From left, Partners in the STEM Meets Humanities initiative Dr. Robert Daiber, Madison County Regional Superintendent of Schools; Dr. Ed Hightower, Executive Director of the Mannie Jackson Center for Humanities Foundation; Dr. Jessica DeSpain, co-director of SIUE’S IRIS Center and associate professor in the Department of English Language and Literature; Dr. Jill Lane of Lewis & Clark Community College; Andrew Reinking, Assistant Regional Superintendent of Schools for Madison County; Dr. Greg Budzban, Dean of the SIUE College of Arts and Sciences; and Dr. Sharon Locke, Director of the SIUE Center for STEM Research, Education & Outreach.
(Photo courtesy of Mannie Jackson Center)

Innovative digital humanities program coming to schools

It’s no secret that students today are often much more interested in their cell phones and social media than in their text books or whatever may be on their classroom backboards.

Now, an innovative program to both better engage students in the humanities and develop technology-related work skills is coming to Madison County.

Through expansion of its “Toward a Brighter Future” program, Edwardsville’s Mannie Jackson Center plans to introduce “digital storytelling” programs in area schools.

“This project’s digital storytelling studios will provide students the opportunity to investigate and examine generational differences while mastering valuable digital skills, thus empowering them to lead the conversation and reach audiences far beyond those found within the confines of the traditional classroom,” said Jessica DeSpain, Ph.D., co-director of Southern Illinois University’s (IRIS) Interdisciplinary Research and Informatics Scholarship (IRIS) Center IRIS Center.

It is one of several joint ventures planned as part of the Jackson Center’s STEM Meet Humanities initiative to enhance humanities studies through the use of digital technology.

The program will feature two main components: in-school curriculum and after-school digital storytelling studios. A teacher in each school district will act as an on-site coordinator who will lead the project for student participants.

Digital storytelling brings together a variety of activities surrounding a central theme, including blogging, web design, podcasts, oral histories, video production and digital visualization, DeSpain said.

In the after-school studios, students will work with primary documents and archives, learn about digital ethics, and practice web development and other digitally embedded skills, she continued. They will also participate in field trips to interview people at area universities, workplaces and retirement facilities.  

DeSpain and IRIS Center co-director Kristine Hildebrandt will lead this project in collaboration with the Madison County Regional Superintendent of School and local school district leaders, who will develop the curriculum for the project.

The Interdisciplinary Research and Informatics Scholarship (IRIS) Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is invested in connecting to, working with, and helping to document, the people, places, practices and histories of the region as well as a broader international community.

The project will be funded through a two-year, $100,000 Humanities Access Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities and a two-year $100,000.

All Madison County high schools and middle schools are participating in the program, with each school provided a $5,000 grant to cover development costs.

Humanities programs in each school will be tailored to address local issues, according to a Jackson Center press release.

Under the program, student leaders are charge with identifying specific issues facing their schools and communities and developing positive solutions. Student leaders identify issues facing their schools and communities and develop positive solutions.

Local programs are to focus on issues such as respect, dignity, understanding, and forgiveness.

Planning for the local programs began at the second annual Madison County School Summit on Tuesday, Jan. 9, at the Jackson Center for the Humanities, 1210 N. Main St., Edwardsville.

Student leaders are to report on the status on their projects at next year’s summit.

Also last week, J.F. Electric Inc. of Edwardsville donated $50,000 to the Jackson Center in support of programs for Madison County youth. The Madison County law firm of Gori Julian & Associates donated $100,000 to the center.

Anti-corruption task force raids Madison County offices

A newly-formed and until-now-secret Madison County Public Corruption Task Force executed a surprise raid on the Madison County Courthouse, Jan. 10, as part of what a spokesperson later said was a large-scale corruption investigation.

Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Chairman — who on the following day issued a statement in support of the investigation — said that as the county’s chief executive officer, he was issued receipts for computers, files, and other materials taken from eight offices in the courthouse.

Board Chairman Prenzler emphasized that his office was not among those from which materials or equipment were confiscated.

No one was taken into custody during the action.

Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Gibbons, in a press release, said the raid was part of a “larger ongoing” investigation into activities at the courthouse; although he declined to provide details.

“Because of the highly-sensitive nature of the investigation, no comments will be made by investigators or others until such time as is legally appropriate. At that point, we will make information available to the public and media,” State’s Attorney Gibbons said.

The prosecutor said the search warrants executed last week came as the results of “significant evidence” of improper activities that were provided to his office in 2017.

The information prompted the states attorney to form the special task to investigate corruption allegations. The task force remained unknown to the public and apparently most county staff and office holders until the raid.

It includes detectives from the Illinois State Police and other agencies. Deputies from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and conducted last week’s raid; however a sheriff’s department spokesperson emphasized that the department is not taking part in the investigation.

“As County Board Chairman I am committed to eradicating all forms of public corruption.”  Board Chairman Prenzler said in his press release, “I support all legitimate criminal investigations.”

Corruption allegations are not new to Madison County.

A federal investigation into the rigging of tax sale auctions sent former county treasurer Fred Bathon and three convicted co-conspirators to prison in 2013.

A Little Rock, Ark. bond broker returned $340,000 to the county in 2015, after the judge in a civil suit ruled two former county treasurers had purchased $520 million in bonds with no competitive bidding; resulting in excessive commissions estimated at $2 million.

Prenzler notes he was instrumental in providing evidence in both of those cases.

One-on-one small business counseling offered

The Trenton Education Center at Kaskaskia College is offering business owners and entrepreneurs to meet the staff of the staff of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s (SIUE) Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for one-on-one counseling sessions, during a special event, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 31 at Kaskaskia College Education Center, 520 E. Broadway in Trenton.

SBDC staff will be available to talk confidentially with business owners on a range of topics including:

• Business financing
• Marketing assistance
• Social media strategy
• Business plans
• Expansion opportunities
• Buying and selling a business
• State and federal regulations
• Exporting and international trade

The SBDC was established by SIUE to enhance the regional economy by providing new and existing small businesses new ventures and existing small businesses providing one-stop source for counseling, training, research and advocacy. The center serves Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe and Randolph. Services are provided at no cost.

To schedule a 30-minute counseling appointment contact the SBDC at (618) 650-2929 or sbdcedw@gmail.com.

–Metro East Area News Briefs–