On June 26, 2024, members of the Missouri State University Ad Team showcased their ideas to prevent targeted violence and terrorism at the annual Invent2Prevent (I2P) spring 2024 competition finals in Washington, D.C. 

Team members Brendan Meng, Jacob Ochoa, Madelyn Ratcliff, Steven Snelson and Macy Williams won second place in the university competition with their C.R.A.N.E. Project (Creating Resilient Atmospheres through Natural Exercise). Courtney Peebles, per course instructor in the department of marketing, led the students to the national competition. 

About the competition 

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), I2P empowers students to help prevent targeted violence and foster more resilient communities. 

Teams are tasked with creating an initiative, tool or product to showcase their efforts in preventing violence. Students present their projects to judges from academia, education and government sectors to win funds to further their initiatives. 

Since I2P began in 2021, more than 1,200 students have participated, representing 119 universities across 33 states and the District of Columbia, along with 138 high schools from 26 states. 

More about the C.R.A.N.E. Project 

The Ad Team created C.R.A.N.E. to prevent bullying and social isolation in schools through physical exercise. 

“The project is a preventative measure that introduced mindfulness to fourth-eighth grade students through yoga and martial arts, so they can deal with negative thoughts in a healthier way,” Ochoa said. 

The team members created a website with information and video lessons for students to follow. They designed mindfulness techniques as desk-based sessions during classroom transitions. They collaborated with Springfield Public Schools Counseling Services, Alley Cat Yoga and Branson Karate to develop original content for teachers.  

The project was piloted in two fourth grade classrooms in Wentzville, Missouri, over three weeks. It reached 50-plus students. 

“Watching this idea be implemented in the schools and seeing the impact on students makes me so proud of all the work we put into it. This has been my proudest accomplishment at Missouri State,” Williams said. 

The Ad Team members received a $5,000 award and formal acknowledgment from DHS for this experimental, prevention-focused learning program. By reaching the finals, the team can now apply for a DHS CP3 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant to expand the C.R.A.N.E. Project.