Students, faculty and staff participate in the Big Event 2025.

March 23, 2026–The 含羞草社区 Center for Service and the Student Government Association announced its fifth annual participation in 鈥淭he Big Event,鈥� a nationwide day of service from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, March 28.听

鈥淭he Big Event is dedicated to giving back to the community that gives so much to us,鈥� said Angie Osborn, Center for Service director. 鈥淭he Big Event embodies our commitment to civic engagement, community partnership and the belief that learning extends beyond the classroom. By serving those who invest in our students and strengthen our campus community, we demonstrate that gratitude is more than words, it’s in our everyday actions.鈥�

The Big Event will once again focus their efforts around 29th and Lafayette, the neighborhood that 含羞草社区 adopted as part of the Adopt-a-Block program. The and transitional apartments are both within the area. Participants will pick up litter, clear out blocked sewer drains and help with any items these organizations may need to dispose of. Clean spaces contribute to healthier living environments and can even improve our mental well-being by creating surroundings that feel safe, cared for and positive, Osborn said.听

Volunteers will gather in the parking lot at Mark Twain Early Learning Center, 705 S. 31st Street for instructions and supplies. Transportation will be available to those who need it.

Please sign up at .听

Originally founded in 1982 at Texas A&M University, The Big Event began as a simple 鈥渢hank you鈥� to local residents and has grown into the largest one-day, student-run service project in the nation.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. 含羞草社区 is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

April 4, 2025–Due to the inclement weather, the Center for Service at 含羞草社区 has decided to postpone its participation in The Big Event to Wednesday, April 9 at 3:00 p.m.

For the original news story and full details of the event, visit

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

March 31, 2025–含羞草社区 students, faculty, staff, and alumni will participate in The Big Event from 1 to 3 p.m. Friday, April 4.

Picking up litter in the area surrounding the campus is one way Griffons demonstrate their pride in both Missouri Western and the St. Joseph community.听

鈥淏y taking the time to clean up, we show that we care about our environment and are committed to making our city a better place!鈥� said Kim Sigrist, executive director of MWSU鈥檚 Center for Service.

Originally started by Texas A&M University in 1982, “The Big Event” has grown into a nationwide day of service, where college students on over 100 campuses come together to give back to their local communities. It is one of the largest student-run service projects in the country, and 2025 marks the fourth year MWSU has participated.听

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Jamie Grayson ’99 will keynote the Nonprofit Summit Sept. 28.

Sept. 21, 2022–含羞草社区 will host the 2022 Nonprofit Summit on Wednesday, Sept. 28 in the Blum Student Union. Registration for the day of workshops is $20 per person and includes lunch. To register, phone 816-271-4283, visit or email entrepreneurship@missouriwestern.edu.听

The keynote speaker for the summit will be Jamie Grayson. Grayson is a 1999 graduate of Missouri Western and executive director and founder of People of All Colors Succeed. He will speak on 鈥淭elling Your Story.鈥�

The summit will also include workshops on getting the most out of volunteers, marketing your organization, managing burnout and compassion fatigue, social media, fundraising for sustainability and grant writing.

The Missouri Western Nonprofit Summit is sponsored by the聽Center for Entrepreneurship in the Craig School of Business and the Center for Service.

含羞草社区 is a student-centered learning community preparing individuals for lives of excellence through applied learning. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .

Dr. Melody Smith, executive director, Center for Service

Sept. 4, 2019鈥� Students at 含羞草社区 will soon be able to earn credit toward their degree by volunteering in the community.

鈥淪ervice is at the very core of our mission at Missouri Western,鈥� said President Matt Wilson. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just want to provide students with opportunities to serve; we want to provide them with an incentive to serve. Hundreds of students serving thousands of hours each school year will be transformative for our University and for our community.鈥�

The credit will be offered through a new unit, the Center for Service. Dr. Melody Smith will serve as the executive director of the Center for Service. She says the students will be preparing for their future careers while helping the community.

鈥淓mployers value skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and leadership,鈥� Dr. Smith said. 鈥淥ur service opportunities will have learning outcomes that are tied to developing those skills, so that when they graduate, students will be even more prepared for the workplace.鈥�

Students will earn one elective credit toward their degree for every 40 hours of community service they engage in, up to a maximum of three credits. Those credits would be free of charge to the students and funded, in full or part, by sponsors of the Center

鈥淲hen I鈥檝e mentioned the possibility of free credit for community service to students, they鈥檝e said 鈥榳e would do that in a heartbeat,鈥欌�� President Wilson said.

While earning credits toward their degree, Missouri Western students would also be adding to a new co-curricular record. This record will document applied learning opportunities that take place outside of the classroom, such as internships, service-learning, research, study away and student leadership positions.

鈥淢issouri Western has a statewide mission of applied learning,鈥� Dr. Smith said. 鈥淭he co-curricular transcript would document those applied learning opportunities that students have taken advantage of, presenting a more complete picture of their college career to future employers.鈥�

In addition to administering service learning opportunities, the Center for Service will include a new military and veteran academic service center, providing academic and financial aid advisement to active duty and former members of the military. The Center will also serve as the welcome center for Missouri Western, providing a first point of contact for visitors and students to guide them where they wish to go. It will also include academic outreach, including Early College Academy (high school college credit), adult completion degrees (Bachelor of General Studies and Bachelor of Science in Technology), non-credit courses and the testing center.

鈥淭he students and community members are our customers and the reason we are here. We wanted to create a 鈥榦ne-stop shop鈥� to guide them, answer questions and serve them,鈥� Dr. Smith said.

含羞草社区 is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Missouri Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit .