This year, the conference is located In Little Rock, AR. Little Rock’s ideal location in the middle of the country includes a major airport located 5 miles from downtown and easy drives from major cities like Dallas, St. Louis, Memphis and Nashville. As a state capital, Little Rock has a vibrant downtown where one-of-a-kind sightseeing opportunities like the Clinton Presidential Library and the Heifer International Headquarters are within walking distance of a convention center, numerous restaurants, several affordable hotels and a beautiful riverfront park. Little Rock is located at the foothills of the Ouachita Mountain Range where free parks and trails are abundant. Downtown Little Rock alone is the starting place for walking/biking trails that circle for 60 miles around both sides of the Arkansas River. In addition, Little Rock has a great deal to share on issues of service and social justice including significant civil rights movement sites such as Central High School, the country’s only Masters of Public Service program located at the Clinton School, the close proximity to the struggling Arkansas Delta, and a state-wide initiative on environmental sustainability. This region and state have a history of working to tackle tough issues in innovative ways. Three major sites located in Little Rock – Heifer International, the Clinton Presidential Library and Central High School – are recommended to all IMPACT conference attendees.
The Heifer International Headquarters and Village show the dedication of this international humanitarian organization to ending world hunger and caring for the earth by providing resources to help struggling families around the globe. Since 1944, Heifer has helped 7 million families in more than 125 countries improve their quality of life and become more self-reliant. Headquartered in Little Rock, the Heifer International Center gives tours of their Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified Headquarters reflecting Heifer’s dedication to sustainability in every square foot. In addition, the new Heifer Village teaches visitors about issues of global poverty and what can be done to tackle those issues.
Little Rock is home to the Clinton Presidential Library which showcases the presidency of someone dedicated to service both in the US and internationally. The exhibits tell the inside story of the Clinton Presidency, providing a direct connection to history through countless unique artifacts. The Library is also recognized with a Platinum LEED Certification and is the only federally maintained facility to receive this recognition.
Little Rock is also a major site for the nation’s civil rights history because of Central High School. Free tours are offered of this historic site where federal troops were sent to Little Rock to protect nine black students as they became the first African Americans to cross the segregation line in Little Rock following the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The Central High School Museum tells the story of the events through photographs, artifacts and other historically relevant information.
More information about Little Rock can be found at:http://www.littlerock.com/
A downtown Little Rock map can be found at: http://www.littlerock.com/info-maps/PDF-maps/Attractions-map.pdf
Conference Hosts
The University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service
As the only graduate school in the nation offering a Master of Public Service degree, the Clinton School fosters an environment of service, activism, politics, and advocacy that aligns with the focus of the IMPACT conference.
Established on January 29, 2004, the Clinton School of Public Service set forth the following mission:
“The Clinton School of Public Service promotes a vision of world leaders who work with others to build healthy, engaged and vibrant communities. Its mission is to educate and prepare individuals for public service, incorporating a strategic vision, an authentic voice, and a commitment to the common good.”
Furthering their commitment to the School’s mission, the faculty, staff, and students subscribe to the core values of responsibility, service, leadership, and preparation. They recognize their responsibility as public servants to engage the marginalized through service and advocacy. They believe that integrity, compassion, and a commitment to justice are avenues for true leadership.
While learning valuable lessons in the classroom, Clinton School students spend much of their time participating in public service projects ranging from local work in the Mississippi River Delta to international internship programs in places like the Sudan, Bolivia and Vietnam. Field service promotes the school’s vision by emphasizing the “practice” of public service by placing students in challenging environments in which they work with community leaders to help achieve community objectives. From helping Heifer International plan its new education center in Little Rock, to developing fundraising and marketing strategies for the proposed U.S. Public Service Academy in Washington D.C., to working in an orphanage in Tanzania, students are making a difference.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (Co-Host)
The mission of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) is to develop the intellect of students; to discover and disseminate knowledge; to serve and strengthen society by enhancing awareness in scientific, technical, and cultural arenas; and to promote human sensitivities and understanding of interdependence. As Arkansas ‘ premier metropolitan university, UALR is committed to responding to the needs of the community by creating active links between the campus, community, and commerce. As a metropolitan university, UALR serves a different kind of student- about half are balancing families, careers, and school. As a metropolitan university, UALR is also able to put its students in close contact with the state’s most influential leaders in government, business, industry, medicine, and information technology.
The UALR campus is comprised of 200 acres located in urban Little Rock, the state capital and business center, close to internship, employment, cultural, and recreational opportunities such as sporting events at ALLTEL Arena; the excellent hiking, fishing, biking, and other outdoor available close to Little Rock; and the River Market, with its restaurants, museums, shops, loft apartments, and farmers’ market. UALR is a public university of more than 12,000 full- and part-time students in nine colleges and schools, and offers more than 100 majors. The UALR student body is the most diverse in Arkansas. In addition to students from within Arkansas, the UALR student body includes students from 44 states, 62 foreign countries, and Canada.
