Dubois County is a rural community in southern Indiana with a population of 42,543. Several towns and cities comprise Dubois County, including Jasper, Huntingburg, Dubois, Ferdinand, Birdseye, Holland, Celestine, and Schnellville.
Residents and tourists alike enjoy the recreational and cultural resources of Dubois County, home to Patoka Lake, the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, Jasper City Mill, Huntingburg League Stadium, the historic Astra Theatre, and year-round festivals and celebrations, such as the Latino Culture Fest.
IU staff and faculty worked with Dubois County leaders and residents on projects ranging from women's health to Latinx cultural representation.
Dubois County, Center for Rural Engagement partner on Sustaining Hoosier Communities projects
Indiana University and Dubois County are expanding their community development collaboration with the Center for Rural Engagement's Sustaining Hoosier Communities initiative.
Sustaining involves helping, but most importantly, recognizing the fundamental characteristics of our community and through them, building up a community that supports growth in an equitable manner.
Rossina Sandoval, Director of Community Engagement, Southwest Dubois School Corporation
Projects
The City of Jasper owns a 10.75-acre property at the corner of St. Charles and Truman Roads that includes a grass field, tree cover, and a section bisected by a 500-year floodplain and stormwater shed. These topographical challenges have made traditional development difficult and maintenance costly.
Students from the Kelley School of Business will explore innovative land use strategies and offer recommendations to help the city reduce maintenance and unlock new development potential.
Community Partner City of Jasper
IU Instructor Chris Cook and Scott Burgins, Kelley School of Business
Project Course BUS-A 569 Field Consulting, SPEA-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs, spring and summer 2026
Students from the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs will identify and prepare grants for submission with Dove Recovery House, the largest recovery housing program for women in Dubois and Marion counties.
Community Partner Dove Recovery House
IU Instructor Bridget Anderson, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-V 481 Grant Writing, fall 2025
Students from the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs will identify and prepare grants for submission with Framing Ferdinand, the main street organization in Ferdinand, Indiana. Grants will support downtown enhancement, arts, and quality of place initiatives.
Community Partner Framing Ferdinand
IU Instructor Bridget Anderson, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-V 481 Grant Writing, fall 2025
O’Neill Online partnered with representatives of the Southwest Dubois County School Corporation, the Vincennes University Jasper campus, and the Association of Latin Americans of Southern Indiana (ALASI) to design a resource center model for the local Latinx community. The project investigated Latinx resource centers in similar communities, developed a business plan, fostered strategies for communication, and compiled resources to secure financial stability.
Community Partner Southwest Dubois School Corporation Vincennes University, Jasper Campus ALASI
IU Instructor Trent Engbers, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPCN-V 551 SPEA Connect Week
ALASI, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing barriers to access for the Latino population and expanding cultural competency, sought an updated website design to assist in communicating with their stakeholders and the public. Students in Serve IT developed a new website design, created a plan to sustain the site, and wrote guides for board members managing the site to keep it current.
Community Partner ALASI
IU Instructor Una Thacker, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Serve IT
Project Course Serve IT
Purdue Extension—Dubois County sought to formally identify the needs and opportunities within the county food system. This information would be leveraged to build partnerships, apply for funding opportunities, or guide educational programs. Students examined the local food system and proposed ideas to increase access to local food and education on local food issues.
Community Partner High School Agriculture Teachers Memorial Hospital Purdue Extension-Dubois County
IU Instructor James Farmer, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-R 519 Food Systems and Community Resilience
As part of Jasper's downtown revitalization project, students developed creative plans for the alleyway next to the historic Astra Theater. The mural has been installed by artists Hannah Jones and Blondebrush.
Community Partner Heart of Jasper
IU Instructor Daniel Martinez, Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Participants reviewed the City of Huntingburg's recently updated web presence to determine what content was essential, how the website should be updated, and by whom.
Community Partner City of Huntingburg
IU Instructor Les Morris, The Media School
Project Course MSCH-A 315 Advertising and Consumer Culture
Participants investigated online options for Dubois County to streamline and update its mailing system that is used to familiarize new residents with services and local businesses.
Community Partner City of Jasper
IU Instructor Les Morris, The Media School
Project Course MSCH-A 315 Advertising and Consumer Culture
Participants designed and implemented a new website for Dubois County CARES.
Community Partner Dubois County CARES
IU Instructor Phil Jordan, School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
Project Course INFO-I 300 Human-Computer Interaction Design and Programming
To address the need to immediately alert residents in case of urgent emergencies, Dubois County sought an update to their emergency alert system infrastructure. Participants investigated the feasibility of implementing a "REACH Alert" system for rapid communication with Dubois County residents.
Community Partner City of Jasper
IU Instructor Isak Nti Asare, Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies; School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering Jason Gumaer, Crisis Technology Innovation Lab Sonny Kirkley, University Information Technology Systems Research Community Engagement
Project Course Cybersecurity Clinic Crisis Technology Lab INFO-H 561 Meaning and Form in HCI LAW-B 710 Independent Clinical Projects GRAD-C 516 Cybersecurity Clinic
Dubois County Leadership Academy collaborated with Kyla Cox Deckard and students in the PACE C-100 Leaders and Leadership course to develop updated programming based on emerging community needs and implement new evaluation tools to measure the program’s success.
Community Partner Dubois County Leadership Academy
IU Instructor Kyla Cox Deckard, Political and Civic Engagement
Project Course PACE-C 100 Leaders and Leadership
Participants analyzed the impact of a possible implementation of the Dubois County's Indiana Public Safety Tax, which could potentially support funding for fire departments, police departments, and Emergency Medical Services.
Community Partner City of Jasper City of Huntingburg
IU Instructor Chris Cook, Kelley School of Business Joe Schroeder, Kelley School of Business
Project Course BUS-A 505 Field Consulting Overview
Demand for licensed early learning childcare centers exceeds availability in Dubois County. How can Dubois County increase available quality and affordable pre-k options for families? Students conducted an asset and needs assessment with recommendations for increasing early learning resources in the community.
Community Partner Southwest Dubois County School Corporation
IU Instructor Trent Engbers, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPCN-V 551 SPEA Connect Week
Participants provided social media and online marketing support to Dubois County CARES, a nonprofit coalition focused on empowering youth to be alcohol- and drug-free.
Community Partner Dubois County CARES
IU Instructor Deb Getz, School of Public Health
Project Course SPH-F 330 Leadership Theory and Practice in Youth Development
Participants conducted focus groups and surveys with local stakeholders to learn why more people don't utilize the Jasper Community Farmers Market and to explore organizational channels to support and promote farm diversification.
Community Partner Purdue Extension
IU Instructor James Farmer, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-V 600 Capstone in Public and Environmental Affairs
Like many rural towns, Holland's downtown is in need of restoration and revitalization. Holland Commons was a community-wide project for the state's bicentennial in 2016 and is used as a gathering space and for annual events to promote the community's heritage. Students researched data to find out what community citizens are seeking in an improved downtown, including accessible sidewalks, lighting, and banners.
Community Partner Town of Holland
IU Instructor Frank Nierzwicki, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-V 365 Urban Development and Planning
The IU Center for Rural Engagement offered technical assistance to the Heitman Home Foundation to apply for grant funds to renovate the historic Heitman home so it can be used as a multi-purpose community center and meeting space. The foundation worked with participants to assemble an application for T-Mobile's community grant program.
Community Partner Heitman Home Foundation
IU Instructor Nicole Vasconi, Quality of Place Liaison, Center for Rural Engagement
Faculty and students in the comprehensive design capstone course produced a set of possible mural designs for community consideration that depict historical representations of Holland. Trenton "Moosey" Musch completed the mural in the community. Read more about this creative placemaking project here.
Community Partner Holland Town Council Town of Holland Southeast Dubois County School Corporation
IU Instructor Jon Racek, Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design
Student interns at the IU Center for Rural Engagement designed a concept for a storybook trail at Holland Park that is connected with the Library Storywalk program and the local library branch. The team also provided technical assistance with fundraising efforts.
Community Partner Town of Holland
IU Partner Nicole Vasconi and student interns, Center for Rural Engagement
Participants assisted the Memorial Hospital in assessing the capacity for mental health and substance use treatment in southwestern Indiana—focusing on areas that are part of the Memorial Hospital service area—and identified best practices to help improve this capacity and increase access to care for those in need in rural areas.
Community Partner Memorial Hospital National Alliance on Mental Illness
IU Partner Shirley Payne, School of Public Health
Course SPH-X 601 Assessment in Planning and Public Health
The IU Center for Rural Engagement worked with Destination Huntingburg to set up cultural planning sessions to brainstorm ideas for new public art projects.
Community Partner Destination Huntingburg
IU Partner Nicole Vasconi, Quality of Place Liaison, Center for Rural Engagement
League Stadium in Huntingburg was the backdrop of the movie League of Their Own. How can the town and the region capitalize on this remarkable asset and boost tourism and visitors? Media school students researched similar sites and created a comprehensive tourism plan to increase annual events and visitors.
Community Partner City of Huntingburg
IU Instructor Les Morris, The Media School
Project Course MSCH-A 315 Advertising and Consumer Culture
Students supported the City of Jasper with a public art master plan to provide a pathway for completing public art projects for multiple years and offer strategies and guidance on funding, encouraging new as well as established artists, and engaging the community.
Community Partner City of Jasper
IU Instructor Julia Driscoll, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course AADM-Y 550 Practicum in Arts Administration
As part of Jasper's downtown revitalization efforts, local officials and students in the ServeDesign program developed an interactive mural that highlighted Jasper's musical heritage as the piano capital of the world. Read more about this creative placemaking project.
Community Partner City of Jasper Heart of Jasper Dubois County Community Foundation
IU Instructor Jon Racek, Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, and Bryce Himebaugh, Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering
Project Courses ServeDesign and ENGR-E 490 and ENGR-E 491 Engineering Capstone I & II
In collaboration with Vincennes University (VU) administrators, IU campus leaders focused on student life examined the role of a Latinx club on the Vincennes University Jasper Campus, what opportunities it might offer to college students, what the club could look like, how it could function, and how VU could sustain its growth over time.
Community Partner Vincennes University Jasper Campus
IU Partners Jim Johnson, Associate Director of student Involvement and Leadership, and Lillian Casillas, Director of the IU Bloomington La Casa Latino Cultural Center
Students in Chris Cook's consulting course conducted a benchmark study of all Indiana community farmers markets south of Carmel, Ind., to inform future optimization of the Jasper Farmers Market.
Community Partner Heart of Jasper
IU Instructor Chris Cook, Kelley School of Business
Project Course BUS-A 569 Field Consulting
Undergraduate students designed a permaculture garden for the Dove Recovery House that supports food production and health and wellness activities to benefit residents, visitors, staff, and others. Dove Recovery House opened a residential treatment facility for women in November 2022—the first of its kind in Dubois County.
Community Partner Dove Recovery House Purdue Extension
IU Instructor Rhonda Baird, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Course SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Study: Permaculture
Participants conducted a land-use study near the airport to explore potential business development, studied local and regional businesses and available airport land, and developed a targeted business attraction plan.
Community Partner Huntingburg Airport
IU Instructor Doug McCoy, Kelley School of Business Keith Dayton, Kelley School of Business Chris Cook, Kelley School of Business Joe Schroeder, Kelley School of Business
Project Course IU Center for Real Estate Studies BUS-A 505 Field Consulting Overview
Partnering with the Heart of Jasper, a team of graduate accounting students evaluated Jasper’s retail market. The data from this study will help fill vacant buildings downtown and make use of available grants for building facades and incentives to encourage and entice new businesses.
Community Partner Heart of Jasper
IU Instructor Chris Cook, Kelley School of Business
Project Course BUS-A 569 Field Consulting
There are many beautiful hiking trails in the Dubois County wilderness, but it's tricky to find them, particularly for people who are new to or visiting the area. Students collaborated with the Ferdinand State Forest and Visit Dubois County to create a publication that promotes trails, including updated photos of current terrain and way-finders.
Community Partner Visit Dubois County Ferdinand State Forest
IU Instructor Brian Forist, School of Public Health
Project Course SPH-R 221 Creating Sense of Place through Design
In order to create a much-needed representation of Hispanic heritage in the Dubois County Museum, media students created a well-designed, polished document that tells the story of the Voces Vivas project through personal narratives and pays tribute to the Hispanic families of Dubois County through a compilation of narrative interviews.
Community Partner Dubois County Museum Southwest Dubois School Corporation
IU Instructor Les Morris, The Media School
Project Course MSCH-R 349 Public Relations Writing
Purdue Extension—Dubois County sought to empower local youth to address health issues among their peers and in the broader community. Students studying youth development designed an infrastructure for a youth health coalition modeled off of the Greene County Youth Health Coalition, engaged youth in the development and initiation of the coalition, and facilitated goal-setting by youth for the first year of activity.
Community Partner Purdue Extension TRI-CAP
IU Instructor Deb Getz, School of Public Health
Project Courses SPH-F 150 Intro to Lifespan Development SPH-F 180 Introduction to Child and Youth Work
Students studying grant writing assisted a community group in applying for grant funding by creating a plan that outlines possibilities, dates, deadlines, and recommended next steps that will support the restoration of a historic public schoolhouse in Zoar.
Community Partner Lee Bilderback and Roger Katterhenry
IU Instructor Jill Nicholson-Crotty, O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Project Courses SPEA-N 557 Proposal Development and Grant Administration
Center for Rural Engagement resources and social media channels
