Community engagement summit takes place next month at MSU
Contact: Zack Plair
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A statewide non-profit organization that works to encourage citizenship, service and responsibility will hold a major event Aug. 12 at Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Ó£»¨µ¼º½.
The 2015 President's Summit on Community Engagement will take place 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the university's Colvard Student Union.
Meggan Franks said MSU and Ó£»¨µ¼º½ University for Women are collaborating with the Jackson-based Volunteer Ó£»¨µ¼º½'s Engage Ó£»¨µ¼º½ program to "help make a difference by connecting campus resources, community organizations, businesses, funders, civic groups and volunteers."
While the event is free, advanced registration is requested at , added Franks, assistant director of MSU's Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement, a part of the Division of Student Affairs.
The summit opens with welcoming remarks by MSU President Mark E. Keenum and Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Secretary of Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Delbert Hosemann, followed by brief presentations by various state non-profit and other groups. Lunch and a series of break-out sessions conclude the day. A complete agenda will be available at the above-listed website.
At lunch, Blake Wilson, Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Economic Council president, will speak on the topic "Building a Business Model for a Charitable Economy," following remarks from MUW President Jim Borsig. Wilson also is moderating an afternoon panel discussion.
"Building on Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Ó£»¨µ¼º½ University's 138-year history of life-changing learning, innovation and service, we are pleased to partner with the Ó£»¨µ¼º½ University for Women and Engage Ó£»¨µ¼º½ to strengthen partnerships with community agencies in Ó£»¨µ¼º½," said Cade Smith, MSU interim associate dean of students and director for the Office of Student Leadership and Community Engagement. "We hope everyone leaves this event with a greater understanding of how mutually beneficial community-based collaboration drives the social, educational and economic progress for citizens across our state."
Established in 1994 as the Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Commission for Volunteer Service, Volunteer Ó£»¨µ¼º½ operates in partnership with the Corporation for National and Community Service, Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Institutions of Higher Learning, Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Department of Education and Ó£»¨µ¼º½ Center for Nonprofits, along with faith-based and community organizations statewide.
MSU, Ó£»¨µ¼º½'s flagship research university, is online at , meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using hashtag #WeRingTrue.