Summit Park Leadership Community 2007-2008

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.

Golden Arches Girls: Ronald McDonald House Charities

Valerie Abbott, McKenzi Cotton, Amber Daniels, Katie Hungerford

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Greg Renoff
Community Advisor: Staci Holland, Ronald McDonald House Charities

Goal: The Golden Arches Girls plan to volunteer at the RMHC with craft sessions, meal preparations, helping with maintenance of the building, and facilitating fundraising events. Through this process, the Golden Arches Girls will seek to improve the lives of families that have been affected by illness or disease, and the stress associated with it.

Website: http://jonah.drury.edu/vabbott/

The Fine Arts Experience: Boys and Girls Town

Drew Reap, Brett Hiebert, Travis Smith, Rebecca Mathews, Chelsea Miller, Lainie Vansant, Lindy Harp

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Allin Sorenson
Community Advisor: Ashley Ramsdell, Boys and Girls Town

Goal: The Fine Arts Experience will be working in conjunction with the Boys and Girls Town of Missouri to facilitate a fine arts camp for residents. They will visit the community every other Saturday to engage the residents in fine arts activities such as theater, drawing, music, and dance.

Website: http://www2.drury.edu/dreap/Contact%20Info.html

Home Improvement: Habitat for Humanity

Craig Dunseth, Greyson Broce, Tyler Bray, Mike Fuge

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Valerie Eastman
Community Advisor: Anna Codutti, Habitat for Humanity

Goal: Home Improvement will volunteer with Drury’s Habitat for Humanity chapter to raise awareness of the organization, help with site builds of Drury’s Sustainable house, and recruit volunteers for the construction site.

Website: http://www2.drury.edu/tbray/index.htm

Building Better Boydies: Boyd Elementary School

Adam Veteto, Kinjal Majumder, Dugan Corsolini, Zack Webb, James Carr, Zach Cinkosky, Victor Akunyili, Bertrand Bwashi

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Mark Wood
Community Advisor: James Grandon, Boyd Elementary School

Goal: Building Better Boydies is fighting the growing trend of childhood obesity by offering a sports-focused after school club at Boyd Elementary School. While the group will plan and implement weekly sports activities, the focus will also include teaching youth about the value of healthy snacks as an alternative to junk food.

Family Violence Center

Malorie Cashel, Brittany Crouthers, Ashley Gilchrist

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Elizabeth Nichols
Community Advisor: Carla Trammill, Family Violence Center

Goal: This group will serve as volunteers at the Family Violence Center, a local domestic abuse shelter for women and children. The students will volunteer with maintenance of the facilities, answering the phones, and assisting with fundraising events.

Website: http://www.drury.edu/ransom/ourpage.html

The Kitchenettes: The Kitchen/Missouri Hotel

Danielle Budnicki, Katie Cash, Sarah Davis, Marlana Horner, Elise Mikaloff, Amy Russell, Ashley Trantham, Katherine Wiesehan

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Regina K. Waters
Community Advisor: Clint Thomas, The Kitchen/Missouri Hotel

Goal: The Kitchenettes plan to enrich and expand upon the services offered by The Kitchen, Inc. by volunteering with meal preparation, the Free Clinic, and the clothing resale store. The group also plans to coordinate an environmentally-friendly outdoor revitalization project.

Website: http://www2.drury.edu/kwiesehan/

B3: Boyd's Buddy Builders – Boyd Elementary School

Maria Rettinger, Jessica Maurer, Jannelle Engel, Sarah Fulk

Faculty/Staff Advisor: Peter Meidlinger
Community Advisor: James Grandon, Boyd Elementary School

Goal: B3 will volunteer at Boyd Elementary School to impact the lives of children through one-on-one relationships. B3 will promote projects such as Spanish lessons, development of children with special needs, and mentoring with youth who need additional social and emotional assistance.

Website: http://www.thefiveseasons.org/