2005-06 Funded Civic Participation Minigrant Projects

Randall Adkins, Political Science – Model Campaign USA
Sponsorship of a “Model United Nations-style” competition designed to train teams of metro area high school students in the fundamentals of new-style political campaigns and ethical campaigning. Teams of students from metro area high schools will come to UNO’s campus for a “Model Campaign USA” competition, in which teams compete to run the best and most ethical campaign in a fictional 4th congressional district of Nebraska

Blaine Burnham and Connie Jones, IST – Technology Day Camp for Girls
The Nebraska University Consortium for Information Assurance (NUCIA), within the College of Information Science & Technology (IS&T) of UNO, in conjunction with Girl Scouts, will be offering a week long summer day camp to girls, ages 11 to 17 years of age, each day introducing a different area of technology as follows: hardware components of a computer, HTML code for web development, global positioning systems (GPS) and geocaching, podcasting, and programming of robotics. The purpose of the day camp is to encourage and support girls in the non-traditional field of technology through an all-girl, non-threatening environment supported by undergraduate student and professional female role models in the technology field.

Loree Bykerk, Political Science – Pizza and Politics
Project brings UNO students together with each other and informed faculty in an informal environment to discuss current political issues of concern to the students and the community on a monthly basis (spring ’06).

Kathy Danielson, Teacher Education – Poetry Throughout the Curriculum
Sets up a ‘poetry throughout the curriculum’ project in a 3rd grade inner city classroom in Liberty Elementary School to promote reading and writing development that will serve as a model for UNO teacher education students.

Sarah Edwards, Teacher Education – Culturally-Responsive Teaching
Recreation of a course entitled “Culturally Responsive Teaching” to fill the pedagogical needs of UNO students wanting to learn to teach to the diversity inherent in today’s classrooms. The course will include an analysis of the societal and institutional processes and problems which have bearing upon the education of children in urban settings.

Jeremy Lipschultz, Communication – The Podcasting Project
Proposal to purchase three iPods with audio recording and audio/video playback to be used by students in the Computer-Mediated Communication (SPCH 4190/8196) course to create content focused on how college students can become more active in the 2006 Nebraska elections and the 2008 national elections. The CMC portion will focus on guiding online concepts: identity, interaction, community and culture.

Jennifer White, HPER – Women Bound to be Active
Creation of a book club to provide both social support and cognitive behavioral skills, toward the goal of promoting adherence to physical activity programs among women in North Omaha.

Paul Williams, Religious Studies – Morocco Cultural Immersion
Grant will assist instructor’s participation in an eight-week linguistic and cultural immersion in Morocco, an Arabic-speaking, Muslim society to strengthen UNO teaching and research in Islamic studies and also enhance our students’ develop an appreciation for and understanding of the religious traditions of the world – to encourage an attitude of respect for people associated with various religions and to cultivate the students’ ability to discuss the basic ideas and practices of the world’s religions in a descriptive, non-evaluative manner.

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