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Public Affairs Mission: A blueprint for how we can work for the greater good

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The Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy brings talented high school students from throughout the state together to develop their understanding of public affairs.  Judith Rowland, a 2005 Academy graduate and Missouri State University alum, was inducted into the Missouri Public Affairs Hall of Fame in 2017.  She us an insight to how Public Affairs plays a role in her life now, and shared advice to future MPAA participants.

Learn more about Judith Rowland’s advocacy work

Judith Rowland participated in the Missouri Public Affairs Academy as a high school student. Her work continues to be rooted in public affairs.

  1. What impact did the Missouri Public Affairs Academy have on you as a high school student?

 

MPAA helped me to better understand how I can bring my passions together in a way that serves our state and the greater good. The Academy helped me connect the dots between the topics I was learning about in my high school and ways that I could use those lessons to help address poverty, homelessness, hunger and other issues impacting both our state and our world. As part of the academy I had an opportunity to form lasting relationships with other students from across the state – some of which endure now, 15 years later!

  1. The focus of MPAA is “working for the greater good.”  How do you integrate this and Public Affairs into your life?

My objective is to ensure that every aspect of my life, from my career to the way I spend my weekends, helps to benefit the communities I’m blessed to be part of. Missouri State’s focus on ethical leadership, community engagement and cultural competence is a strong blueprint for how we can each work for the greater good.

  1. What advice would you give Missouri high school juniors interested in MPAA?

Attending MPAA is a great opportunity to gain exposure to the many career paths that allow promising students in Missouri to have a positive impact on our state.

The MPAA has three main goals:

  • To help students understand their role as citizens working “for the greater good”
  • To provide a forum for discussion with distinguished speakers including community leaders, government officials, journalists, and university professors
  • To provide students with the leadership skills necessary to become actively involved in their communities

Bear Pantry uses hydroponics to provide fresh food

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Darr College of Agriculture graduate students, Scott Cooley and Korey Harper, developed a hydroponics system and germination system for the Bear Pantry in Fall 2020.  In addition to designing the systems, these students trained the Bear Pantry staff on maintenance and food production.

These systems allow the Bear Pantry to provide consistent fresh produce to MSU community members in need.  Leafy greens are currently being grown and distributed.  Bear Pantry members can request fresh produce while shopping in person or filling out an online order form.

 

 

 

 

The hydroponics system is already popular amongst Bear pantry visitors.  One comment left by a student said:

“Love the fresh grown greens!”

This is one of many ways the William H. Darr College of Agriculture supports the Bear Pantry’s mission to reduce food insecurity.

Graduate student, Scott Cooley, teaches the Bear Pantry staff about the system.

Learn more about the Darr Collage of Agriculture

Learn more about the Bear Pantry

 

MSU Campus Garden supports Bear Pantry with fresh produce

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The Bear Pantry and the MSU Campus Garden are working together to provide healthy food to the Missouri State University community.  As a key partner the Bear Pantry, MSU Campus Garden has provided more than 350 lbs of fresh produce.  Bear Pantry members can choose from a variety of produce from the garden through in-person shopping or online orders.

Garden managers and volunteers bring a freshly picked harvest to the Bear Pantry.

Serve. Educate. Grow.

The MSU Campus Garden is a student managed sustainability project made possible by the Sustainability Commission and Student Government Association. The project allows students to supplement their traditional education with hands on applications that also benefit the community.

The mission of the MSU Campus Garden is to serve as an all-natural educational resource for the University that provides fresh nutritional produce to fellow students and members of the campus and Springfield communities and to serve as an environmentally and socially sustainable resource for service learning on campus.

 

Learn more about other sustainability efforts at Missouri State

Learn about how you can support the Bear Pantry

Putting a spin on ramen: Southwest ramen noodles

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The Bear Pantry and the Nutrition and Dietetics department are partnering to promote healthy eating choices, while decreasing food insecurity on campus.

MSU Dietetic Intern, Kelsey, demonstrated how to put a healthier spin on ramen noodles with ingredients found in the Bear Pantry.

Southwest ramen noodles can me made with ingredients found in the Bear Pantry.

Ingredients

  • 1 packet of ramen instant ramen noodles 
  • ¼ cup black beans, drained and rinsed 
  • ¼ cup canned corn, drained, and rinsed 
  • ¼ cup canned diced tomatoes with green chiles 
  • ¼ cup bell pepper, chopped 
  • ¼ cup onion, chopped 
  • Reduced sodium taco seasoning, to taste 
Dietetic Intern, Kelsey, conducts a food demo with ingredients found in the Bear Pantry.

Directions

  1. Add two cups of water to a microwave safe bowl, place in microwave and heat water for four minutes. 
  2. Add the ramen noodles to the bowl of water, heat for an additional 4 minutes. 
  3. While ramen is cooking, rinse, drain, and measure out black beans, corn, and diced tomatoes, set aside 
  4. Chop the onion and bell pepper, set aside. 
  5. Once ramen has been cooked, remove bowl from microwave. 
  6. Add reduced sodium taco seasoning and stir. 
  7. Add beans, corn, tomatoes, pepper, and onion to noodles. 

Dietetic Internship Graduate Certificate at Missouri State

This program’s mission is to prepare competent registered dietitian nutritionists who are citizen scholars, with expertise in either public affairs or rural health, who will meet the need of dietetic practitioners across the nation.

Learn more about the Dietetic Internship

Learn more about Bear Pantry

Working for the Greater Good: Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy went virtual in 2020

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Each summer the Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy brings talented high school students from throughout the state together to develop their understanding of public affairs. The Academy combines presentations by guest speakers with discussions, activities and service projects, and gives students the opportunity to learn from talented and accomplished political and community leaders in the state.

The MPAA has three main goals:

  • To help students understand their role as citizens working “for the greater good”
  • To provide a forum for discussion with distinguished speakers including community leaders, government officials, journalists, and university professors
  • To provide students with the leadership skills necessary to become actively involved in their communities

The Academy went virtual in 2020

24 rising high school seniors from across the state of Missouri were selected to join the 2020 class via Zoom,Throughout the week (July 13-17), they discussed with community leaders and professors about how Public Affairs can be put to action.  Each student developed a Plan for the Greater Good, focused on addressing a personal issue of interest in their communities.

Collective Commitment

These student leaders developed the following collective commitment:

The class of 2020 is dedicated to bridging the gaps in our society to connect everyone in a united front for change.

24 rising high school seniors from across Missouri participated in the virtual Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy.

Takeaways from the class of 2020

We asked participants to share one take away from heir experience at the Missouri Public Affairs Academy.  Here are a few:

  • The Academy is so much more than one word.  It is an inspiration to all who are in it.  And all who are in it are able to go out and inspire others.
  • I learned a lot more in depth about what Public Affairs means and how I can connect with my community.  It was a great experience to meet all these people.  It was a wonderful experience for me.
  • MPAA was a lot of different things.  Its was very educational.  I was glad to meet people from all over Missouri to talk about our commitments.
  • The value of meaningful work really stood out to me. Although we weren’t in Springfield, we were working hard to keep each other accountable to create positive change.
  • There are many types of leaders – some lead with their voice, some lead by listening.  I learned that it’s okay to be a unique type of leader.
  • Community.  It was refreshing to work with people from across the state a build a new community.
  • This week I have come to immerse myself in ways that I did not think would be possible through an online platform.  I got comfortable with the uncomfortable and was able to step in my For the Greater Good Project. One phrase I came up for myself: desire to aspire to be someone you can hire.  We are able to be part of a greater good.
  • The value of empathy is so important.
  • There is a lot to say about the Academy.  It motivates me to know that there are people like me around the state who want to do good.
  • This Academy allowed me to adapt to new situations.  I learned what I was able to do with others and how I can use my strengths.
  • I am taking away the value of teamwork.  Creating change is as much a group thing as an individual thing.
  • I will take away the power of listening.  I was able to hear from leaders from everywhere and give and take a lot of good feedback.  Being respectful and open to others’ opinions this week was really helpful.
  • It was interesting to see the broad range of things to be changed in communities, and how we can play a role.
  • The Active Citizen Continuum helped me think about where I am in my community and where I want to be.
  • Perseverance!  As a group, we overcame the barriers that an online platform presents.  Even though we were not physically together, we were able to share about each other and our passions.
  • I really liked all the speakers.  It was awesome to see young people come together to share about addressing issues in their communities.
  • I learned the importance of stepping out of your bubble and seeing what you can do to grow your community.  Seeing things from a new prospective.