Summit Park Leadership Community 2008-2009

The Summit Park Leadership Community engages Drury University students in an experiential learning environment that focuses on the principles of leadership while incorporating the value of community service. Teams of students focus an entire year of residency to design, organize and implement a project based on the idea that leadership is a purposive process that is ultimately concerned with fostering change. The students each spent 30 hours during the year with the listed agency providing a total of 1,200 hours given back to the Springfield region.

Regional Girls Shelter

Amber Wine, Makenna Sullinger, Amni McCabe, Spencer Prevallet

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Rebecca Denton
Community Advisor: Kelly Turk, Volunteer Coordinator at Regional Girls Shelter

Goal: Working with the Regional Girls Shelter, we hope to have an impact on the lives of young girls who have been victimized in their past, to ensure a positive environment where they feel inspired to become women with a purpose. With a focus on confidence, we hop to instill the idea of standing up and standing out.

Building Better Boydies

Victor Akunyili, Dugan Corsolini, Kinjal Majumder, Zachary Webb, Toshi Ghosh, Clairese Rykbos, Jessie Bjorklund, Saemi Park

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Mark Wood
Community Advisor: Mr. Grandon, Principal of Boyd Elementary

Goal: The immediate goals of this project have a direct impact on the community; the students of Boyd Elementary will have a free after-school program which facilitates learning and offers physical and mental activities which help to teach students about the world around them.

"Building for a Playful Future: Developing an Eco-friendly Playground with Habitat for Humanity"

Devin Barnes, Ethan Bozarth, Lauren Brown, Audrey Davis, Shelly Pfeifer, Jared Rademacher, Marie Trower, Kyle Myers

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Jeanie Allen
Community Advisor: Nancy Williams, Program Director for Habitat for Humanity

Goal: Our Project, "Building for a Playful Future: Developing an Eco-friendly Playgroud with Habitat for Humanity," is all about providing children living in the Legacy Hill subdivision with a currently non-existent play are. With few sidewalks, the area has little space for kids to safely play in other than the streets and cul-de-sacs. Our project will help change this by providing a safe and protected location for kids to play in, which is also specifically designed for them. Our project also will be environment friendly, using recycled materials and keeping runoff from the equipment to a minimum, as the local eco-system has to manage the water runoff.

Isabel's House

Valerie Abbott, Katy Morrison, McKenzi Cotton, Leanne Roy

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Greg Renoff
Community Advisor: Sherri Eldred, Director of Isabel's House

Goal: The purpose for our team is to contribute to the support, education and care giving Isabel's House provides to children and families who are in crisis situations throughout the Ozarks. The mission of Isabel's is to provide immediate shelter for children from ages birth to 12. This crisis nursery is vital to our community as it allows opportunities to encourage and support struggling families and inhibit future child abuse and neglect. The 2007 Springfield and Greene County Report Card red flagged child abuse and neglect as intolerable, citing local rates as higher than state averages. By volunteering at Isabel's, we hope to serve as positive role models to children who have experienced unfortunate circumstances. Ways in which we plan to be good role models include being tutors and mentors and most importantly offering optimistic, loving and encouraging attitudes.

Tooth Truck

Molly Hague, Nila Manandhar, Jennifer Maire, Shari Chang, Andrew Stone, Ryan Bray, Trent Moore, Dave Holland

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Dr. Charles Ess
Community Advisor: Mindy Wise, Program Manager- Roanld McDonald Care Mobile

Goal: Tooth Truck is aimed at school age children who may not have access to dental care. The Tooth Truck provides dental care free of charge in a comfortable environment for the children, and also emphasizes oral hygiene education. Our leadership effort is directed towards raising awareness of the importance of oral hygiene during these crucial stages of development, and promoting dental hygiene and nutrition throughout the public school system.

Building Better East Grand Afterschoolers

Adam Veteto, Nicholas Pallo, Philipp Richter, Klinton Koechner

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Eltjen Flikkema
Community Advisor: Director of East Grand Afterschool Program

Goal: Working one on one with East Grand students who might not otherwise have any desire to continue their education will affect a great change in the mindsets of these children. By changing the minds of the children, we will be promoting leadership for the future in a community that desperately needs figures to lead.