Indianapolis, IN â Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI), in collaboration with the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN) has selected 20 organizations around the state to receive the spring 2021 round of Lead Forward Community Grants (LFCG), which pair charitable organizations with a Lilly Endowment Community Scholar (or multiple scholars) in their Indiana communities, according to information provided.
The Town of Williamsport â Warren County Park Program was one of those recipients.
âThe Summer Park program is an 8-week program that runs in June and July. The program services kids in Kindergarten through 8th grade. With a record-breaking summer, we have enrolled 292 youth from Warren County for the 2021 summer,â said Vickie Strickler, Director of the Warren County Summer Parks Program. âWe are excited to bring enrichment programs to these kids. Thanks to this partnership, 4th through 8th grade will spend 2 days experiencing zip lining, bazooka tag, rock wall climbing and the challenge course. The challenge course will involve groups working together to solve a problem. Kindergarten through 3rd grade will have the opportunity to explore trails and the great outdoors. Thank you for this opportunity for the youth of Warren County!â
Nonprofit organizations were eligible to apply for up to $2,500 in funding and scholars were encouraged to be part of the application process and to lead subsequent work on the projects.
The Lilly Scholars Network is pleased to announce that grants totaling $46,121.55 were awarded to fund the projects. The grant recipients selected in this round are:
– Beats for Bristol, Inc., Johnson County
– Westminster Neighborhood Services, Marion County
– University Lutheran Church, Monroe County
– Freewheelinâ Community Bikes, Marion County
– Wabash Valley Youth for Christ, Vigo County
– Greene County Foundation, Greene County
– Centerstone, Monroe County
– Sullivan High School, Sullivan County
– The Cooper House, Incorporated, Hamilton County
– J. Kenneth Self Boys & Girls Club of Shelby County, Shelby County
– Fayette County Community Voices, Fayette County
– United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Indiana, Statewide
– Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana, Inc., Vanderburgh County
– Wayne Township Fire Department, Marion County
– Washington County Community Foundation, Washington County
– Historic Eleutherian College, Inc., Jefferson County
– Town of Williamsport, Warren County
– Blue River Youth Choir, Shelby County
– Southeastern Indiana YMCA, Ripley County
– Benton Community Foundation, Benton County
Project descriptions are included below.
The Lilly Scholars Network, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. and oversight from ICI, works to engage Lilly Endowment Community Scholars in topics and with people focused on advancing Indianaâs future, inspire and equip the scholars to be active changemakers in their communities and cultivate meaningful connections.
âImproving the quality of life in Indiana is one of the fundamental reasons for the Lilly Scholars Network. The Lead Forward Community Grants Program achieves that mission as the program enhances life in our local communities throughout the state,â said Isaac Janson, chair of the LSN Advisory Council and a 2002 scholar from St. Joseph County. âScholars are known for their creativity, talent, and community involvement. We know scholars can identify potential for community improvements, have the energy and drive to test ideas, and provide impetus and enthusiasm for innovative approaches to create positive change.â
Project descriptions of the Spring 2021 LFCG recipients:
– Beats for Bristol, Inc., Johnson County
o Project Name: Dancing to the Beat to Change Lives One Heartbeat at a Time
o Brief Description: This grant will aid in raising awareness for Beats for Bristol in
Johnson County through the Johnson County Community Foundationâs Dancing
with the Stars competition and related events. Funding will support remembrance
events commemorating loss, provide fetal dopplers for mothers, and aid in
providing education and support around grief. The project will also help support
the installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box in Edinburgh to prevent illegal
abandonment of newborns.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partners: Avery Auton, Johnson County, 2018 and Bryana Schreiber,
Posey County, 2004
– Westminster Neighborhood Services, Marion County
o Project Name: Westminster After-School Program
o Brief Description: Westminster Neighborhood Services works within a
neighborhood with significant needs on the near Eastside of Indianapolis.
Westminster will utilize grant funding to grow its annual back-to-school bash to
help accommodate increased family needs and by launching a new college
mentoring initiative.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Johnna Belkiewitz, LaPorte County, 2014
– University Lutheran Church, Monroe County
o Project Name: Generosity Feeds Bloomington
o Brief Description: This grant will aid in supporting a meal packing event to help
provide nutritious meals for children in Monroe County schools.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Matthew Ross, Orange County, 2019
– Freewheelinâ Community Bikes, Marion County
o Project Name: Community Bike Safety Day
o Brief Description: Freewheelinâ Community Bikes will host a Community Bike
Safety Day event to address bicyclist safety. The event will include various
information stations and every participant will receive a bike helmet for attending
the event.
o Grant Amount: $2,442.50
o Scholar Partner: Callie Dugis Mason, Whitley County, 2007
-Wabash Valley Youth for Christ, Vigo County
o Project Name: Clothe a Foster Child
o Brief Description: This project will provide essential clothing to approximately 25
Vigo County students aged Kindergarten to 12th grade who are in the foster care
system.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Victoria Mier, Vigo County, 2019
– Greene County Foundation, Greene County
o Project Name: Jasonville Interactive Musical Mural
o Brief Description: This beautification project in downtown Jasonville, aims to
attract positive attention to the community and county at large by creating a more
permanent interactive art installation to foster community pride.
o Grant Amount: $2,226.00
o Scholar Partners: Morgan (May) Sparks, Greene County, 2001 and Micajah
(Green) Grassick, Greene County, 2009
– Centerstone, Monroe County
o Project Name: Kinser Flats Computer Library
o Brief Description: Centerstone is a not-for-profit provider of mental health and
addiction treatment services in Indiana. Centerstoneâs Kinser Flats residential
program offers permanent housing and mental/behavioral health services for
residents impacted by Substance Use Disorders (SUD). This grant will be used to
provide technological support to Kinser Flats residents.
o Grant Amount: $1,950.00
o Scholar Partner: Stephanie (Rumage) Spagnolo, Spencer County, 2005
– Sullivan High School FFA, Sullivan County
o Project Name: General Daniel Sullivan Nature Trail Improvements
o Brief Description: As a service activity and group learning opportunity, funding will
be used to improve and complete this trail that is open to the public, and is also
used by agriculture, science, and physical education classes. This is a safe,
user-friendly nature trail that the Sullivan FFA Chapter is dedicated to
maintaining.
o Grant Amount: $1,711.00
o Scholar Partner: Kevin Cross, Greene County, 2007
– The Cooper House, Incorporated, Hamilton County
o Project Name: Make this House a Home
o Brief Description: The Cooper House is a non-profit organization that serves
qualified families whose children are involved in foster care. Grant funding will
help transform the outdoor space into a safe and fun environment where children
can play, visitations can be held, and fellowship can occur.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Macara (Hostetler) Aloi, LaPorte County, 2002
– J. Kenneth Self Boys & Girls Club of Shelby County, Shelby County
o Project Name: Garden Tower project
o Brief Description: Two tower gardens will be purchased to provide Boys and Girls
Club participants a hands-on experience to grow, maintain and harvest food. One
garden will be housed at the Shelbyville campus and the other at the Morristown
club.
o Grant Amount: $2,280.00
o Scholar Partner: Stewart Douglas, Shelby County, 2019
– Fayette County Community Voices, Fayette County
o Project Name: Period Poverty Prevention Program
o Brief Description: High school students will be able to obtain free menstrual
products from the schoolsâ bathrooms whenever they need them.
o Grant Amount: $2,495.00
o Scholar Partner: Ryleigh Loper, Fayette County, 2020
– United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater Indiana, Statewide
o Project Name: New Life Equipment Program
o Brief Description: Funds will aid UCP in reviving used equipment that is donated
by IU Hospital Neuroscience Center and distributing it to those in need across the
state.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Jennifer (Cozad) Fisher, Marion County, 2008
– Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana, Inc., Vanderburgh County
o Project Name: Vanderburgh County Teen Court â Virtual Hearings
o Brief Description: The Vanderburgh County Teen Court program is operated by
Youth Resources in partnership with Vanderburgh County Juvenile Court, the
Vanderburgh County Sheriffâs Office, the Evansville Police Department, and the
Evansville Bar Association. Through investing in better technology, these young
leadersâ virtual hearings, continued webinar series, and foundational activities,
like new volunteer trainings, will improve and impact more students in this
community.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Laura Ferguson, Vanderburgh, 2007
– Wayne Township Fire Department, Marion County
o Project Name: Project Lifesaver
o Brief Description: This year, more children and elderly with conditions making
them prone to wander, such as autism, developmental delays, brain injuries,
dementia, and Alzheimerâs, have requested to be enrolled in the Project
Lifesaver program of WTFD. Grant funding will help support this program and the
equipment needed to locate missing persons.
o Grant Amount: $1,600.00
o Scholar Partner: Rachel Moore, Hendricks County, 2016
– Washington County Community Foundation, Washington County
o Project Name: Fifth House Ensemble Residency
o Brief Description: The primary focus of this project is to address the awareness of
the arts as a catalyst for improving overall quality of place in Salem, Indiana. In
collaboration with Indiana Universityâs Jacobs Community Engagement Initiative,
the Washington County Community Foundation will be supporting an artist
residency for the Chicago-based Fifth House Ensemble to host performances,
masterclasses, and presentations throughout the town.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Alex Tedrow, Martin County, 2017
– Historic Eleutherian College, Inc., Jefferson County
o Project Name: Eleutherian College Outdoor Learning Area
o Brief Description: This project will provide an excellent outdoor space to learn
about the collegeâs rich history and how it relates to the current day. Field trips
will benefit from having a space for students to hear stories of Jefferson Countyâs
past and engage in open discussion.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partner: Benjamin Hardin, Jefferson County, 2018
– Town of Williamsport, Warren County
o Project Name: Hanging Rock Character Building Project
o Brief Description: The grant will provide students in 4th â 8th grade with a two-day
experience and students in K â 3rd grade with a one-day experience at Hanging
Rock camp. Activity examples include: zip lining, rock wall climbing, Buddy
swings, challenge courses, and many more exciting and engaging recreation
options.
o Grant Amount: $2,225.00
o Scholar Partner: Chloe Cronk, Warren County, 2009
– Blue River Youth Choir, Shelby County
o Project Name: BRYC Summer Camp 2021
o Brief Description: Funding will help support the BRYC in hosting a youth summer
camp for ages 8-17. The youth summer camp will provide enrichment for local
youth and may serve as a springboard for children to join the BRYCâs Fall 2021
and Spring 2022 programs.
o Grant Amount: $1,700.00
o Scholar Partner: Jody Butts, Shelby County, 2001
– Southeastern Indiana YMCA, Ripley, Franklin & Decatur County
o Project Name: Water Safety Initiative
o Brief Description: Funds will cover the cost for 90 youth to participate in the water
safety program. Children will learn essential water safety skills so they know what
to do if they find themselves in the water unexpectedly.
o Grant Amount: $2,492.00
o Scholar Partner: Eric Benz, Ripley County, 2001
– Benton Community Foundation, Benton County
o Project Name: Oxford Lions Club â Dan Patch Days Rodeo
o Brief Description: Funding will support necessary repairs at the Oxford Lions Club
grounds for the return of the Dan Patch Days Festival Rodeo and future
community events such as tractor pulls and barrel races.
o Grant Amount: $2,500.00
o Scholar Partners: Brooke Rooze, Benton County, 2010, Ashley Bice, Benton
County, 1999 and Jeremy Kuntz, Benton County, 2001
âThe Lead Forward Community Grants Program gives Lilly Endowment Community Scholars the opportunity to lead locally and enact change when they see a need. Projects encompass the arts, criminal justice, projects organized as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and more. I truly believe that the Lead Forward Community Grants Program will continue to improve the quality of life here in Indiana,â said Devin Noyes, a 2012 scholar from St. Joseph County who serves on the LFCG Committee.
LSN will collaborate with ICI to offer this grant opportunity again in Fall 2021. For more information and updates on the LSN Lead Forward Community Grants program, visit lillyscholars.org/leadforward or follow LSN on Twitter at @LillyScholars.
Those who have additional questions or wish to report on a project in their community may contact Bryana Schreiber, LSN Lead Forward Community Grants Coordinator at 317-965-6747 or [email protected].
With support from Lilly Endowment Inc., Lilly Endowment Community Scholars have the ability to connect with each other, their community and the state through the expanded, volunteer-led Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which is organized to: engage Lilly Endowment Community Scholars in topics and with people focused on
advancing Indianaâs future; inspire and equip Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to be active changemakers in their communities, and cultivate meaningful connections.
For more information, visit lillyscholars.org and lillyscholars.org/leadforward.
Since the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program was first offered in 1998, Lilly Endowment has remained steadfast in its belief that education at all levels is indispensable to the personal, civic and economic well-being of Indianaâs residents and communities.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
The program, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc., provides scholarships for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation for required books and required equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a bull-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any qualifying Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. The program is administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) in collaboration with community foundations in each of Indianaâs 92 counties. More than 4,900 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
Lilly Endowment is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. In keeping with the foundersâ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
Independent Colleges of Indiana is the collective voice for excellence and choice in higher education for all students. As a nonprofit association, ICI represents Indianaâs 30 private, nonprofit, regionally-accredited colleges and universities, focused on: public policy advocacy, especially in the cause of state and federally-funded financial aid; public information and research about the performance and contributions of the independent
college sector in Indiana; corporate and foundation fundraising, with all funds raised by ICI disbursed to member colleges; development of collaborative services, such as group purchasing and shared services among our campuses; and administration of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, along with other scholarships and grants.
