Public Service Masters Program In Arkansas

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In Little Rock Arkansas, students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service will be completing several public service projects in conjunction with a number of agencies, community programs and nonprofit organizations. This comes as a part of the Master of Public Service curriculum where students earn academic credit for their work.Unknown-1

Students will be participating in efforts to curb senior hunger, provide service to children and families, and eliminate housing barriers for individuals in need. The school’s affiliate organizations are spread across the state, being able to reach a wide variety of communities such as Hot Springs, Newport, Monticello and Helena-West Helena.

The unique program being offered by the Clinton School allows students to not only address questions of what, where and how to help, but it allows them to practically work through action plans of implementation. Hands on experience like this is hard to come by in an academic setting. The program is an outcome driven experience with end goals of effectiveness in mind for each team of students, 10 teams in all.

The Clinton School classifies this practice under the Master’s degree program which requires three public service projects to be completed. It is referred to as their Practicum Program which includes:

Local Partner Development, which cultivates a relationship with the Arkansas Foodbank. Their mission is to help enhance senior services throughout the community. The teams focus on assessing community resources, bringing groups together and capitalizing on resources to ensure optimal service.

Improving Student Achievement with School Breakfast partnering with the Arkansas Relief Alliance. Student helps to research the effect that breakfast has on scholastic aptitude within school systems.

Housing Accessibility Study partnering with Central Arkansas Reentry Coalition. Studies will be conducted on the housing demand and supply for citizens of the Little Rock community.

To read the full list of the Practicum Program, please see the original article, here.

How to Live Positively Through Mental Strength

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Patrick Moran Living PositivelyLiving positively is a cornerstone of holistic fitness. While at work, the gym, or at home; having a positive mentality allows oneself to be happy and make an impact on the people they surround themselves by and themselves.

First, let’s look at the objectives when asking the question, “How do I live positively?”

  1. You have to learn how to live positively.
  2. Understand yourself and your ego, and how the ego has the potential to negatively impact your life.
  3. Through generosity as a way to evoke positivity and foster an environment of community building.
  4. Always be growing and don’t look at failure as a bad thing.
  5. Be gracious towards others to set the tone for living positively.

When someone is living positively, they simply feel better. That’s the definition of having a positive mentality. They feel more energized and optimistic about the future while being grateful for their past.  Various people search for happiness through a momentary high or a quick fix that typically does not last. True happiness comes within finding peace within you. This peace allows you to turn anxiety into excitement, regret into gratitude, and feat into curiosity. This is the life we yearn for, and this will lead to a much more fulfilling life.

While a major aspect of living positively is positive thinking, the majority relies on turning positive thoughts into positive action. To accomplish this, understanding one’s ego is the first step.

The ego is defined as jealously, entitlement, and resentment. Ego is the feeling of invincibility that an athlete feels after a win, which is essentially a short-term fix that will turn towards depression in the light of a loss (failure). The ego is responsible for making excuses and blaming other people for your failures, whereas someone who has identified this ego has given them the opportunity to move towards independence.

How do we fight ego? Let’s go with the three G’s: Generosity, Growth, and Gratitude.

  • Generosity is the act of selfless giving. The cornerstone of community development thrives off of selfless acts, which eventually brings people together.  Philanthropic activities are vital for a healthy community, and getting involved is vital in today’s society.  Whether it is through time, money, or food; helping others will establish a norm in the community that will foster community growth.
  • Growth is the value gained from meaningful experiences. These can be good experiences or bad experiences. Some of our most vital growth experiences come from our failures and emotional tragedies. With each meaningful experience, you will add to your personal fortitude and self-understanding.
  • Gratitude is an affirmation of goodness. This means that someone exemplifying gratitude is acknowledging that there are good things in their world.  There is a second part to gratitude; however, and that is recognizing where that goodness is coming from. In this sense, someone exemplifying gratitude is thinking outside of himself or herself. True gratitude is a humble dependence on others. It is the people around you that lead you to a happy, positive life.

Hello world!

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This is Patrick Moran’s Site on Public Service and Community Engagement. More posts coming soon.