Education

By Andy Klotz— Muncie, IN—Muncie Central High School’s Class of 2021 will officially graduate inside the Muncie Fieldhouse rather than Ball State University’s Worthen Arena where the ceremony has taken place in recent years. The decision to move graduation is due to the ongoing pandemic and various restrictions regarding large gatherings. “We want to ensure that our graduates have as traditional a ceremony as possible with family members in attendance,” Central High School Principal Chris Walker said. “The Fieldhouse allows…

By Sheryl Swingley— Muncie, IN—Applications for the American Association of University Women, Muncie Branch, nontraditional student scholarship are due Thursday, April 1. The scholarship is worth $1,500 and is available for the 2021-2022 academic year, effective Aug. 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022. The scholarship must be used for tuition, health fee, books, and other classroom-related expenses for the year, including summer session. To apply, applicants must meet the following selection criteria: Students of any gender identity who are 25 years old or older Students…

By Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, IN — The Muncie Campus of Ivy Tech Community College announces its newest endowed scholarship; Irie’s Guiding Fund. The new scholarship opportunity is named for Irie Elisabeth O’Shea, who tragically passed away in a house fire at the young age of 17. Irie was a stand-out Junior at Wes-Del High School, where she was a member of the National Honor Society, captain of the color guard team, and a tutor to younger students. Irie was known…

By Jen Oliver,  NIET Indiana Director— Editor’s note: This article was first published by The National Institute For Excellence in Teaching and is republished here with permission.  Muncie, IN—While Muncie Community Schools could not have known at the time, the district launched one of the most important initiatives for supporting student success right as the pandemic was moving in: establishing and strengthening a teacher leadership pipeline. The district received a Career Ladders grant from the state in February 2020, right before…

By Brandon Coppernoll— Muncie, IN—TechWise Academy is announcing its Spring 2021 computer science classes with a focus on robotics and coding for K-12 students. Classes are held in the Coding Connector at the Innovation Connector building on White River Boulevard. The computer science curriculum gives students the tools to find ways to problem solve and explore curiosity and creativity. Students are encouraged to embrace mistakes to learn quickly and grow in confidence in classes. Instructors facilitate an environment where students…

By Susan Fisher, Muncie Public Library, Photos by Laura-Lea Hughes, Burris Laboratory School— Muncie, IN—Muncie Public Library (MPL) and Burris Laboratory School are excited to announce the recent roll out of a READ card program that will put a special library card in the hands of all students, faculty, and staff at Burris. The partnership will increase access to MPL books, audio-visual items, database resources, and eResources. “As soon as the partnership was approved, I shared details about it with our…

By U.S. Office of Public Affairs— Muncie, IN—Muncie Central High School student Taegan Carpenter has been named one of more than 4,500 candidates in the 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2021. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements,…

By Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, IN—Emery Peck is the new Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Ivy Tech Muncie-Henry County campus.  Peck has been with the college for 7 years in various roles. In his latest role, he played an integral part of Ivy Tech’s leadership as the Strategic Outcomes and Innovation Engineer. “Emery is strategic thinker. He is a thought leader and his passion in leading in this role is developing outcomes that lead to student success,” said Jeffrey…

By Andy Klotz— Muncie, IN—Officials at Muncie Community Schools have decided to temporarily close Northside Middle School until next week in response to a recent uptick in positive COVID-19 test results at the school. Students will shift to e-learning, utilizing the district’s Schoology learning management system, for the rest of this week. In-person learning is expected to resume on Tuesday. “We wanted to be extra cautious here since we have seen a small increase in cases in a short period…