Regional Training, Resource, & Advocacy Connector (TRAC) Updates

TRAC Completes Strategic Plan

The TRAC team has completed its Strategic Plan that outlines the need for investment in Early Care and Learning (ECL) in ECI. As the B-5 coalition and

the TRAC team worked through this process, it became evident that skilling up our providers and viewing them as professionals is key to sustaining the ECL workforce in ECI.

We encourage you to look through the plan and become an advocate for ECL in ECI. This profession impacts every industry in our region and is vital to the success of our entire workforce. Share the plan with others who might find value in it and connect with the TRAC team to learn more.

Jeri McCorkle serves as the TRAC Program Manager and Lucinda Stipp serves as the TRAC Program Coordinator. The entire team is excited to move this work forward in ECI - Jeri insists this will not be a plan that sits on the shelf!

Regional Activity Support Funding Updates

Lucinda, TRAC Program Coordinator, is in the process of fulfilling the orders for the funding awarded through its Regional Activity Support program. More than $210,000 in awards support 22 early care and learning providers in eight of the ECI counties. If you missed the news release in May, you can view it here.

New High School Diploma Requirements Proposed

In March, the Indiana State Department of Education announced a redesign of Indiana's high school diploma requirements (link to the slides) that will start with the Class of 2029, who are the incoming 8th graders. After the first round of public feedback, additional recommendations were offered at their June meeting (link to the slides).

Elizabeth Meek, Assistant Principal of Rushville Consolidated High School has created videos that give an overview of the proposed changes. This is a great resource if you want to learn more about how these proposed changes.

You can provide feedback on the proposed changes using this form.

Regional Coalition Updates

Birth to Five Coalition: This month, Jeri McCorkle led the Regional B-5 Coalition through some exercises tied to the strategic plan to determine a path forward for the work involving training, resources, and advocacy in the region. Look for trainings to start in the second half of 2024. Work is underway to identify trainers and training needs.

K-8 Coalition and High School Coalition: These coalitions, which are led by the East Central Educational Service Center (ECESC), take the summer off since many of our school partners are out. Looking toward the fall, the coalitions hope to build on the momentum of their recently-announced Career Coaching grants and tie that work to the coalition's goals. In case you missed it last week, the state announced recipients of the Career Coaching Grants and the ECESC was awarded $1,893,028.98 to focus on career coaching from PreK to 12th grade. The ECESC is working with Eastern Indiana Works on this initiative.

Additionally, in the northern portion of the region, Project Leadership was awarded $1,070,800 and the Region 8 Education Service Center was awarded $587,750 for career coaching in the communities they serve. Ivy Tech was awarded $964,254.86.

Worth Mentioning

Our partners at the East Central Educational Service Center (ECESC) are hiring! Learn more and share with your network!

Meridian Health Services is offering Back-to-School Fit Fairs in both Muncie and Richmond in July. More information can be found here.

Ball State's Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute is hosting summer camps for grades 4-8 and 11-12 this summer. More information on these opportunities is available here.

Indiana's Commission for Higher Education recognized recipients of the 2024 CTE Awards for Excellence and ECI had a few partners recognized. Learn more here.

Marion's Ridley Tower, which was once on Indiana Landmarks' 10 Most Endangered List, was the recipient of Indiana Landmarks' Renaissance Award. Here is the release and click here to learn more about the updated building.

BizVoice, the Indiana Chamber's bi-monthly magazine featured Wayne County and some of their industry partners. Additionally, there is an update on READI 1.0 that talks about the Salamonia schoolhouse in Jay County. Read the magazine here.

Indiana Food Vision has an open survey for anyone in the state to complete as they develop a strategic road map for a robust food system.

Funding Opportunities

The State of Indiana has announced a funding opportunity to assist rural communities in building socially connected communities. More information here.

MHS Serves, seeking to address health inequities and the disparities throughout Indiana, is focusing on broadband access in its 2024 funding cycle. Additional information and the application are available here.

Awards Announced

Indiana Wesleyan University was awarded $362,000 of a larger $3.7 million grant to assist in developing a fast neutron detector array.

Reid Health Community Benefit awarded more than $124,000 in grants to 16 programs throughout its service region to address mental health and substance misuse.

Two ECI communities - Hartford City and Rushville - are among five in the state getting training towers built to upskill local firefighters.

Three ECI communities were awarded planning grants through the Indiana Office of Community & Rural Affairs. Rushville and Sweetser were awarded funding for water infrastructure planning and Eaton was awarded a comprehensive planning grant.

Investments Announced

Weaver Popcorn announced a $22 million expansion of their Grant County operations and will add 45 new jobs.

Richmond Beverage Solutions is investing $44.8 million and creating 65 jobs with an expansion announced this month.