Many of you are considering a meaningful way to “engage in community service, research, or other relevant work” and fulfill your capstone requirement. As you do so, please consider becoming a mentor for the Students Involved in Sustaining Their Arkansas (SISTA) Project.
SISTA is a University of Arkansas organization sponsored by the Brown Chair in English Literacy that helps high school students from all over Arkansas design sustainable business plans for their communities. Proposals this year include the following.
— A proposal from Watson Chapel High School details the creation of a paddle boat business on Saracen Landing, a public pavilion that was completed in 2007 with a walking trail, grill area, wildlife observation decks, a public fishing area, and splash park.
— A team of five students from Mountain Home High School Career Academies propose to create plan for restoration of a local hiking trail and install selections created by local artists.
— Two students at Buffalo Island Central High School propose designing an outdoor market for the Buffalo Island community, bringing together several small towns in an area where there is no grocery store.
— A second proposal from Buffalo Island Central High School details the creation of an irrigation system using piping in order to assist farmers in the Buffalo Island area.
— A student from Har-Ber High School would like to create a project that assists women escape sex-trafficking in Arkansas, focusing on the creation of a safe house.
— In a proposal from Armorel High School, two students detail the creation of a nonprofit tourism organization for Mississippi County, drawing attention to its histories in farming and Native American culture.
Mentorships will last from November 2015 until May 2016.
If you are interested in mentoring students from a select proposal or would like more information, please contact Julia Paganelli at sistauark@gmail.com by Friday, November 6th. There will be an informational meeting regarding SISTA at 3 p.m. in Kimpel 321 on Friday, October 30th.