Articles by Mike Rhodes

By Linda C. Smith, Ph.D., Media/STEM/Technology Specialist, Yorktown Community Schools— WHITING, Ind. – Explore Interactive, a West Lafayette-based ed-tech company, has received $1 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from the National Science Foundation. In addition, Explore Interactive has been awarded $75,000 from Elevate Ventures through the state of Indiana’s SBIR/STTR Phase II Matching Program. Launched in 2017, Explore Interactive uses augmented reality to teach science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) concepts to elementary students. The company’s first product…

 Funds designated for South View, Grissom and Longfellow elementary schools By Andy Klotz, APR— MUNCIE, Ind. – Muncie Community Schools (MCS) has received a Next Generation School Improvement Grant from the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) that will provide the district with more than $8 million over the next four school years. The grant is designed to help transform the traditional educational experience into one that better aligns to students’ needs. The schools awarded the grant funding have been identified…

By Stacey Shannon— MUNCIE, Ind.—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. Life is certainly busy for Burris Laboratory School senior, Alexis Dotson, but she’s figured out how to best juggle her school, extracurricular and work responsibilities: to-do lists. The lifelong Muncie resident has been working since she turned 14 in various jobs, including as a barista,…

By Kallie Sulanke— MUNCIE, Ind.—The Exchange Club of Muncie honored 30 Muncie tenth-graders from Muncie Central High School and Burris Laboratory School during the Club’s annual Sophomore Honors Day luncheon on Thursday, May 5. As one way to support youth in our community, Exchange Club has hosted this event for more than 85 years. The purpose is to recognize students early in their high school careers and encourage and inspire them to continue to work toward continued high achievement as…

By Sheryl Swingley— MUNCIE, Ind.—The Muncie branch of the American Association of University Women has awarded three $1,500 scholarships – two to Ivy Tech Community College students and one to a Ball State University student. The two Ivy Tech students earning the AAUW scholarship are Kami Fulkerson and Carrie Hopper. Fulkerson is working toward an undergraduate degree in special education. Hopper is working toward an associate degree in cyber security. The Ball State student earning the AAUW scholarship is Dawnya…

By Willow Howard— MUNCIE, Ind.—Former Muncie Central High School student and 2021 Delaware County Fair Queen 1st Runner-Up Taegan Carpenter was recently awarded the highly competitive Boren Scholarship. The Boren Scholarship is an initiative of the Defense Language and National Security Education Office of the US Department of Defense. This year, it was awarded to 208 college students across the nation and provides each of them with up to $25,000 for study abroad in areas critical to national security. Carpenter…