Education

Erica Collins in the classroom. Photo provided

Education May 8, 2019

Muncie Community Schools Teacher Named 2019 Excellence in Teaching Award Winner

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….

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Chef Heather Pier is pictured with some of her young chefs. Photo provided

Education May 3, 2019

Ivy Tech’s Chef Heather Pier Prepares Junior Chefs For May 3rd Event

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…

Autumn McNichols. Photo provided

Education April 30, 2019

Autumn McNichols Awarded Ivy Tech’s 2019 President’s Award

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…

The Space Walrus in competition. Photo provided

Education April 20, 2019

Muncie Robotics Team Heading to World Competition

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…

The PhyXTgears Drive Team poses with the team robot, Space Walrus, before a match. Photo by PhyXTgears Media Team Member Adam Schuler.

Education April 11, 2019

Muncie Robotics Team Heading To State Competition

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…

Upward Bound students and chaperones gather at “Cloud Gate” in Millennium Park during their Spring Break trip to Chicago. Photo provided

Education April 5, 2019

A Chicago Adventure for Ivy Tech Upward Bound’s Top Students

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…

Artist rendering—Exterior Downtown North Building. Photo provided.

Business, Education April 4, 2019

MutualBank Foundation Donates $150,000 To Ivy Tech

By: Jennifer Gasiorek— Muncie, IN –The Ivy Tech Foundation has received a donation from the MutualBank Charitable Foundation MutualBank for $150,000.  Ivy Tech Community College received a state appropriation of $38.7 million. However, the College was charged with raising an additional $4.3 million to complete the transformation of the Muncie campus to better serve students and area employers. “We are more than grateful for the MutualBank Foundation’s Mutual Banks generous donation,” said Jeffrey D. Scott, Chancellor. “The entire community has been…

GEC team members strategizing the proposal with a NECA representative. Photo provided

Education, Non-Profit April 3, 2019

BSU Team Promotes Energy Savings at ARF Muncie

By: Cassie Dorony— Muncie, IN—Being a part of the Ball State construction management program means we participate in many competition teams. My team is currently in the ELECTRI Green Energy Challenge. For this competition, we had to find a non-profit organization in Muncie. We went on a long search and finally found one that suited what we needed. Animal Rescue Fund (ARF) is a no kill, non-profit animal shelter located in Muncie, IN. For the competition, we had to assess…

The former Mitchell Elementary School located at 2809 W. Purdue

Education, We Fly March 27, 2019

Ball State, YMCA Partnership Repurposes Mitchell Elementary Into Early Childhood Education and Family Center

By: Ball State Marketing & Communications— Muncie, IN – A closed elementary school in the heart of Muncie’s Halteman Village neighborhood will be repurposed into a child care center for infants to age 5, thanks to a new partnership between Ball State University and the YMCA of Muncie. Ball State will soon begin renovating the former Mitchell Elementary School. When renovations are finished this August, the facility will house programs currently offered by the YMCA’s Apple Tree Child Development Center…

The Royerton Elementary School robotics team. Back Row (Left to Right): Elizabeth Bamidele, Noah Parrot, Mason Hopper, John Atkinson, Alex Miranda. Front Row (Left to Right): Caleb Hunter, Madison Mosser, Hudson Ewing, Luke Huston. Not pictured: Logan Thomas.

Education March 15, 2019

Two Royerton Elementary School Robotics Teams Qualify For World Championship

By: Ryan Hunter, TechWise Academy— Royerton, IN—Over 200 elementary schools from across Indiana converged on Lucas Oil Stadium to compete in the Indiana VEX Robotics State Championship on March 9th. Two of those teams – the Robo Pirates and the Yellow Jackets – were from Royerton Elementary School. To even make it to the State Championship was a great accomplishment considering Indiana has over 1100 elementary VEX Robotics teams (the most of any state in the country). These two teams, however,…