Three Projects, One Purpose

At Indiana State University (ISU), community engagement isn’t extracurricular—it’s a cornerstone of how the institution approaches teaching, research, and public service. Across campus, students, faculty, and staff are working hand-in-hand with local organizations to address real-world challenges, applying academic inquiry in ways that tangibly benefit Indiana communities.

Three current initiatives—each supported by Community-Engaged Alliance—showcase ISU’s deep and growing investment in community-engaged scholarship. While the topics range from occupational safety to disaster resilience to sustainable food systems, they share a common thread: students learning through civic action and research that advances the public good.

Building Safer Workplaces through Research and Partnership

Dr. Charmaine Mullins-Jaime, Assistant Professor at ISU, is leading a Scholar-Practitioner Program project focused on a critical issue: construction site safety. In partnership with the Coalition for Construction Safety (CCS), her project investigates the leading indicators of workplace injuries and designs evidence-based interventions to reduce them.

What sets this project apart is its impact on both academic and civic learning. Academically, students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels are embedded in research design, data analysis, and real-world application. Civically, they are contributing to safer working conditions across Indiana—a powerful lesson in how academic knowledge can serve the public interest.

This initiative highlights how reciprocal partnerships between higher education and industry not only produce actionable results but also deepen students’ sense of civic agency.

Preparing Communities—and Students—for Future Disasters

Another urgent issue facing Indiana communities is disaster preparedness. Through the Community Engagement Using High-Impact Practices (HIPs) program, Professor Nathan Myers is guiding students in addressing this challenge head-on.

His project in the Wabash Valley explores how local communities can become more resilient in the face of environmental, health, and social disruptions. Students work directly with community members, civic leaders, and emergency responders—conducting interviews, mapping vulnerabilities, and even co-leading a simulated disaster response exercise.

These activities go beyond theory. They teach students how policy intersects with lived experience and equips them to think critically about public systems. For the community, the project offers actionable recommendations based on student-generated research. It’s a model of mutual learning that enhances disaster preparedness while building student capacity to lead in complex, real-world situations.

Growing Food and Futures through Urban Agriculture

At the intersection of food justice, sustainability, and education is the ISU Food Forest project, led by Sustainability Director Cayle Moreo. Supported through the Community Engagement Using HIPs program, the Food Forest offers students a hands-on learning environment where they engage with agriculture, conservation, and community development all at once.

The initiative is as pragmatic as it is visionary. Students study soil science, composting, pollination, and regenerative farming techniques, while gaining career-ready skills through internships and service-learning. The produce grown as part of the food forest program will be donated to local food pantries to help alleviate food insecurity in the community.

Equally important, the project fosters long-term civic learning by helping students understand their role in promoting sustainability and resilience. Public workshops, youth engagement, and partnerships with local organizations extend the Food Forest’s impact well beyond campus borders.

A Culture of Commitment at ISU

These three projects reflect more than isolated pockets of innovation—they are part of a broader institutional culture at Indiana State University that prioritizes community engagement, reciprocal partnerships, and applied scholarship.

Through its sustained collaboration with the Community-Engaged Alliance, ISU continues to demonstrate how higher education can act as a vital force in public life. By aligning academic programs with community priorities, ISU is preparing the next generation of civic-minded leaders—students who understand that real learning happens when it’s connected to real change.