Morehead State concludes second annual March to Service

Morehead State University students and faculty once again engaged in projects across the community during the Second Annual March to Service last month. Faculty used content knowledge to make a difference, with over 40 faculty serving as project leads to develop service-learning opportunities for individuals and teams. Each of the 24 projects in this year's March to Service provided students with meaningful experiences to apply their classroom knowledge in ways that have a community impact.

March to Service for 2024 included these projects:

• The Department of Engineering Sciences partnered with the Rowan County Public Library to offer a community event about light pollution. Students walked participants through activities related to skyglow, the orange halo seen over city centers at night, and light trespass, which is light that enters unwanted spaces that can disrupt individuals' circadian rhythms. "Light pollution has a wide variety of negative impacts on animals, society, and the environment. Whether it's through disrupting animal behavior, preventing people from viewing the sky at night, or causing air pollution through wasting energy, light pollution is a serious issue that we face,” said Dr. Kevin Adkins, assistant professor of physics. “My colleagues, students, and I were glad to partner with Rowan County Public Library to share this information with those in attendance, and we look forward to building upon this work next year." They were led by Dr. Kevin Adkins, assistant professor of physics, and Dr. Jennifer Birriel, professor of physics. 
• Students in Assistant Professor of Marketing Dr. Lucas Lunt's Services Marketing's Level Up course worked with local businesses and MSU departments to help them better reach their audiences. This course gave the students experience developing their professionalism skills. “By building collaborative marketing plans and sharing knowledge with community partners, much of the students' work will be sustainable,” Lunt said. “This can lead to furthering economic development or boosting student enrollment, depending on the stakeholder that students worked with." 
• The Department of Music, Theatre & Dance created more than a dozen opportunities for our students to perform at local venues. Dr. Ben Morris, assistant professor of saxophone, said that "these performances sought to meet the community where they are, whether this was at local schools or nursing homes, and get them involved in the joy of making music."
• Faculty and students from MSU's Teacher Education Program (TEP) promoted civic engagement among high school seniors in Floyd County, Rowan County, and Johnson County by helping eligible students register to vote – assisting more than 150 students register to vote. "Voter participation has been declining in recent years, so we hope to reverse this trend by encouraging the next generation to get involved and use their voice,” said Dr. Lesia Lennex, professor and secondary educator coordinator. “My students and I were encouraged by the enthusiasm and willingness to learn among the high school students we helped register to vote." 

"Each of these service projects has given our students the opportunity to apply their learning in the community in ways that are meaningful and real. It is our hope that students learn how they are valuable members of the community right now and how they can continue to make an impact in the future," says Andrew Sexton (Class of 2020, 2022), coordinator of service learning. "Morehead State University appreciates the time and effort of all the community partners and faculty who have made the March to Service possible."

Students participating in March to Service projects, or any other service-oriented opportunity are encouraged to submit a reflection of their experience for consideration for the Spring 2024 Presidential Community Engaged Eagles list.

Community partners interested in working with Morehead State University for future service projects can complete a survey.

For more information about the Center for Career Development and Experiential Education, call 606-783-2233 or email careerservices@moreheadstate.edu.