Education

By Juli A. Metzger— MUNCIE, IN—Austin Scales, a lead educator in the 3-and 4-year-old pre-school room at Muncie’s United Day Care Center was recently named recipient of the prestigious Hoosier Educator Award at the 2026 Early Childhood Education Award ceremony in Indianapolis. “Ninety percent of the brain is developed by age 5 and in that time, it’s like fireworks in the brain,” explains Scales, 27, whose worked at United Day Care since 2022. “During that time, the brain is rapidly growing, and children are rapidly learning. It’s a huge time to set kids up for success, for lifelong success. The…

By Lesley DeVoss— MUNCIE, IN – Ivy Tech Community College Muncie is celebrating historic gains in enrollment, completions, and workforce impact, further solidifying its role as Indiana’s workforce engine following the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 254. This statewide designation recognizes Ivy Tech as the central driver of Indiana’s talent pipeline, aligning education with employer needs and fueling economic growth. Under the leadership of Chancellor Jeffrey D. Scott, the Muncie campus is delivering on that mission with record-setting performance across every major student sector. Total Headcount (Unduplicated): 6,471 students (up 10%) K-12 Dual Credit / Early College: 2,779 students (up…

Traditional academic recognition replaced with Latin distinctions By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, IN – More than 300 students walked across the stage at Emens Auditorium Monday night as the Muncie Central High School Class of 2026 gathered for a final time. There was no valedictorian recognized. No salutatorian either. Instead, MCHS honored all high achieving graduates using the Latin honors system, which has three standard levels: Cum Laude – “With Distinction,” requiring a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5-3.74 Magna Cum Laude – “With Great Distinction,” requiring a GPA of 3.74-3.99 Summa Cum Laude – “With Highest Distinction,” requiring a GPA…

Editor’s note: Due to forecasted weather conditions, Ball State University has canceled We Fly Fest scheduled for today, Saturday, June 6. The safety of guests, community members, volunteers, performers, and staff remains the University’s top priority. By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, IN — Ball State University will host its second annual We Fly Fest from 4-7 p.m. Saturday, June 6, at the Brown Family Amphitheater. This free, on-campus community event is open to the public and will feature games and activities, live music by Ball State student bands, campus bus tours, food trucks, giveaways, and more for the whole family….

By Lisa Kemp— MUNCIE, IN—The Muncie-based Paul Revere Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) proudly announces the 2026 recipients of the DAR Good Citizen Award, an annual recognition honoring outstanding high school seniors across Delaware County. The award highlights students who exemplify the qualities of dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism, core values the DAR seeks to foster in young people as they prepare to become future leaders in their communities and beyond. Each participating high school in Delaware County selects one senior who demonstrates exceptional character at school, at home, and in the broader community. These students…

By Ball State Communications— MUNCIE, IN— Ball State PBS will welcome families back to downtown Muncie on Saturday, June 6, for Be My Neighbor Day, an afternoon of music, hands-on activities, and community connections inspired by Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and the neighborly spirit of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. The event, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 1–4 p.m. at Canan Commons, and will bring together more than 20 local organizations and activity booths focused on kindness, helping others, and being a good neighbor. Highlights for families across East Central Indiana include: Meet Daniel Tiger from PBS KIDS Live music…

Support staff, others also honored By Andy Klotz— MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Community Schools (MCS) has named the Teachers of the Year at each of its schools for the 2025-26 school year. All award recipients were presented with commemorative plaques by their building principals and now become eligible for the overall district Teacher of the Year awards, which will be presented at the start of the 2026-27 school year. This year’s recipients are: Nancy Zachary – North View Elementary Heather Crain – West View Elementary Andrea Streaty – Longfellow Elementary Jodi Gray – Grissom Elementary Tiara Taylor – East Washington Academy Tierra…

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—Throughout her high school years at Burris Laboratory School, senior Dorothy Eads has worn numerous hats along with a smile and a can-do attitude. She’s tried everything from scuba diving to circus to gymnastics outside of school. The former homeschooler who started at Burris in seventh grade has strong school spirit and appreciates her time at Burris. Eads has been a member of concert…

By Juli Metzger— MUNCIE, IN—A community-wide effort to improve student success in Muncie is gaining national attention after being highlighted in the 2025 StriveTogether Annual Report for its measurable gains in early literacy and high school graduation rates. The report spotlights Cradle to Career Muncie, a cross-sector partnership that has aligned schools, nonprofits, higher education institutions, faith organizations and local leaders around a shared goal: improving educational outcomes and expanding economic opportunity for children and families across Delaware County. The initiative is being led by the George and Frances Ball Foundation, serving as the backbone organization for the community-wide effort….