The Pat Walker Missouri Public Affairs Academy (MPAA) is a way for students to immerse themselves in public affairs for a week.

This year’s MPAA is July 13-20 at Missouri State University. The theme for 2019 is unity in community.

The goal

MPAA is for high school students to learn about issues in communities, here and globally.

Each student will learn about things that affect people daily, including:

• Poverty
• Water quality
• Government relations
• Humanitarian relief
• Citizen activism

During the week, students create their own project, entitled “For the greater good.”

Each student focuses on an issue that affects their hometown. The culminating project works to better the issue. At the end of MPAA, each student puts their project in action.