As a public university serving southern Indiana and the Louisville metropolitan area, IU Southeast’s mission includes helping businesses, government agencies, and non-profits better serve their customers and their communities through:
- Assessments and program evaluations
- World-class research and data analysis
- Professional consultation by our faculty and senior level students
Services include but are not limited to quantitative research on critical community issues, consultative services with entrepreneurs needing help to fund and launch their business concepts, and strengthening local non-profits through better business practices and marketing. We serve the needs of our region and community partners by developing projects that engage our faculty and students, addressing real issues with actionable solutions.
The Applied Research and Education Center provides project coordination and evaluation services for the YMCA of Greater Louisville’s federally funded Teen Vibe and Love Notes healthy relationships programs. A recent IU Southeast alumnus works full-time as a project coordinator for the grant. IU Southeast students observe and evaluate the evidence-based program and manage and analyze data from pre- and post-program surveys. Students learn how to bring those data to life with data visualization tools. The innovative initiative has reached more than 600 Louisville teens so far, and IU Southeast students are learning about youth development while sharpening their analytical skills.