293 - How a University Based Center Empowers Undergraduate Students through Project-Based Learning

Abstract Information: Undergraduate research students explain how their project-based learning at the Applied Research and Education Center (AREC) at Indiana University Southeast (IUS) builds employable and relevant skillsets through collaboration on issue-driven evaluation and consulting work for local client organizations. Undergraduate work offers valuable insights on key sociological issues affecting the university service region of eleven counties. Local issues drive projects at the AREC which include community-needs assessments (CNAs), applied research, evaluation of federal grants, and community-based research. Stakeholders including organizations, non-profits, and elected officials use student-produced work to inform strategic action plans, apply for grants, and influence policy change. Students are involved in every level of project execution, from ideation and research design to collection, management, analysis, interpretation, and visualization of data for federal and public-facing reports and presentations. Skillsets developed from project-learning include public data acquisition, creation and utilization of datasets, and usage of interfaces that include NVivo, SPSS, GIS, and Excel. Employment at the AREC provides students the unique opportunity to build skills and network with local community partners that would otherwise not be included in the undergraduate experience. Skills and opportunities obtained through the AREC go beyond the classroom experience in empowering students through sociological perspectives to grow personally and professionally.