Eighteen students enrolled in an Introduction to Project Management class at Missouri University of Science and Technology recently participated in a service learning project that resulted in the donation of 5,000 new diapers to the Phelps County Community Partnership’s Young Parents Program.

The course, taught by Dr. Paul Hirtz, required students to develop and implement a management plan. The students decided to tackle a service learning project.
Prior to the holidays, the students conducted a three-day diaper drive at the Kroger grocery store in Rolla. Shoppers were asked to purchase diapers to support the project.
Hirtz says 90 percent of the individual donations came from shoppers at Kroger’s. The 5,000 new diapers will satisfy the needs of the Young Parents Program for two months.
“The learning aspects of the class centered on learning effective strategies for project management,” says Hirtz, “The students learned that the successful execution of a task depends on good planning.”
Tara Morrow, program director at Phelps County Community Partnership, says the donation will help young parents who are trying to do the right things for their children.
“The money we save by not buying diapers will allow us to better support other community programs,” Morrow says. “While working with the S&T students, I even learned things that will help me do my job better. I am so glad the university promotes service learning within the community.”