Education

By: Jud Fisher— Muncie, IN—Erica Collins, a 6th grade science and math teacher at MCS’s Northside Middle School, has been named Ball Brothers Foundation’s 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award winner. The honor includes a $15,000 grant. Finalists for the award included Becky Juday, a 5th grade teacher at Burris Laboratory School and Amy Meekin, a 2nd grade teacher at Cowan Elementary School. Nominations from public schools across Delaware County were reviewed by a panel of veteran teachers, administrators, college professors, and education experts. Members of the BBF staff then conducted interviews with the top candidates and visited candidates’ classrooms. Now in its seventh…

By: Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, IN—Chef Heather Pier from Ivy Tech Community College shares some of her secrets about staying safe and making delicious food, as her Ivy Tech students are busy completing final exams and getting ready for the famous food tasting. These junior chefs will be ready to take their new cooking skills and apply it to their own dishes, which will be showcased at This Kid Can Cook, a fundraising event for Treefort Ministries on Friday, May 3, from 6-8 pm at Commonway Church located at 201 E. Charles Street in downtown Muncie. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for…

By: Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, IN—Ivy Tech Community College has awarded 19 faculty members with the President’s Award, which recognizes individuals who exemplify the mission of the College. This annual tradition, which began in 1983, awards one full-time faculty member per campus. Each President’s Award winner is eligible for the Founder’s Award, formerly known as the Glenn W. Sample Award for Excellence in Instruction. The winner of the Founder’s Award will be announced in a June ceremony. As a psychology professor for the campus of Ivy Tech Muncie/Henry County, Autumn McNichols connects with students about topics that people have to deal…

By: Michelle Kinsey—  Muncie, IN—Local robotics Team 1720, The PhyXTGears, has had an “out of this world” season. And it’s not over yet. On Wednesday, April 24, the team will travel to Detroit, Mich., for the FIRST World Championship competition. The team, ranked third in the state, qualified for the prestigious competition after finishing second (for the third year in a row) with its robot, Space Walrus, at the IndianaFIRST State Championship in Kokomo April 12-13. This is the fourth time in five years the team has qualified to compete at Worlds.  “Considering how many knowledgeable seniors were on the…

By: David Voss, PhyXTgears Media Team Member— Muncie, IN—Robotics Team 1720 PhyXTgears has advanced to the IndianaFIRST state competition in Kokomo. The two-day event is open to the public and will take over the Kokomo Memorial Gym Friday and Saturday, April 12-13. “[I am] super excited and ready to go,” said team member Logan Hickok-Dickson, who is a member of the robot’s drive team. Team 1720 has participated in two district events this 2018-19 season. At the Mishawaka district competition March 8-9, the team finished as the third ranked alliance (three teams compete together as an alliance for each match). At…

By: Rebecca Parker— Muncie, IN—This spring break, a group of 12 students from the Ivy Tech Community College Upward Bound program journeyed to Chicago to experience the best of what the city has to offer. While in the Windy City, students boarded the U505 submarine at the Museum of Science and Industry, watched Beluga whales leap from the water at Shedd Aquarium, observed the city skyline from above at Hancock 360, rode a Ferris wheel at Navy Pier, and dined on deep dish pizza at Gino’s. Students visited Columbia College Chicago to learn more about higher education opportunities in the…