July 24, 2024

BATON ROUGE—Four $5,000 grant recipients were selected by the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication to implement local projects through the Center’s community capacity-building program.

“The Community Collaborative: By the Community, For the Community” is an initiative that empowers Louisiana residents to engage in collective decision-making and development within their local communities. Participants submit grant applications for projects that target the needs of communities throughout the state.

The grantees are as follows:

• Chris Adams: Farming Is an Art
  • “Farming Is an Art” will facilitate collaboration between local artists and farmers on pieces that celebrate the importance, joy, struggles and rewards of sustainable agriculture. Resulting artwork will be shared with the public through Second Saturday ArtWalk in downtown Lafayette.
• Paula Belanger: Level Up Latino Workforce
  • “Level Up Latino Workforce” will conduct a survey to understand the needs of immigrant Latinos with professional credentials in Louisiana. It is intended to identify pathways for easier integration into the workforce.
• Dymonesha Brown: Conqueror Community Savings Program
  • The “Conqueror Community Savings Program” will provide a 10-week savings program to teach financial literacy skills to individuals in Baton Rouge communities.
• Chelsea Murry: Black Women Educators Research Project: Why Black Women Stay in K-12 Schools
  • The “Black Women Educators Research Project” will utilize a networking conference to explore the journeys of Black women educators in K-12 schools. The intent is to amplify their voices, addressing why Black women teach and what sustains their commitment to teaching.

“The Reilly Center team is excited to assist this year’s grantees in bringing their projects to life,” said Reilly Center Director Jenée Slocum, Ph.D. “Each participant has demonstrated an inspiring commitment to helping their communities.”

The Community Collaborative program features a four-part training session focused on community engagement, project development, branding, communication and grant writing. Workshops are led by Katie Knobloch, Ph.D., the 2023-24 Reilly Center Public Policy Fellow and an associate professor of communication studies at Colorado State University.

To view the complete cohort, visit the Reilly Center’s website: https://www.lsu.edu/manship/research/centers-labs/rcmpa/community_collaborative_cohort_2024.php.

For more information, contact acharbonnet1@lsu.edu.

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The Community Collaborative: By the Community, For the Community at the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is designed to enhance citizens’ ability to actively engage in community planning and decision making for the betterment of local well-being. Greater capacity ensures community members are better able to assess needs, identify solutions, and utilize resources to address local challenges.

The Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs is partnership-driven, action-oriented and dedicated to exploring contemporary issues at the intersection of mass communication and public life. Its interdisciplinary approach draws together experts from diverse fields to advance research and dialogue. The intent is to inspire our communities to think deeply, take action, develop solutions and broaden knowledge. Underlying the Center’s endeavors is to strengthen and advance the Manship School’s national and state leadership in media and politics. Follow us on Facebook @ReillyCenter, X @ReillyCenter, Instagram @lsureillycenter and LinkedIn LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs.

LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication ranks among the strongest collegiate communication programs in the country, with its robust emphasis on media and public affairs. It offers undergraduate degrees in public relations, journalism, political communication, digital advertising and pre-law, along with four graduate degree programs: Master of Mass Communication, Ph.D. in Media and Public Affairs, Certificate of Strategic Communication and a dual MMC/Law degree. Like us on Facebook @ManshipSchool, or follow us on X @ManshipSchool, Instagram @ManshipSchool and LinkedIn LSU Manship School of Mass Communication.