across the Wabash Valley.
Community Engagement Using High-Impact Practices
Indiana State University Food Forest Program
Principal Investigator: Cayle Moreo, Sustainability Director
This project centers on an urban agricultural food forest that serves as both a learning laboratory and a community resource. The site provides educational opportunities for K–12 students, university learners, and community members to explore regenerative agriculture practices. Food grown through the program is shared with local organizations to help address food insecurity, blending environmental stewardship with tangible community benefits.
Promoting Community Resilience and Disaster Preparedness in the Wabash Valley
Principal Investigator: Nathan Myers, Professor of Political Science and Public Administration
Through an undergraduate research program, students are examining the current state of disaster preparedness in the Wabash Valley. The project integrates multiple high-impact practices, including service-learning, undergraduate research, collaborative projects, and exposure to diverse viewpoints. Students will ultimately present recommendations to policymakers, community organizations, and other stakeholders to strengthen regional preparedness and resilience.
STEM through Storybooks
Principal Investigator: Youjin Yang, Assistant Professor of Education
This innovative project connects preservice teachers with early childhood education centers and community partners, including children’s museums, to co-develop STEM activities for children ages 2–5. Using children’s literature as a foundation, the project responds to a regional need for more accessible resources that build early STEM skills and literacy while supporting early childhood educators.
Scholar-Practitioner Grants
A Hearing Conservation Program for Elementary Students
Principal Investigator: Min Kyung Han, Associate Professor of Education
Focused on long-term public health outcomes, this project engages fourth- and fifth-grade students in a structured hearing conservation program. Undergraduate and graduate students deliver educational sessions to intervention groups, while control groups provide comparison data. Findings will guide how the program can be expanded to ensure elementary students develop lifelong skills to protect their hearing.
A Data-Driven Partnership for Construction Safety: Identifying Leading Indicators to Reduce Workplace Injuries
Principal Investigator: Charmaine Mullins Jaime
In partnership with the Coalition for Construction Safety, this project identifies and validates leading indicators that can help reduce workplace injuries. The research team will develop practical recommendations and share them through the Coalition’s network, translating data into trainings and practices that improve safety outcomes on construction sites.
MLK Day of Service Grant
Winter Essential Kits for Terre Haute’s Unhoused Neighbors
Principal Investigator: Jessica Starr, Director of the Center for Community Engagement
Grant funding supports the purchase of winter essential kits distributed during the annual Point-in-Time Count of Terre Haute’s unhoused population. This project reflects ISU’s commitment to service-learning and meeting immediate community needs through coordinated, student-engaged action.
Engagement Beyond the Grants
Indiana State University’s involvement with the Community-Engaged Alliance extends beyond funded projects. ISU faculty and students participated in the Idea to Action Incubator, with a project team competing in the pitch competition, and seven ISU representatives from disciplines including History, Political Science, and Applied Medicine attended the Third Way Civics summer workshop.
Together, these efforts paint a clear picture: Indiana State University is not only investing in community-engaged work, but also actively contributing to statewide conversations about civic learning, collaboration, and impact.
The Community-Engaged Alliance is grateful for ISU’s partnership and leadership. These six projects exemplify how higher education can serve as a catalyst for stronger communities, meaningful student learning, and lasting regional impact.