JSU urban-regional planning department, city recognize young students in poster contest

October 31, 2016

KENNEDI COX BYLINE
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In keeping with the theme “Civic Engagement in Jackson,” Keyvon Williams, an eighth-grade first-place winner from Blackburn Laboratory Middle School, shares his vision. His poster depicts “One city; one people under God; we the people; equal rights; freedom; no violence; skin deep non-racial.”
In keeping with the theme “Civic Engagement in Jackson,” Keyvon Williams, an eighth-grade first-place winner from Blackburn Laboratory Middle School, shares his vision. His poster depicts “One city; one people under God; we the people; equal rights; freedom; no violence; skin deep non-racial.”

Jackson State University’s Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Planning and Development Department of the City of Jackson collaborated on a poster contest open to middle and high school students Oct. 21.

The following winners were announced:

  •  1st place among high schools: Hogan Lee, a junior at Madison Central High school
  • 1st place among middle schools: Keyvon Williams, an eighth-grader at Blackburn Laboratory Middle School
  • 2nd place among middle schools: Kelvin Larkin, an eighth-grader at Cardozo Middle School.

Students were graded according to degree of difficulty; grammar and language; originality; poster theme, and visual presentation.

Madison Central High School junior Hogan Lee titled his first-place poster “Community Disturbances and Social Engagement: How to Increase Public Participation from the Minority Communities.”
Madison Central High School junior Hogan Lee titled his first-place poster “Community Disturbances and Social Engagement: How to Increase Public Participation from the Minority Communities.”
Illustrating teens picking up litter off streets, Kelvin Larkin, an eighth-grader at Cardozo Middle School, captioned his second-place poster “Help Us Save Jackson.”
Illustrating teens picking up litter off streets, Kelvin Larkin, an eighth-grader at Cardozo Middle School, captioned his second-place poster “Help Us Save Jackson.”

During the event, students were introduced to planning and given the opportunity to participate in related activities. This year’s theme was “Civic Engagement,” and the goal was to highlight the necessity of engaging the public, elected officials and key leaders in discussions and activities to acknowledge that planning cannot be effective without community involvement.

Jackson Mayor Tony Yarber and Dr. Ricardo A. Brown, dean of JSU’s College of Public Service, attended the event. Brown, Eric Jefferson, director of Planning and Development with the city, and Dr. Talya Thomas, assistant professor of Urban and Regional Planning, were key organizers.

October is deemed National Planning Month by the American Planning Association, and the Jackson City Council proclaimed October as “Planning Month” throughout the metropolitan area.

The American Planning Association defines planning as “helping to create communities of lasting value, offering better choices for where and how people work and live, and engaging citizens businesses, and civic leaders to play a meaningful role in creating communities that enrich people’s lives.”

Lisa Johnson, student development coordinator/publicist for JSU’s Urban and Regional Planning, said the event was successful because of Yarber, Jefferson, Jackson Public Schools System, Madison Central High School and JSU’s MADDRAMA Performance Troupe.

The Department of Urban and Regional Planning and the Planning and Development Department of Jackson collaborated again by hosting a free brown bag luncheon and panel discussion, which was held Monday, Oct. 31, in the JSU Downtown campus.