Non-Profit

Grantee Spotlight: Q&A with the AMA on Flight Kits Set to Enhance STEAM Education in Muncie

By Jud Fisher— MUNCIE, IN—Located on the southeast side of Muncie, the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) stands on over 1,000 acres of land and is home to the largest model aviation field in the world. Having moved to Muncie in the 1990s, the AMA’s international headquarters and museum are now home to dozens of events each year from model aviation flying days that draw hobbyists from across the country to rocket launches, kite festivals, drone competitions, remote control helicopter…

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Ross Community Center Offers Anniversary Year Activities

By Molly Flodder— MUNCIE, IN—The 50th anniversary year of the Ross Community Center is underway and events are rolling out for neighborhood and widespread celebration. The center, located at 1110 W. 10th Street in the Thomas Park/Avondale neighborhood, is focused on advancing education and lifelong learning, health, and wellness. The kick off event of the anniversary year will be “Collecting Memories/Community Call Out,” on Saturday, April 20 at 3:00 p.m. at the center. This community curating event will be a…


George and Frances Ball Foundation Awards More than $500,000 to Local Organizations

By Kelsey Harrington— MUNCIE—In the first quarter, George and Frances Ball Foundation awarded nearly $550,000 to support a variety of community organizations and initiatives across Muncie and Delaware County. The Foundation’s board, which meets four times per year, reviewed eleven grant applications for consideration of funding. In addition to serving as a grantmaker in the greater Muncie-Delaware County area, George and Frances Ball Foundation also serves in a convening role as the backbone organization for the collective impact initiative Cradle…


Second Annual ‘Motivate Our Minds Golf Outing’ To Be Held at Crestview on May 10

By Ro Selvey— MUNCIE, IN—As we gear up for another summer season, it’s time to rally behind a cause that’s close to the heart of our community: Motivate Our Minds (MOM). For years, MOM has been a beacon of hope for children in Muncie, Indiana, offering educational enrichment programs that empower our youth to reach their full potential. Now, as we approach the second annual Motivate Our Minds golf outing, it’s more important than ever to show our support and…


National Library Week To Feature Solar Eclipse Viewing Parties at Muncie Public Library

By Susan Fisher, MPL— MUNCIE, IN—April 7-13, 2024, is National Library Week, and Muncie Public Library (MPL) will celebrate in a big way by offering Solar Eclipse Viewing Parties on Monday, April 8 at three library branches. The parties will include free refreshments and free solar-viewing glasses while supplies last. “We are really having fun with this event and will serve Sun Chips and Moon Pies,” said Donna Catron, Library Manager at the Kennedy Library. Solar activities and information will…


Indiana’s Round-leaved Sundew Carnivorous Plant Shocks Scientists by Going Vegan

By Kelley Phillips, Red-tail Land Conservancy— MUNCIE, IN– In a bizarre twist of nature, a carnivorous plant has astounded botanists by declaring its newfound commitment to veganism. The Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), known for its carnivorous appetite, has had a change of heart and started refusing its usual diet of insects. The Round-leaved Sundews of Indiana released a statement early this morning that they wish to be emancipated from the Sundew genus Drosera and live a more herbaceous lifestyle. Sundews…


Muncie Altrusa to Host Tea and Auction Event on April 7

By Ashlee Anderson— MUNCIE, IN—Altrusa Club of Muncie and the Muncie Altrusa Foundation are hosting a Tea and Auction to support Club projects and Foundation grants. Club projects focus on literacy, food insecurity, and meeting various needs in the local community, while the Foundation grants fund local non-profits through an application process. All are invited to purchase tickets to Tea in Wonderland presented by Old National Bank. Lunch and tea will beserved and the main focus will be participating in…


Muncie Altrusa Club Recognizes 4th Grade Essay Contest Winners

By Sue Whitaker, Muncie Altrusa— MUNCIE, IN—The Muncie Altrusa Club hosted the winners of the Annual 4th Grade Essay Contest on March 21st during a luncheon at the Minnetrista Museum and Gardens.  The winners of the essay contest were Baxter Wilson, Burris; Kali Minnick, East Washington Academy; Mylah Wehlage, Royerton; Gabriel Crouch, Selma; A’Mirah Ruffin, West View; and Eli Burke, Yorktown. Each student read their essay titled: “How Books Build a Better World” to the assembled group. Following the reading each…


There’s a New Positive Spirit, Energy and Momentum Growing in South Muncie

By Jena Ashby— MUNCIE, IN—There is an energy building in South Muncie that, if you haven’t visited us in a while, I want you to know about. Come on over. When I was growing up my great grandma lived just a few blocks from Ross Corner. She walked to the store every day; she never had a car. Grandma Martha’s is where you went if you needed to stay home from school because you were sick, which meant you had…


Over 70 Early Child Care and Education Changemakers Kick Off a Collective Change Movement

By Kelsey Harrington— MUNCIE, IN – The success of a community’s educational systems and places of employment strongly hinge on the success and health of the community’s early care and education ecosystem. A primary reason for this is that approximately 90% of brain development happens by age five. The state of early care and education locally—and across the state and nation—has been of concern for many years and particularly in this post-pandemic era. More than 70 Muncie and Delaware County…