Military Supportive Communities Initiative

OverviewCommunity EnrichmentData Academy

About MSCI

Communities that want to improve the lives of their local service members, veterans and their families have a new program to help them. Working with the Purdue Center for Regional Development and Purdue University Extension Community Development Program, the Military Family Research Institute is developing the Military Supportive Communities Initiative (MSCI). The initiative helps selected communities organize and mobilize teams that increase their communities’ engagement with and support of the service members, veterans and families who live there.

This initiative consists of a Community Enrichment program. During the pilot program, two communities/counties were selected to participate.

Contact cmscinfo@purdue.edu for additional information.

A dedicated team for Community Enrichment

Communities (or counties) selected for the Community Enrichment program will organize a representative team of local residents who will play a vital role in community development.

Team members will first complete eight sessions focused on training and data/information gathering. Next the team will select one of three building blocks with a military and/or veteran focus. Building blocks include:

  • Leadership: developing new generations of leaders;
  • Economy: growing small business and entrepreneurs; and
  • Placemaking: investing in your place.

The Community Enrichment component began February 2019. Learn more about the program.

Chosen applicants

Madison County Joining Community Forces

Madison County Joining Community Forces group

The Madison County Joining Community Forces community group has been active for eight years. The group provides Stand Down events and focuses on current issues pertaining to military and veteran families in Madison County.


4 County Joining Community Forces Indiana

4 County Joining Community Forces Indiana

4 County Joining Community Forces Indiana, representing the Military/Veteran and Family community in Howard, Miami, Cass, Pulaski and Fulton counties has worked to improve the lives of their local service members, veterans and their families since 2012.

Training and support through the Data Academy

The Data Academy will help community members to explore, refine and enhance their skills in using data. Selected communities will learn to use gathered data in ways that lead to community-level programs to enhance the well-being of military and veteran families.

Data Academy team will learn to access and interpret information found in Measuring Communities, a social indicators initiative.

The Data Academy component began in the fall of 2019. Learn more about the program.