Arkansas Tech University behavioral sciences students recently collected 50 sets of Bluetooth earbuds and headphones for the River Valley Child Advocacy Center as part of an ongoing fall 2026 partnership between ATU students and the organization.
The donation effort developed in conjunction with an interdisciplinary project-based learning course taught by Dr. Jason Ulsperger, ATU professor of sociology and criminal justice. Arkansas Tech students from across the behavioral sciences contributed items.
RVCAC works with children and families affected by abuse, including specialized forensic interviews when requested by law enforcement or child protective services.
Earlier in the fall 2026 semester, RVCAC Executive Director Marilyn Sanders visited with students on campus and later facilitated a site visit at the center. Students learned about the importance of providing comfort and activity items appropriate for children at different developmental stages. The center was specifically running low on listening devices for older adolescents.
The service effort complements a larger, semester-long collaboration between ATU students and RVCAC. Members of the class are developing a community and organizational assessment examining the population RVCAC serves, socioeconomic conditions across its service area, local resources and barriers to services. It is part of a larger initiative connected to ATU’s Center for Community Engagement and Academic Outreach and a partnership with AR-NETWORK (Arkansas Nexus for Excellence in Technology, Workforce, Outreach and Research Knowledge).
Send e-mail to julsperger@atu.edu to learn more about future donations and the RVCAC project.
Learn more about the ATU Department of Behavioral Sciences at www.atu.edu/humanities/behaviorsci.
