Education

By: Lee Ann Kwiatkowski , Director of Public Education & CEO , Muncie Community Schools— Muncie, IN—In light of yet another senseless killing of an unarmed black man at the hands of the police, we at Muncie Community Schools (MCS) want to reaffirm our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. There is no justification for anything less. Racism and racist violence, by action or inaction, is intolerable and unacceptable. The Black Lives Matter movement must include all of us as we support our black and brown students, teachers, staff and families. It is not a black problem, but a global problem.  Black lives matter and…

By: Kallie Sulanke— Muncie, IN—Congratulations to the following graduates: Christian Barton, a senior at Cowan Jr./Sr. High School, is the recipient of the Owen H. Ramey Memorial Scholarship. Barton plans to attend Ball State University to study secondary education. He is the son of Shane Barton and Holly Barton.  Noah Collins, a senior at Cowan Jr./Sr. High School, is the recipient of the Nicholas Brooks Sherfy Memorial Scholarship. Collins plans to attend Earlham College to study sports management. He is the son of Dave and Kristina Collins.  Autumn Gable, a senior at Burris Laboratory School, is the recipient the Burris…

By: Kallie Sulanke— Muncie, IN—Congratulations to the following graduates – Callie Berry, a senior at Wes-Del High School, is a recipient of the 2020 Jon Hunter Memorial Scholarship. Berry plans to study elementary education at Ball State University. She is the daughter of the late Ryan Berry and Kris Berry.  Emma Davis, a senior at Burris Laboratoty School, is the recipient of the eKeeper Systems Unparalleled Excellence Scholarship and the Lathrop P. Johnson Scholarship. Davis plans to attend Purdue University to study computer science and Spanish. She is the daughter of Jackie and Chad Davis.  Paul Eaton, a senior at Yorktown High School, is the recipient…

 By: Melissa Jones— Muncie, IN—Stefanie Onieal is not a teacher, she says. She’s a researcher.  “I’m a researcher of my students. I am researching what they know, what they can do, and I’m trying to take them to the next place, to where they need to go,” said Onieal, a second-grade teacher at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie. And it’s this unique approach and dedication to self-reflection that led to her being named the winner of this year’s Ball Brothers Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award.  Ball Brothers Foundation annually presents the Excellence in Teaching Award to a Delaware County teacher…

By: Kallie Sulanke, Community Engagement Officer— Muncie, IN—Congratulations to the following graduates – Edom Alemayehu, a senior at Burris Laboratory School, is a recipient of the Alice Miriam Kitselman Scholarship. Alemayehu plans to attend Ball State University to study biology and pre-med. She is the daughter of Zoide Awoke and Abebe Alemayehu. Sarah Bailey, a senior at Wes-Del Middle/High School, is a recipient of the Zach Greenwalt Scholarship. Bailey plans to attend Ivy Tech Community College to study psychology.  She is the daughter of Lisa Bailey and Michael Bailey. Ashlyn Craig, a senior at Daleville Jr./Sr. High School, is a recipient of the Kathleen Rozelle-Camplin Scholarship. Craig plans to attend Glen Oaks Community College.  She is the daughter…

By: Chris Walker, Principal at Muncie Central High School— Muncie, IN—Friday March 13, 2020 started out as a normal day at Muncie Central High School.  Normal until about 2:50 pm when I was on the public address system informing our students and staff that we would be conducting eLearning the following week and the week after Spring Break. As I outlined expectations for the next three weeks and gave instructions on items that needed to be taken home at dismissal, 3:05 pm would be the last time I would see our students for the remainder of the school year in…

By: Jennifer Gasiorek— Does 5th grade math have you perplexed? Muncie, Ind—Ivy Tech Community College Muncie and Henry County Campus is offering free tutoring for students in all grade levels. Dr. Mia Johnson, Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs was getting frustrated with trying to help with her son’s Math homework. “I bet many of our students, staff and community members may be facing the same struggle with their children being at home. Let’s face it, e-learning isn’t easy, and many parents in our community are probably facing similar challenges. One way we can give back is offering free tutoring to our…

By: Sue Ellspermann, Ph.D., President, Ivy Tech Community College— Indianapolis, IN—During the past month, I have been tremendously impressed by the ingenuity and responsiveness of America’s higher education professionals. With little notice, colleges and universities across the nation moved classes to virtual and online formats and found new ways to provide the services students depend upon as they pursue their educational journey. While I’m most proud of the efforts made by Ivy Tech Community College faculty and staff, it is clear that all institutions share a strong commitment to students and their families. At Ivy Tech, we see many college…