At the 2021 Circle of Ivy Event we were thrilled to announce that nearly 1,000 Circle of Ivy members collectively raised a total impact of $209,713! Our members provided support to fund 78 projects across the state which are listed below.
Circle of Ivy Anderson Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $10,490.82
IvyCares Student Emergency Fund – $3,496.94 Many of our students found themselves in desperate situations due to COVID. Ivy Cares is a program designed to assist students with unexpected emergency financial needs that isn’t covered by scholarships and may otherwise cause a student to drop out of college. The program is not designed for assistance with recurring expenses and does not support tuition or fees. Students must be in good standing with the college, be in regular attendance with their current classes, and be making satisfactory progress in their current coursework.
Project Jump Start Operational Funds – $3,496.94 Project Jump Start is an accelerated model of Ivy Tech’s student success course. The course takes place for one week prior to each semester and includes important information about how to navigate college. This course is especially imperative since most of our students are the first in their family to attend college. The accelerated course, which includes guest community speakers and time for students to explore aspects of their college life has resulted in increased success and retention rates among participants.
Give and Take Food Pantry – $3,496.94 Food insecurity is a major issue that our students face. In 2016, a HOPE Lab survey found that 56% of community college students experienced food insecurity, and we know that COVID has only increased this number. Students that struggle to meet their basic needs will struggle to persist and be successful in college. In order to help address this need of our students, Ivy Tech Anderson has established a Give and Take Pantry for students and staff who need assistance with food, toiletries, and other essential items. The pantry is completely anonymous and offers everything from canned goods, baby food, toilet paper and other personal hygiene items. The pantry has made a significant impact for our students and the funds would be used to continue to expand and sustain this service.
Circle of Ivy Bloomington Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $32,174
Indiana Center for the Life Sciences: Outdoor Entry Beautification – $2,592 Funds for this service-learning project will underwrite removal of invasive species and poison ivy, and replacement with native plants that support local pollinators.
Promotional Wear for Dual-Enrolled Students and Parents – $1,500 Branded Ivy Tech t-shirts will foster a sense of belonging for our dual-enrolled students (“I am a college student at Ivy Tech”) and their parents (“My child is a college student at Ivy Tech”).
Dual-Enrolled Welcome Kit and Event – $1,500 To help our increasing number of dual-enrolled students better connect with the campus, we will host a welcome event for students and families, complete with a welcome kit with Ivy Tech-branded planner, swag, etc.
Give and Take Pantry – $3,822 To address ongoing food insecurity impacting a large part of our student population, this grant would help stock our campus-wide food pantry for the balance of the year.
Build an Arcade Machine – $1,000 Information Technology students will gain valuable hands-on experience in their field by building a custom arcade machine for the Bloomington campus.
Food for Thought Pantry – $3,823 Our grab-and-go pantry, housed in our tutoring center, provides students with quick access to nutritious snacks during the school day to help them stay focused and on-task.
Ivy Tech Week of Sight – $3,600 Our Optician and Eyecare students will support the vision needs of underserved populations in our community by providing eye exams, frames and lenses for 30 individuals, age Kindergarten through senior citizen.
BuzzFest 2022: STEM to STEAM Outdoor Learning Lab – $3,951 To help students understand the importance of bees to our ecosystem, biology faculty will integrate the study of bees, hives and pollination patterns into our new Outdoor Learning Lab.
BuzzFest 2022 Visiting Artist – $1,500 To support the Biology department’s focus on bee ecosystems, funds will integrate instruction from a visiting artist both to teach artistic concepts and to create/install bee-themed original art in our Outdoor Learning Lab.
Professional Food Photography – $700 New equipment will provide Hospitality students hands-on experiential learning in photographing foods they create for posting on social media and related marketing outlets.
Enriching Programs for ASAP Students – $2,000 Teambuilding activities will enrich the Ivy Tech experience for students in our accelerated programs.
Automotive Technology Smart Board and Camera – $3,200 This interactive whiteboard and portable digital camera will reinforce the mastery of diagnosing electrical systems on modern vehicles.
STEM Lab Technology Enhancement – $2,986 Additional sets of data-logging interfaces and chargers to use with existing sensors/probes will help students in physics, physical science, chemistry and radiation therapy courses access technology that supports learning.
Circle of Ivy Columbus Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $5,785
Focusing on DSS and ELL Student Success through Smart Pen Technology – $1,000 Within our expanded service area, the Ivy Tech Community College Columbus campus has approximately 130 Latino students enrolled as well as an increasing number of students from countries around the world. These students represent a broad spectrum with some students having lived in the United States for many years while others have more recently moved here.
This diversity of experiences within our student population is also mirrored in English-language fluency and proficiency. Because our campus does not offer ESL or ELL courses, some students need additional resources in order to ensure success. Smartpens technology is an effective tool as it can result in improved quality of notes, increase a student’s confidence in a course, and serve as a reference tool and language assistant. Pronunciation is easier for students with the audio to text conversion aspect of the technology. A student can tap on a word and hear exactly what it sounds like when said aloud. I am requesting $500 to purchase 5 Neo Smartpens that will be available for use by our ELL students.
Having doubled the number of students with accommodations in the year I have been here I foresee the need for Smartpens to also grow. Already I have testimonials of how much the pens have helped my students. The pens especially help students with ADHD, Autism, or hearing impairments. Smartpens are the new way of taking notes and assisting students with disabilities. I am requesting five smartpens for $500 that will be available for our students with disabilities. Not only do the pens provide an accommodation, but they give the students skills in notetaking, students are more successful in their classes, and they are self-reliant. To checkout a pen my students sign a checkout form and receive a Dimo Smartpens, a recco (the recorder), a charger, a notebook, and a pencil bag. Having this little piece of technology help will help our student’s retention, to gain new skill sets, and ensure self-reliance. In total $1,000 dollars would provide 10 smartpens to be used for both ELL and DSS students.
Recruitment tools for Ivy MAC – $657 The summer of 2021 allowed the Columbus Ag Department to visit many industry trade shows, county fairs, and the Indiana State Fair using Ivy MAC for recruitment and education about agriculture. A key to any successful visit is having something to draw people in. Popcorn is a much loved snack that is enjoyed by many. We would like to purchase a popcorn machine to keep in Ivy MAC to use at the various events. This newly designed machine has a self dispenser which will allow each person to get their own portion without touching any internal parts of the machine. The cost of this machine is $1,325. If allotted the $1,000 the ag program would use s&e funds for the difference.
Student Laptops – $657 Hello! My name is Kristina Samples. I am the ASAP Cyber Academy cohort coordinator and academic advisor for our unique program through Columbus Ivy Tech. The Cyber Academy is an 11-month accelerated associate degree program housed at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Butlerville, IN. Our program is a designated Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. Students complete all coursework on-site and depend heavily on well-equipped laptops and strong WIFI connections. The Cyber Academy is located 45 minutes away from the Ivy Tech Columbus campus. This distance makes borrowing a laptop from the main campus inconvenient for our Cyber students, and the wait time for a loaner can vary.
In addition, students are urged to purchase a laptop with specific computer specs to accommodate the coursework. Loaner laptops on campus do not meet these standards. A malfunctioning laptop can be detrimental to student success due to the rigor and fast-paced nature of this program. I am therefore requesting grant monies to purchase a loaner laptop (ASUS Vivobook) that faculty and staff will store on-site for student use as needed. I appreciate your consideration of this request. This investment will give students access to the technology needed to complete their degree and lessen the burden and stress of falling behind in their studies. Thank you for supporting the success of our students.
Raspberry Pi kits for CSA IT Pathways Dual Enrollment Program – $657 This proposal is requesting funds to purchase 5 Raspberry Pi micro-computers and accessories to be used for real world projects in the IT Pathways Dual Enrollment Program at CSA High School. This equipment will provide the students with real hands on experience while learning concepts in areas such as IT support, IoT, networking, and programming. These micro-computers can potentially be incorporated in all 9 courses in the IT Pathways program.
Mental Health Matters! – $657 Since the ASAP cohort was established at Columbus in 2014, students have successfully persevered through a 60-credit hour program in just 11 months. ASAP has now expanded in our area to include the MUTC Cyber Academy and the Advantage Shelby cohorts. 2022 will bring further expansion to the Franklin site and the launch of Ivy Accelerate, an adult-focused cohort. Our enrollment numbers continue to increase, and our students continue to persevere and graduate. Despite trials and tribulations along the way, students leave ASAP with not just associate degrees but with a new family of classmates and a director that has supported them through the process. This support continues after graduation—whenever it is needed.
The ASAP curriculum is demanding, and these students often have additional stressors from life circumstances. These factors make an accelerated program additionally challenging. Our challenges are many, but our students are resilient. One challenge that has been ongoing but seems even more prevalent today is mental health. We would like to supply our ASAP students with not just a mental health toolkit of items to help reduce stress, but also an opportunity to come together in community with the other ASAP students in our area for mental health awareness activities. This will not only give students tangible items to enhance their mental health but will also widen their support network (their “ASAP family”) beyond their classroom to our entire area.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month – 2022 – $657 Diversity, Equity & Belonging are very important on our campus, and we want to expand celebrating and offer a variety of cultural and educational events throughout the Hispanic Heritage Month. National Hispanic Heritage Month is from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
PPE Equipment for WELD Students – $657 The welding field is a profession that carries much more risks than others. The purpose of the personal protective equipment (PPE) is to protect the employees, students, and guests of Ivy Tech Community College from exposure to hazards and risk of injury while in the laboratory at AITC. It will be used in conjunction with other controls unless no other means of hazard control exist. Personal protective equipment will be provided, used, and maintained when it has been determined that its use is required to ensure the safety and health of our high school students graduates. When dual enroll high school graduates complete basic WELD 100 and INDT 114 courses they are not allowed to keep personal protective equipment (PPE) for future courses. During the enrollment process with Ivy Tech they realize that they are looking for an additional expense to purchase PPE kit to finish their CT, TC, and AAS. We are looking to purchase three PPE kits from the Lincoln Electric Company, price per each is $272.42, total is $817.26. Please note that prices listed are subject to change due to the volatility of steel, chemical and other raw material prices.
Food for the Ivy’s Food for Thought Food Pantry – $500 The food pantry has been taking off this semester and has expanded to Franklin, Shelbyville, and MUTC. The pantry has the most utilization since I became the supervisor over the pantry with over 50 snack bags and 16 known students using the pantry, some more than once. The pantries at Shelbyville, Franklin, and MUTC have grab-and-go shelves so the exact number of students utilizing the pantries is unknown, but the items have been flying off the shelves. Snack bags are available on each campus for students to grab if they need food or are unable to afford a meal, the bag includes a microwavable meal, a snack (granola bar, peanut butter, or cookies), and a fruit cup/applesauce.
At the end of the month, I am hosting a food drive, but the need for pantry items has never been greater. We are also providing feminine hygiene items in the woman’s bathroom at Columbus but I am wanting to extend this to each of our campuses. With these funds, I will be able to purchase quality items to provide to our students in need. All of the funding will be used to buy needed items for the food pantries and distributed as needed to each location. Currently, I have some funding, but I am reserving those funds to be used for Thanksgiving and Christmas hams for 10 students at Columbus and 10 for Franklin. I am so happy the pantry is being utilized to this extent and any funds will be appreciated! If anyone would like a tour of our pantries I would be happy to show you around. I have attached photos.
Circle of Ivy Evansville Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $17,000
Nursing Lab Equipment – $3,219.30 The Nursing profession is rapidly changing due to technological advances and now COVID. Resources would provide nursing students access to new IV pumps, scales, linen hampers, thermometers, injection trainers, and manikin trainers.
Study Abroad Scholarships – $5,000 In 2022, Ivy Tech students will have an opportunity to study abroad in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Paris. The money requested for this proposal will be used to provide five students a $1,000.00 scholarship that will be applied to their study abroad program cost. Thus strengthening the skills of our students by teaching them global skills and competencies that are integrated in the global studies certificates, global workforce skills certificate, and in the study abroad experience.
Period Poverty – $601 “Period Poverty”, or a lack of access to menstrual products affects 1 in 10 college students in the United States. The Evansville campus is comprised of 64% of students who identify as female. At our on campus food closet, Ivy’s Closet, 91% of the female visitors request menstrual products or hygiene items. These resources would allow Ivy’s Closet to maintain a supply of feminine products.
Gloria’s Garden – $8,179.70 The Ivy Tech Evansville Campus is working in stage 1 of 3 to re-develop Gloria’s Garden. This new vision will be an outdoor space for learning, reflection, and support fresh produce available at Ivy’s Closet or through other health/wellness programs. These resources will help support the first stage which includes a planters, tools and other foundation needs.
Circle of Ivy Fort Wayne Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $3,726.34
Emergency Funds (Barrier Busting Dollars) – $2,500 These Barrier Busting Dollars provide much needed emergency assistance for students who otherwise may have to stop out of a program, leaving them without a needed completion and the ability to improve their own lives, as well as the lives of their families.
Ivy Achieves Incentive Grand Prize – $1,000 The statewide system has implemented the Ivy Achieves program in two parts. The course retake option and the incentive program. The Ivy Achieves incentive program provides points to actions that a student does that have been determined to maximize student success and retention. These student points can be redeemed for various prizes at a campus wide and statewide level. This program is made possible by funds earned from a Lilly grant, but grant funds cannot cover the incentive prizes and fundraising for prizes are expected at every campus level. We are seeking dollars to cover these incentives so that students from our campus have an equitable availability of prize offerings as others around the state. The purpose of this proposal is to provide funding for the grand prize winner per the Incentive Redemption Proposal for the 2021-2022 Year. The requirement as a campus is to provide funding for a grand prize if not granted here, would need to be raised by other philanthropic dollars.
Ivy Achieves Individual Incentive Prizes – $226.34 The statewide system has implemented the Ivy Achieves program in two parts. The course retake option and the incentive program. The Ivy Achieves incentive program provides points to actions that a student does that have been determined to maximize student success and retention. These student points can be redeemed for various prizes at a campus wide and statewide level. This program is made possible by funds earned from a Lilly grant, but grant funds cannot cover the incentive prizes and fundraising for prizes are expected at every campus level. We are seeking dollars to cover these incentives so that students from our campus have an equitable availability of prize offerings as others around the state. The purpose of this second proposal is to provide funding for smaller individualized prizing priced from $5-50per the Incentive Redemption Proposal for the 2021-2022 Year and the Ivy Achieves Incentive Tiers. The requirement as a campus to provide funding for a Supplemental prize if not granted here, would need to be raised by other philanthropic dollars.
Circle of Ivy Hamilton County Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $5,133.02
Lactation Room Upgrade – $933.02 These funds are being used to purchase new furniture and décor to give the lactation room on campus a facelift.
Tools for Teaching – $1,700 These funds will be used to purchase iPads to use with our Early Childhood and Education majors to help prepare them for the classrooms in which they will be working.
T-shirts for Tough Times – $2,500 Start up funds for an apparel fundraiser with proceeds going to support IvyCARES (emergency funds and wrap-around support for students).
Circle of Ivy Indianapolis Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $22,646.83
DSS Assistive Technology Day – $5,000 Indianapolis DSS will use this funding to host an AT Day for students, staff, and faculty. Those in attendance will have the opportunity to build a tool-kit of technology knowledge that can significantly impact accessibility success and impact retention. Participants will learn about many free built-in features or downloadable extensions of both Microsoft and Apple computers, tablets and phones. Additionally, DSS would like to feature the benefits of using and mastering the features of Read&Write. This is a wonderful tool that isn’t well known to students or staff that has numerous built in features for highlighting, text to speech, talk and type, dictionary features, annotation for notes capability and more.
Indiana Student Association of Nurses Conference – $1,000 Funds will be used to cover costs for some of our Indianapolis nursing students to attend the annual Indiana Student Association of Nurses conference in January 2022. The students will be engaged in: ATI NCLEX review, listen to national speakers, meet vendors of all kinds from work to education, have opportunities to network, meet employers from all over the country, meet with college representatives, and go to break out sessions on specific topics related to nursing. The best part of the entire convention is the exposure to professionalism and collegiality amongst the nursing profession.
Chancellor Student Initiative Incentives – $2,000 Many students participating in the new ‘Get Fit with the Chancellor’ program were participating to be eligible for the scholarship drawing at the end of the month-long program. I was so impressed that these students were enjoying themselves and getting fit and really wanted and needed the extra funds. I think it would be great if we kept doing this and had a funding source to go with it in the spring term. These funds will provide $1000 scholarships to students participating in the program.
TRIO Need-Based Scholarships – $5,000 These funds will be awarded to students through scholarships for the Spring 2022 semester, which would allow students to continue their education at Ivy Tech and make progress towards earning a degree. The scholarship would help to address any unmet need not covered by a student’s financial aid package, or if a student is not eligible for financial aid despite being enrolled in an eligible academic program.
Teach-2-Grow – $1,146.83 In the #Teach2Grow SLD English 111 course, students research about gardening, write about gardening, and grow vegetables in a shared school garden located at the Culinary Center on the downtown Indianapolis campus. Funds will be used to purchase items necessary to maintain and refresh the existing garden beds, package the produce for transport to students’ homes, and to add two more garden beds.
IvyCARES – $5,000 Ivy CARES (Caring Assistance Resource for Every Student) provides emergency financial assistance and integrating services and resources for Ivy Tech students that focus on creating self-sufficiency while working to improve quality of life in partnership with community agencies.
Learning Center Upgrades – $3,500 These funds will be used to make small upgrades to the Learning Recourse Center, which will make a big impact on our ability to service our students in a more modern and efficient manner.
Circle of Ivy Kokomo Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $13,950
Cash for Completers – $3,000 Cash for Completers assists students working towards the completion of a certificate, technical certificate, and/or associate degree while in high school. Many of these students face the obstacle of not having the financial means to cover the cost of tuition and fees since high school students are not eligible for financial aid awards.
Hispanic/Latinx Education Coalition Jump Start – $3,000 Description: The Hispanic/Latinx Education Coalition, made up of staff, faculty, students, and community members, strives to impact the Cass County community through educational opportunities at Ivy Tech Community College. The coalition seeks to build relationships, and will aid in recruiting and retaining Hispanic/Latinx students making our service area more diverse and multicultural. Funding will include testing fees for foreign language test-out, recruitment materials, snacks for student gathering sessions, swag, and experiences beyond the classroom.
Minority Student Enrichment Initiative – $2,725 Description: The Kokomo Diversity Committee would like to offer activities and experiences that expose students to other cultures, real-life work opportunities and acknowledge their successes by offering them alternative ways to interact with other students who share the same experience. Activities could include visiting cultural museums, career exploration and a minority student graduation recognition ceremony. The goal is to specifically target a student population that we as a campus have struggled to retain.
Increase enrollment in the welding program at the Logansport Campus – $2,725 Description: The enrollment services department will partner with the industrial technology program chair to recruit students into the Logansport welding program. This initiative will provide marketing materials and recruitment scholarship funds. Students will have the opportunity to complete a technical certificate in four 8-week terms.
CastleBranch Record Portal – $2,500 Proposal Description: Health Care Program students are required to receive a background check, drug screen and demonstrate immunizations before being admitted into their program of study. This information must be submitted through a record keeping program called CastleBranch. The cost of CastleBranch record portal is $125 per student. Funds will support students who do not have resources to purchase the CastleBranch subscription.
Circle of Ivy Lafayette Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $8,784.04
Student Success for Single Moms – $2,918.50 Provides tuition and fee reimbursement after successfully participating in the iPass program.
Leisure Space to keep students on campus – $3,000 If students leave campus between classes, they are less likely to attend. This space will provide a “home away from home” for students in between classes where they can study, play video games and spend time with friends. $3000
Dual credit engagement resources – $1,365.54 Providing Ivy Tech items to recognize and engage dual credit students.
Building community through service – $500 Providing funding for a service project at the Crawfordsville site.
Ivy Keys – $1,000 Tuning a piano for the students to play out in the grand hall.
Circle of Ivy Lake County, Michigan City, Valparaiso Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $3,000
Road to Graduation Scholarship – $3,000 This scholarship is the result of Circle of Ivy members committed to helping female students graduate, to then achieve their dream for a better future in the Lake County and Valparaiso/Michigan City service area. Students must be female, have a GPA of 3.0 or greater and attend any Ivy Tech Lake County and/or Valparaiso/Michigan City Service Area campus. Students must be enrolled full-time, have 12 or less credits needed for an Associate degree and have applied to graduate. We will be providing funding for 3 Lake County and 3 Valparaiso/Michigan City students in the amount of $500 each for a total of $3,000.
Circle of Ivy Lawrenceburg Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $6,745
ASAP: It’s Okay to Be Okay – $1,500 Equipping our students with self-care and mental health awareness by providing the tools necessary to help manage stress and to not only be successful in ASAP but also to be successful after graduation.
Ivy Tech Indoor Tower Gardens – $2,155 The purpose of the Ivy Tech Indoor Tower Gardens project is to utilize gardening as a life skill that not only illustrates Biology learning objectives but also provides a sustainable means of feeding the community, providing fresh produce year-round. In collaboration with Southeast Indiana Community Gardens, Biology students complete service learning by growing produce for the Clearinghouse Food Pantry in raised beds at the community garden, in our outdoor campus terrace garden, and with an indoor tower garden in the lab. Indoor tower gardens are critical for providing produce off season. Last year we provided 34 pounds of fresh greens from the tower garden; This year we would like to add a tower garden for growing tomatoes. A tomato cage was donated; We request funding for the additional tower garden and growing supplies. We have also been supplying fresh produce for the new Food for Thought Pantry on campus. In collaboration with the Associate Accelerated Program (ASAP) students, we would like to dedicate an additional tower garden to raising greens for the campus pantry. ASAP students take part in team building and enrichment activities along with service learning, for which the tower garden will provide an excellent vehicle. Providing peer mentorship, Biology students will train the ASAP students in tower gardening, growing food and growing relationships. To evaluate success, pounds of produce will be tracked, and service learning reflections will be assessed.
Little Free Library – Lakefront & Batesville – $90 To expand the Little Free Library to the Lakefront and Batesville campuses, we are looking to register the two locations on the national website and purchase a charter sign to complete the registration. This project was in coordination with International Literacy Day and the book drive hosted by the Employee Engagement Team. Book Shelves and signage have already been purchased for the two locations but this cost is the final cost of the project. With the registration, we will receive a charter sign for each location that has a unique number that can be searched on the Little Free Library Website.
Batesville Student Lounge Upgrade – $3,000 To enhance the student experience at the Batesville site, a laptop bar would be added to the student lounge area. This would consist of 3 bar-height tables and 6 chairs (similar to the Lawrenceburg student lounge) in addition to charging stations for laptops and devices.
Circle of Ivy Madison Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $1,300
Etiquette Dinner – $1,300 The annual etiquette dinner will be hosted by the CCEC staff and led by Professor Marta Belt. The event will address topics such as table manners, mingling, and professional behavior in social situations. The dinner will take place in our rotunda which will be transformed into a restaurant. Each table will include a member of the Madison community who will act as the table host to facilitate conversation and interaction among the students. Past events have resulted in student participants receiving job interview opportunities and scholarships.
Circle of Ivy Marion Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $1,800
Campus Meal Assistance for Students – $1,800 Many of our students on the Marion campus spend the entire day without proper nourishment while on campus. It is especially difficult for students if their only means of transportation is city transit. During the months of January, February and March 2021, the Marion campus was able to provide meals to 600 students. Funding for this project will support the availability of meals and nutritious snacks to students on campus during the 2021-2022 academic year. The Marion campus purchases the meals and snack packs from the Grant County Rescue Mission.
Circle of Ivy Muncie Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $6,500
The Intercultural Center for Inclusion – $4,500 The Intercultural Center for Inclusion serves as a lighthouse to guide our students safely to a better place. The Center houses our Single Mom’s initiative and Black Student Association as well as other diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Students spend time in this space growing and connecting with others, receive mentoring opportunities and other community resources. Funds will support these program initiatives.
Rudi’s Nest (Campus Food Pantry) – $2,000 We know it is difficult for students to concentrate on doing well in the classroom if they are unsure of where they are getting their next meal. Rudi’s Nest is here to help us combat food insecurities of our students. Funds will be used to provide adequate shelving and to stock the shelves with non-perishable food items and other basic toiletries for our students.
Circle of Ivy Richmond Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $8,400
Student Government Association – Student Involvement Scholarship – $1500 The campus’ Student Government Association’s legacy project is to create an endowed scholarship which recognizes active students in campus student organizations. Dollar Amount Funded is $1,500 and $1,000 from a special COI grant created this past year in memory of Mae Monroe, a loved Richmond campus COI member who passed last January.
NCLEX Associated Fee Assistance – $2,073 This funding will assist in-need nursing students with payment of associated fees (including Indiana State Board of Nursing application fee, background check fee, and/or NCSBN NCLEX test fee). Nursing students in their final semester face many costs that are not part of their program tuition and fees. While the earned credential is a great accomplishment, graduates cannot obtain nursing jobs without passing the licensing exam. It is also imperative students are able to sit for NCLEX testing as quickly as possible after graduation. The longer a student waits to take nursing boards, the lower their likelihood of passing the licensing exam. Each year, the Richmond campus has students who would not have been able to apply to sit for the NCLEX exam without the help of emergency funding. Fortunately, Circle of Ivy grant funding was awarded the past three years and has assisted 34 students. In fact, 90% of Circle of Ivy grant-funded testers passed NCLEX on the first attempt in the past three years!
Ivy Achieves – Incentives – $3,827 Ivy Achieves is a statewide initiative to incentivize students to participate in activities and engage resources available that have proven to impact and improve student success and completion. The cornerstone to this program is providing tangible incentives to students at the campus level. Students engage in a variety of activities that allow them to earn points. Every Richmond campus student is earning incentive points as we speak, and the program is designed to address equity gaps in education. A conservative estimation of the number of students potentially impacted by this funding would be over 120.
Circle of Ivy Sellersburg Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $12,000
IvyCares Food Pantry – $3,000 IvyCares provides non-academic support to students. One feature service of this department is a food bank. Through a recent partnership with Dare to Care, IvyCares will be able to provide more dry goods, freezer and refrigerated foods for student families. In order to meet the guidelines of Dare to Care and provide safe food products for students, a refrigerator and a separate freezer will need to be purchased. The cost of these two items is $3,469. With the support of Circle of Ivy $3,000 was approved to buy the necessary appliances to provide greater services to our students.
Completion Scholarships for Education Students – $3,000 Often students make it partly through our program and then life happens. This scholarship will be available to any Education, Early Childhood or Secondary Education student to help cover tuition costs in their last semester at Ivy Tech Community College. These monies will be used to cover up to two classes in their last semester to help them finish their degree. By supporting students during their final semester, we will increase completions in our programs.
Dosage Calculation Bootcamp – $1,750 Circle of Ivy will provide funds to supplement math proficiency for Practical Nursing (PN) students at Ivy Tech Sellersburg. The school of nursing has identified a need for increased math knowledge in our program. All exams within the school of nursing are mandated to include dosage calculation problems. As students progress throughout the program, the questions increase in complexity. Ordinarily, this stair-stepped approach would facilitate student success, and we see this result with our ASN student population. Our PN program does not mandate any math course. In an attempt to better equip our PN students, the School of Nursing has developed different strategies. We want to trial an outside math program with the incoming Spring 2022 cohort and see if we can increase math success specifically within the PN program. To be fair and equal for all students, we would like to adopt all incoming nursing students universally.
IvyCares: Emergency (Barrier Busting Dollars) and Programmatic Funds – $3,000 Goal 1 of the Ivy Tech Strategic Plan is Student Success Strategy 1.1: Ensure the basic needs of the student are met. Most specifically, develop and orchestrate intentional wraparound services to meet the unique needs of students ranging from individual case management to location of external resources and services while enrolled. These funds will be used to roll out initiatives and ensure that students basic needs are met with programming, emergency aid funds and intuitional supplies. Targeted programming that aligns with the greatest non-academic trends we have seen throughout the pandemic such as; Food Insecurity, LGBTQIA+ students, Disability support services, Domestic Violence, and emergency aid. Ivy Cares strives to help students gain access to resources that can help them remain successful in and out of the classroom. Ivy Cares has many programs planned to help bring awareness to the many issues that students are facing such as domestic violence, LGBTQIA+ services, transportation, and disability awareness. We have seen an influx of students who are single parents, experiencing financial hardships and that are having a difficult time navigating life and we are committed to supporting them.
Ivy Achieves – $1,250 IvyAchieves is a new program at Ivy Tech that will increase persistence and completion by increasing participation in evidence-based academic and student life activities tracked with an app. Students will receive participation incentives for completing and logging activities in the app such as meeting with an advisor/coach, attending classes, turning in assignments, and filing the FAFSA. IvyAchieves has five main components: 1) App development, 2) Deliberate academic and career advising, 3) Student engagement, 4) Incentives for participation, including a free course re-take, and 5) Evaluation and expansion. The goal of this program is to engage enrolled students to create incentives for campus and academic involvement, leading to retention and achieved goals. These funds will be used to purchase incentives for our students who participate in the program.
Circle of Ivy South Bend/Elkhart Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $15,500
The National Society of Leadership and Success Memberships – $570 I’m the faculty advisor to our campus’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success. Invitations go to students who exceed the GPA hurdle after completing at least 12 credit hours. Students who join navigate a leadership training process that is aligned with how I teach leadership. I’m in awe of the approximately 30 students who complete the process in addition to their school, work, and family responsibilities. Every semester we have a few students who would like to join but can’t afford the one-time $95 membership fee. It would be great to have some NSLS scholarship funds set aside for these students.
Hospitality Student Success Fund – $3,000 Hospitality Administration as a culture is all about helping each other. This proposal is for a fund to help with “life”, whether a student needs help purchasing a uniform or a scholarship to fill in the gap where financial aid may have been exhausted. If there is no need on the part of students, I would propose the funds be used for improvements to the student areas such as the baking lab which could use a fresh coat of paint, small wares, or new “pod” lab tables. Whether it is funding directly to students or indirectly to the areas they work in, it all helps.
The American Culinary Foundation Memberships – $1,000 For 90 years ACF has not only been the champion of the culinary profession for chefs around the country, but around the world. ACF’s new Post-Secondary Student Program that allows ACFEF Accredited post-secondary programs to provide their culinary students individual Student Memberships in the ACF for a reduced rate of only $50 per student. This is a decrease of nearly 40% from the regular fee of $82.
IT Coding Class – $3,000 Ivy Tech IT partners with the Charles Black Center, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and Coding class. This class will meet in from Fall 2021-Spring 2022, 2-4 hours once per week. Participating students are under-resourced, primarily of color in need of academic and personal enrichment. These students build academic and personal confidence while learning the foundations of Information Technology. In addition to inspiring interest in technology, this program builds community awareness about Ivy Tech among children and adults, offering an early start on a career path that can lead to dual credit classes and an education at Ivy Tech. Our Ivy Tech students teaching the class can apply the software development skills they are learning, grow their interpersonal skills, and earn an additional source of income.
Respiratory Therapy t-shirts & Jackets – $900 Our respiratory therapy students work in the hospitals weekly with Covid-19 patients. They have experienced the death of more patients than any class before them. They are putting their health on the line every week so they can be prepared to graduate and continue caring for critically ill patients. We would like to buy these items for our students and prevent them from having to pay anything out of pocket. They already use so much of their own money to pay for gas to and from clinicals.
ENGL 111 Preparation Course for Spanish-speaking Students – $3,000 A specialized virtual course for Ivy Tech credit-seeking and non-credit students, offered by *UPAEP University, will prepare Spanish-speaking students for success in the ENGL 111 core gen-ed class. Reduce barriers for Spanish-speaking students, Increase Ivy Tech’s effectiveness in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Better serve our regional community’s Spanish-speaking learners. ENGL 111 is frequently a barrier to Spanish-speaking students completing their degrees. This partnership with UPAEP, with an established history of English learning education will prepares Ivy Tech students for success.
Circle of Ivy Terre Haute Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $15,000
Laptop Scholarships – $15,000 Access to proper technology is essential for any college student’s success. Nothing made this more evident than the dramatic changes the pandemic brought about in the spring of 2020. At that time, the majority of classes at Ivy Tech Terre Haute changed to virtual or hybrid formats. It became increasingly clear that barriers to technology were a more prominent challenge for many.
Prior to the start of the pandemic, in the fall of 2018, a laptop scholars pilot program began with 40 students who were gifted a laptop upon their enrollment. The amount of success seen in these students is noteworthy. Since Fall of 2018, we have seen retention rates increase by more than 12% among our laptop scholarship recipients. This academic year, we expanded our laptop scholarship program and provided nearly 150 laptop scholarships to both existing and new students. We know access to technology is critical to ensuring the success of Ivy Tech Terre Haute students. With the Circle of Ivy’s support, we will be able to provide nearly 30 more students with their own laptop, closing a critical gap along their journey to education and career achievement.
Circle of Ivy Warsaw Projects 2021 – 2022 Total Funding = $4,900
Basics Bank – $2,400 The Basics Bank is Ivy Tech Warsaw’s solution to students in need of food, toiletries, and basic supplies, especially in the face of tuition, books, child care, and other burdensome costs. Students can get help when they need it, no questions asked. We even offer dental care items, notebooks, warm hats, and basic learn-to-cook books. These funds could also be used to “customize” assistance for a need when necessary, specifically for dietary restrictions, personal care items, etc. Keeping these items in stock, and expanding them further as new student needs present themselves, directly supports, retains, and helps vulnerable students complete their Ivy Tech courses and programs. $2400 will fully fund the operations of the Basics Bank for one year.
Emergency Transportation Funds – $2,500 Getting to class safely and on time is critical to student success. Providing emergency funds for $10 gas cards and pre-arranged KABS (Kosciusko Area Bus Service) rides will help eliminate transportation barriers to students needing assistance when gas money runs short, a car is unavailable or undergoing repairs. Gas cards will be distributed through the Basics Bank in Warsaw’s Learning Resource Center (LRC). The staff will also assist students in arranging scheduled KABS rides for a two-week period. Scheduled rides are generally $1 each way.
