Education

Editor’s note: The Future Leaders of America series profiles high school seniors who display leadership qualities in their school and the community. The series is brought to you by Pridemark Construction. By Stacey A. Shannon— MUNCIE, IN—Last August, Muncie Central High School senior Fletcher Kahle tore his ACL for the second time in his high school career. Just like that, plans shifted a bit for the varsity football and baseball athlete. The seven-month recovery time for such an injury kept…

By Lesley DeVoss— MUNCIE, IN – Siobhan Gillespie’s journey to the front of the classroom at Ivy Tech Community College Muncie didn’t begin with a lifelong plan for academia. It began with a GED, a job as a manager at McDonald’s, and a back injury that changed her life. Today, as an Assistant Professor and Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education, Gillespie is using her full-circle experience to help lead the very Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) program that launched her career….

By Ashley Mann, Ball State PBS — MUNCIE, Indiana — For a third straight year, Leo Furlong, a seventh grader at Burris Laboratory Middle School, is the champion of the Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee. At this year’s competition, held March 7 at Sursa Performance Hall, Mr. Furlong correctly spelled “collegiality” to secure the regional title and earn a return trip to the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The 2026 Ball State PBS Regional Spelling Bee featured 35 spellers from 35…

By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, IN—It’s been 15 years since Hannah Schutte and Connie Devers-White have connected. It’s been 20 years since Schutte was a student in Devers-White’s fourth grade classroom in Selma. Still, after all these years, Schutte has not forgotten Devers-White and the way her favorite teacher helped her through some very difficult times in her youth. “I was asked why teachers and counselors are so important, and it’s because you never know what kids are going through,” Schutte…

By Andy Klotz— INDIANAPOLIS – Rising early literacy proficiency rates, improved attendance rates and above average graduation rates are just a few of the reasons Muncie Community Schools (MCS) has been placed in the national spotlight by StriveTogether, a network of local communities across the country working to help young people get on a path to economic mobility. StriveTogether, based in Cincinnati, leads this network in order to reverse the trend of declining economic mobility of children. With only half…

By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, Indiana — The Ball State University Board of Trustees on Friday approved the scope, budget, and site plan for Village Green—Site 4 of the University’s Village Revitalization Plan. Village Green will be located on the southwest corner of Martin Street and University Avenue in Muncie. It will be a welcoming gathering space designed to strengthen connections between campus and the broader Muncie community. “Village Green represents the kind of thoughtful investment that makes The Village even…

Editor’s note: The Future Leaders of America series profiles high school seniors who display leadership qualities in their school and the community. The series is brought to you by Pridemark Construction. By Stacey A. Shannon— COWAN, IN—With applications in to 15 colleges and universities, Cowan Junior/Senior High School senior Taylor Young has a variety of options available for her future. Young plans to become an attorney specializing in medical malpractice and personal injury, a career she’s picked at age 10…

By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, IN — Ball State University’s Institute for Digital Intermedia Arts (IDIA Lab) has partnered with Mechdyne to help deliver immersive, educational 3D experiences to higher education institutions, museums, and other organizations through Mechdyne’s getReal3D for Unity platform. The collaboration combines Mechdyne’s advanced visualization technology with IDIA Lab’s expertise in creating historically accurate, interactive virtual environments, resulting in a curated library of ready-to-use demonstration experiences for virtual reality systems. As part of the collaboration, Ball State students working…

By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, IN — The Ball State University Foundation today revealed the recipients of the University’s annual “Top 100 Student Awards,” now in its fifth year of recognizing outstanding undergraduate student achievement. This awards program honors 100 exceptional junior and senior undergraduates who represent beneficence in three areas: academic excellence, campus leadership, and community impact. The full list of Ball State’s 2026 Top 100 Students is available on the Foundation’s website. “We’re proud to celebrate this remarkable group of…