MU students work with New Concord on economic revitalization project
NEW CONCORD – Students from Muskingum University recently participated in the 23rd annual Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative symposium.
The symposium is a capstone for the program, which includes a for-credit fall course where students design and lead their own applied research projects to help address a community or economic need in their region.
Muskingum students presented their work with the Village of New Concord, which was a community assessment focused on place-based applied research for enhancing cultural tourism and walkability for economic revitalization.
Muskingum was one of 12 Appalachian institutions selected to participate. Local students involved were senior Abigail Dickson of New Concord and sophomore Aiden West of Zanesville.
“The research program is a tremendous opportunity for students to collaborate with community stakeholders and partners on community issues, as well as share their research and findings with peers from other institutions across the region,” said Assistant Professor of Political Science William Toombs.
Geology Department Chairperson Stephen Van Horn and Toombs accompanied students to the symposium. The students, enrolled in Toombs’ Regional Planning course and Van Horn’s Introduction to Geographic Information course, have been working with New Concord’s Mayor Jennifer Lyle.
The students worked with the village to conduct a community needs assessment for improving walkability and access to the downtown business district. The project highlighted local historic landmarks, enhance wellness and eco-tourism through new linkages to outdoor trails and natural resources, improve signage and create a digital story map of various points of interest around the community, helping to build economic stability for the downtown area.
“Muskingum University is committed to providing every student with a high-impact learning experience,” Van Horn said. “The ACRI initiative is a perfect example as our students can apply what they are learning in the classroom directly to these projects. And these projects have a direct impact on our community and region, giving our students an opportunity to see how they can make a difference with their Muskingum education.”
Muskingum’s students joined the nearly 3,000 college and graduate students from 31 colleges and universities across Appalachia that have participated in the Appalachian Collegiate Research Initiative since it was established in 2001. The program has helped Appalachian educational institutions identify and address a wide range of community challenges, including downtown revitalization, outdoor recreation development, education, food insecurity, access to healthcare and more.
The symposium was supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission and organized by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Services.
To learn more about ACRI and this year’s research projects, go to https://www.arc.gov/ACRI/.
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Muskingum University students do community assessment for New Concord
