Centers for Research and Service

Center for Arts in the Schools

As the educational outreach program of Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, the Center for Arts in the Schools offers a variety of educational events for students, teachers and community members. Programs include performances for K-12 students, master classes and workshops, pre- and post-performance activities, and professional development opportunities for teachers that model strategies for arts integration across the curriculum. This partnership between Hammons Hall, the Missouri State University College of Arts and Letters and Springfield Public Schools was established in 1995, and is a member of the Partners in Education program of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 

Center for Dispute Resolution

The Center is a community resource whose mission is to provide training and education in the field of alternative dispute resolution and mediation services to students, faculty, staff, and the community at large. The center offers materials and information about alternative dispute resolution, a speakers bureau, and customized training and technical assistance in mediation for individuals, schools, government agencies, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The CDR has pioneered a number of programs including unique victim-offender mediation programs in southwest Missouri, the Dispute Resolution Network of the Ozarks, intensive mediation trainings each year in collaboration with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Program at the Washington University School of Law, and the Program for Young Negotiators at three Springfield middle schools. 

Missouri Fine Arts Academy

The Academy is a three-week residential program for about 200 of Missouri's artistically talented students who are ready to begin their junior or senior year in high school. The Academy has three primary purposes: To help artistically gifted students achieve their full potential and motivate them to use their abilities in attaining higher goals; to encourage local schools to establish and/or improve programs for artistically gifted youth; and to provide leadership in curriculum development, teacher training, and the development of special materials and teaching strategies that employ interdisciplinary arts instruction to improve education within artistic disciplines and the wider curriculum. The Academy's curriculum is designed to give participants an opportunity to pursue studies that differ from traditional approaches to arts education. Guest lectures, forums, films, and other events during the Academy reinforce and extend the curriculum. 

Ozarks Studies Institute

The Institute seeks to preserve the heritage of the Ozarks, its culture, environment and history by fostering a comprehensive knowledge of Ozarks' peoples, places, characteristics and dynamics. The Institute promotes a sense of place for residents and visitors alike and serves as an educational resource by collecting existing and discovering new knowledge about the Ozarks and by providing access to that knowledge. The Institute enables the university to focus its programs relating to the Ozarks, serve as a clearinghouse for knowledge of and about the Ozarks, and promote scholarly activities that increase our understanding of the Ozarks. The Institute sponsors a major annual festival, the Ozarks Celebration, as well as speakers, professional conferences and workshops. 

Writers Hall of Fame® of America

The Writers Hall of Fame® of America began in Springfield, Missouri, in 1994, and at the core of its existence is a common passion -- the joy of writing. With grassroots activities such as writing camps, scholarships, contests, and partnerships in education, the Writers Hall of Fame® of America remains true to its goal of encouraging an interest in writers young and old. Each year the Writers Hall of Fame® of America holds an induction ceremony, celebrating the works and lives of those who have made significant contributions to the art of writing. Headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, the Writers Hall of Fame® of America was founded in 1994 to foster an interest in writing among people of all ages. The organization's mission is three-fold: (1) to recognize those who made major contributions to writing (2) to stimulate interest in writing among young people and (3) to promote lifelong writing. 

School of Communication Studies

The School of Communication Studies encompasses the Department of Communication and Department of Media, Journalism & Film. The heads of these departments serve as co-directors of the school to facilitate a number of joint ventures and activities in which both departments participate.