MSU FOUNDATION ENGAGEMENT + SERVICE = OUTREACH ANNUAL REPORT 2014-2015 MSU is an AA/EEO university. AA/EEO MSU is an MSU Foundation • Post Office Box 6149 • Mississippi State, MS 39762 • 662.325.7000 • www.msufoundation.com • • 662.325.7000 MS 39762 State, Mississippi 6149 • Box Office • Post MSU Foundation Mississippi State University Foundation ENGAGEMENT + SERVICE = Outreach Annual Report 2014-2015 : 1 The people forming our Infinite Impact logo represent the more than 20,000 MSU students, who will potentially impact the world through endeavors enhanced by private gifts. Over the 138-year life of Mississippi State University, outreach has become an exemplary hallmark of education in true land-grant institution tradition. From its inception, our university has extended its reach into the communities where people live and work as it shares significant strides in engagement and service with all. The university has a wide-range the role colleges and universities play in solving an every day basis, and provides endowments as a impact because of a statewide community problems and placing more students on perpetual way to fund our efforts long term. network of extension and outreach, lifelong paths of civic engagement. At this juncture, private gifts are imperative for T a role as the state’s flagship research At the heart of the Mississippi State beats Mississippi State, and a comprehensive campaign is institution, and a range of degree programs an unyielding commitment to student-centered providing the support needed to drive the university to educate its graduates. Moving forward, programs that address society’s emerging needs. toward its long-range goal of inclusion among those engagement and service remain among the greatest It is students who have a firsthand opportunity to public universities of national prominence. Infinite commitments of Mississippi State’s mission. develop a sense of civic responsibility and learn Impact: The Mississippi State University Campaign Because of its willingness to lend assistance, leadership skills to make a positive difference. Such is an aggressive, but realistic endeavor to take our the university has been perennially recognized for experiences will enrich the learning process for them institution to the next level of greatness. its tremendous service strengths. Most notably, and provide essential community services. By way Infinite Impact has an ultimate goal—positively Mississippi State currently holds the coveted of collaborations between talented students and changing lives through the work of Mississippi Community Engagement Classification from esteemed professors, the state’s sectors can grow, State’s people—its faculty, staff, and students. In the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement compete, and prosper. this third report of our campaign series, the MSU of Teaching for its support of “dynamic and Mississippi State remains committed to Foundation proudly showcases a host of Bulldogs, noteworthy” outreach and service-learning activities. expanding partnerships with business and industry, whose camaraderie and outreach efforts help Further adding to its reputation, Mississippi communities, local governments, health agencies, engage citizens everywhere in service learning for State has been a finalist for The President’s and public education to promote economic the betterment of life now and in the future. Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, development and increased opportunities for exemplifying its founding principle of providing life- citizens. Private support from alumni, friends, and changing service. The program annually highlights corporations helps us pursue these partnerships on Our impact of outreach starts now. Annual Report 2014-2015 : 3 OUTREACH : Carl Small Town Center Baptist Town was like a lot of small town neighborhoods in the Mississippi Delta. The culturally rich community in east Greenwood was facing a weakening economy and declining quality of life. While many saw no hope for the struggling community, Mississippi State University’s Carl Small Town Center recognized Baptist Town Carl Small Town Center as an opportunity with DESIGNS A BRIGHTER FUTURE enormous potential. Annual Report 2014-2015 : 5 “| feel like this is a project that just keeps giving.” EMILY ROUSH-ELLIOT OUTREACH : Carl Small Town Center The Carl Small Town Center (CSTC) is a nonprofit organization known as the service arm of MSU’s College of Architecture, Art, and Design. Established to aid and restore Mississippi’s historically and culturally significant communities, the CSTC embodies MSU’s response to a new focus on American small towns, as well as its geographical position within a largely rural landscape. In 2003, Fred Carl, founder of Viking Range Corporation and MSU honorary Doctor of Science recipient, recognized the importance of the Small Town Center to the state of Mississippi and created an endowment to ensure its lasting I impact. The gift further supported operational, staffing, and material needs of the organization, which was named in his honor. Without the additional private provision, the CSTC’s The master plan for Baptist Town reach would have been greatly diminished and many concerns would have remained unmet. won the Outstanding Student Project Award from the American Today, after 13 years of continuous collaborative efforts led by MSU’s CSTC, Baptist Town Planning Association. has found its stride again. A renovated children’s play park, updated sidewalks and signage, and the addition of streetlights, entrances, landscaping, and a second park have all improved the community’s appearance. Thanks to the efforts behind the CSTC’s national award- winning master plan, 11 local families have also become first-time homeowners through the establishment of affordable housing. “I feel like this is a project that just keeps giving,” said Emily Roush-Elliot, Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow. An employee of MSU’s CSTC, in conjunction with the Greenwood-Leflore- Carroll Economic Development Foundation, Roush-Elliot was tasked with implementing the major components of the Baptist Town master plan. “The greatest moment probably hasn’t even happened yet, but installing these houses and watching people move in—it’s the biggest moment so far.” Annual Report 2014-2015 : 7 OUTREACH : Carl Small Town Center Each year, emerging architects are selected as Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellows to serve low and moderate-income communities through partnerships with local organizations. The MSU CSTC’s Baptist Town project was one of only four in the nation to work in cooperation with an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow in 2013. “We had worked on plans for Baptist Town for several years, but weren’t able to fully implement any of them until we had involvement from people in the community,” said John Poros, CSTC director and associate professor for the MSU School of Architecture. “Once we received enough support to secure Emily’s position and relocate her to Baptist Town, it really put our ‘boots on the ground’ and allowed the project to take off.” In May of 2015, the Baptist Town Community Center celebrated its grand opening. A part of the CSTC’s master plan for the town, the space will facilitate youth education and community activities. Members of the community will manage the center, encouraging leadership within the small town. In addition to material assets, Baptist Town residents are also receiving valuable experiences. Employment opportunities through project executions, job training, credit-counseling sessions for first-time homeowners, and participation in overall decision-making are just a few of the ways residents can build upon their personal skillsets while contributing to their neighborhood. “It’s not just about the physical matters; it’s also about the development of the “ It’s not just about the physical community and its workforce,” said Poros. “We are training the local citizens and matters; it’s also about the paying them to work on jobs, which essentially gives them new skills to help grow and provide for their community. Being involved in the actual labor also instills a development of the community deeper sense of pride in the prosperity and future of their hometown.” and its workforce.” The CSTC’s main objective is to equip Baptist Town residents with both the JOHN POROS physical capacities and experience needed to operate and maintain the successful community without external support. 8 : Mississippi State University FOUNDATION In their respective roles as CSTC assistant director and director, Leah Kemp and John Poros collaborate on ways to incorporate hands-on student engagement into their projects. A row of new homes gives community residents a fresh start. “It is truly rewarding to see a project that you worked on from start to finish become part of the built environment.” CHRISTOPHER ESTILL OUTREACH : Carl Small Town Center Other progressive endeavors of the CSTC include hosting annual conferences for public officials regarding community planning and development, sponsoring the Placemakers Competition for the redesigning of outdoor gathering spaces within the School of Architecture, and researching Mississippi’s suburban development to form an outreach and advertising campaign about its influence. Additionally, Future goals for the more recent achievements for the CSTC include articulating a more effective transit Baptist Town project schedule and the construction of several bus shelters for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, as well as the