This year, students in the Presidential Citizen Scholars program took on four projects to improve life in and around Salisbury. Their projects combined their interests with needs or goals identified through conversations with local leaders and community members. The four projects each address a key aspect of life on the Eastern Shore.
Flag Football Project
In West Salisbury, low-income youth currently have no access to organized sports leagues. This group was inspired to choose a flag football program as their project topic due to the need for accessibility to field space and athletic leagues for lower-income youth. By providing access to youth sports in these areas, it gives individuals the opportunity to achieve academic and social success. A flag football program provides an outlet for youth to engage socially, and competitively, and learn teamwork skills at a young age. The steps for this project include creating a flag football program at Waterside Park, seeking funding for the program, to ensure the price to participate is low for individuals, and partnering with the local government and its stakeholders.
This project was led by SU students: Daniel Whiddon, Joshua Adey, Aidan Stanislavsky, and Aslynn Gorkos
Forget-Me-Nots Project
Every day, youth in Wicomico County struggle because their parents and guardians are affected by drug addiction. These children need more support, like access to confidential settings and professionals they can confide in. The premise of this project is to partner with organizations that work with youth who have been impacted by drug abuse to ensure that their experiences are not forgotten. Their goal is to develop a sustainable strategy to provide mentoring resources to youth affected by drug abuse.
This project was led by SU students: Makenzie Kennedy, Hanna Bertholdt, Peyton Rayne, and Richard Brown
Period Power Project
Inspired by the stigma around the discussion of menstruation, these students wanted to provide menstrual resources for young students in the Salisbury area. To develop this, they will research the history around the stigma of the word menstruation and what it represents. Following the research period, the students hope to partner with a local middle school to provide them with menstrual resources. This is a global issue that impacts millions of people across the world. By providing resources, they hope to destigmatize menstruation and allow education for young people in Salisbury schools.
This project was led by SU students: Maggie Atherton, Lian Peach, and Abigail Potter
Road Safety Project
Road safety is an important issue, especially for the many people who drive and walk Salisbury’s streets frequently. To protect the safety of people within the area, three SU students decided to create their capstone project around creating infrastructure that will improve road safety throughout Salisbury neighborhoods. The students began this project by researching potential solutions for the lack of road safety available to Salisbury residents. Community members can express their concerns anonymously through the surveys sent out by the group. Once this information has been gathered, the students will collaborate with the City of Salisbury to implement the ideas that community members have.
This project was led by SU students: Stephora Alberi, Lamaree James, and Anderson Herman
The Presidential Citizen Scholars (PCS) program allows students to develop leadership skills through civic scholarship and community action. For three semesters, selected scholars can meet with community members to research issues that affect the Salisbury area. Once a topic is decided, scholars will cultivate a PCS project to help combat these issues. The PCS program is in collaboration with PACE to offer students of all majors and backgrounds to engage in civic leadership opportunities.
For students interested in getting involved with PCS, click here for more information on the application process.
For general information on PCS, click here.