Missouri State University’s Paws to the Polls (PAWS) student organization has been awarded an Experiential Education for Student Development (MSEED) grant from the university’s strategic planning funding.

PAWS will use the MSEED grant during the Fall 2026 semester to conduct research on civic engagement and community involvement at Missouri State. Although the project will occur mostly on the university’s Springfield campus, other off-campus sites include the Greene County Election Center and area high schools. The group also plans to work with Leadership Springfield and the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC). NAC oversees all neighborhood associations in Springfield.

With the grant, PAWS will coordinate focus groups, surveys, workshops, a voting fair, voter education materials distribution and voter registration events. Later this fall, the students will compile and analyze the data they collect from these efforts.

Between 15-25 PAWS members and other students will participate in the program, according to Dr. Suzanne Walker-Pacheco, faculty advisor to the group. Additionally, another 120-150 student volunteers will eventually participate in the broader program. In all, Walker-Pacheco estimates, the project will reach anywhere from 3,000-6,000 students.

Building a civic-minded university community

The project, “Building a Civic-Minded University Community” (CMUC) asks, “What does it mean to be a participating member of your community?”

“Paws to the Polls, as an organization, embodies experiential learning,” Walker-Pacheco said. “Applied civic engagement—for example, how to register to vote, where to vote and how to find nonpartisan political information—is not part of the Missouri educational system at any level.” The CMUC program, she added, gives students opportunities to learn about and participate in civic activities, often for the first time.

In one example of this experiential learning, the group will launch the first of its three focus group sessions late this summer. Additionally, PAWS students will prepare information for upcoming elections in August and November and install five new campus Voter Information Stations. Strong Hall, Plaster Student Union and Meyer Library will each have one station. Two stations will be located within the Brick City complex.

“The project builds bridges between the student body and its surroundings,” Walker-Pacheco noted. “This fosters a sense of belonging. Students come to believe that they are part of the Springfield community. In turn, this will enhance civic engagement by encouraging students to get involved with local issues and organizations.”

Project facilitates research experience

A key goal of the CMUC project is to give students research experience. To prepare for this fall’s activities, PAWS members are developing research hypotheses, writing surveys, and planning focus groups and workshops. They will use the data collected from their efforts to gauge student perceptions and attitudes.

To compile and evaluate the results, the students will use applied research using mixed method data collection. The data will come primarily from the focus group and survey materials. They will compare their research hypotheses with this data to analyze student participation and predicted voting-related attitudes. Walker-Pacheco noted that these attitudes are unrelated to political party affiliation and views.

PAWS will share the results through social media summary posts, a public affairs presentation sponsored by the Office of Public Affairs Support and various campus media outlets.

Potentially, the group will also coordinate with the Department of Communication, Media, Journalism and Film to produce an informational video. The group hopes to publish their research in academic journals as well.

Making a difference

Students tell Walker-Pacheco that they participate in PAWS because they want to make a difference. She believes the MSEED grant will help them achieve that goal.

“[Students] value the opportunities PAWS provides for hands-on, real-world experience that develops leadership skills and makes them career ready,” she said. “More importantly, they are motivated by a desire to understand and participate in democracy. This experience will help foster a greater sense of belonging and purpose for students.”

Visit Paws to the Polls

Photo provided by Suzanne Walker-Pacheco.

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