High school students in Allen, Wells and Whitley counties have the chance to win up to $500 by making their voices heard.
Students are invited to submit their experiences to The Journal-Gazette's Career and Technical Education Essay Contest.
Senior Education Reporter Ashley Sloboda is leading a project examining the impact of vocational and technical education training on students' lives. The project also discusses the challenges facing vocational and technical education providers, including the ability to meet demand and changing state requirements.
The project will include extensive interviews with educators, school principals and business experts, and we also believe that student voices can help inform the project, which is why we are hosting an essay competition.
We invite high school students to write a 450-500 word story about how the Career and Technical Education program has impacted them.
In your essay, you should communicate why it was important to have the opportunity to receive vocational or technical education as part of your high school experience, describe the opportunities your training has provided, and how you think your education will impact your career.
The deadline for typed essays to be emailed for judging is approximately three weeks away. Prizes for the first, second and third place essay winners will be provided by The Journal Gazette through the Institute for Citizens & Scholars Higher Education Media Fellowship. The contest will award $500 to the first place essay winner, $300 to the second place winner and $200 to the third place winner.
Essay Contest Rules:
• It must be original work, submitted in English, with minimal guidance from others. Information and quotations from other sources must be accurately attributed.
• Length and format will be 450-500 words and will be typed.
• The content should address the need and importance of vocational and technical education. Students should also express and provide specific examples of how the training opportunity has changed their lives. The essay should also include examples or suggestions of potential opportunities and ways the system can be improved.
• Essays should be submitted via email (limited to one per student). No attachments or links will be accepted.
• Email your essay to careeressay@jg.net by 5pm on September 20. The subject line of your email should be “CTE Essay.”
The entry must begin with the following:
• The submitting student's full legal name.
• The student’s current grade and the school they attend as of August 2024.
• A phone number where the student can be contacted.
Entries that do not meet the stated guidelines will be deemed ineligible.
Winners will be notified in early October.
All submissions become the property of The Journal Gazette and the winning essay will be published in print and online along with a photograph of the grand prize winner. Excerpts from other submissions or the full essay may also be published.
Grace
Grace University unveiled new institutional branding for Grace College and Grace Seminary on Aug. 12. The college will adopt the “G” for Grace Athletics as its primary logo. The seminary's new logo reflects the shield of the institution's coat of arms and includes icons of a cross, crown, candlestick and a Bible open to Ephesians 2:8-10, Grace College's organizational verse. The school also unveiled a new slogan: “Created for More.”
Nax
The Northwest Allen County Board of Education voted Aug. 19 to accept a $20,000 paraprofessional training grant from the Indiana Department of Education. The district's application outlined plans to use the funds to provide seven one-hour training opportunities for support staff this school year. Each training opportunity will align with the Council on Special Needs Children's core competencies for special education paraprofessionals. Topics will include autism and anxiety, behavior management, inclusion supports and small group instruction strategies, assistive technology and alternative communication devices, universal design for learning and learner differences, and sensory and motor strategies.
PFW
Purdue University Fort Wayne's Division of Lifelong Learning has relocated to the third floor of the Doermer School of Business building at 3000 E. Coliseum Blvd. on the university's south campus. The division's main entrance is in Suite 300. The new location also houses the Northeast Indiana office of the Small Business Development Center, an affiliate of the university, and provides business advisors to meet with clients in the region. The Division of Lifelong Learning also provides training and outreach to the community through non-credit programs. For more information, contact learn@pfw.edu or 260-481-6619.
recognition
Trine University's Alpha Sigma Tau chapter won three national awards at the organization's national conference this summer in Virginia. The Epsilon Kappa chapter won the Excellence in Health and Safety award, the Excellence in Innovation award, and the Excellence in Sisterhood award. Rachel Detlef She received the Carrie W. Staehle Award, which is presented to an initiated Chapter Advisory Committee member for outstanding contributions to their chapter and sorority.
Indiana Private Academic Library Network (PALNI) Honored Angela Fisher University of Manchester and Jill Noise Representatives from Trine University's PALNI spoke at Marian University's biennial all-staff meeting on Aug. 2. Now in its 31st year, PALNI is a nonprofit organization that helps connect the library and information services of 24 private colleges, universities and seminaries across Indiana. The PALNI community is made up of more than 150 staff members from these libraries, serving approximately 47,500 students and faculty across the state.
retirement
Steve BakerThe Bluffton High School principal has announced he will retire in June after 40 years with the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District.
Deborah Watsonassistant superintendent for East Allen County Schools, is set to retire Tuesday after 36 years with the district.
St. Francis
St. Francis University invites K-12 educators to participate in the Teachers as Scholars program, which features two-day content-based seminars led by university faculty. The seminars, held on the St. Francis campus, will be held from 9 am to 3 pm, spaced at least one week apart, and include lunch in the fall and spring. Each seminar is open to teachers and administrators in any grade level or content area. The cost for the two-day session is $75. Teachers will earn 10 professional growth planning points and will be given free time during school hours to participate. The registration deadline for the fall semester is October 15. Topics, facilitators, and dates for this semester are: Literary Landscapes: Gardens in American Writing, Carrie Duke, September 26 and October 8 Shakespeare and Film Seminar, Ken Bugajski, October 22 and 29. Ethical Decision-Making: Unique Similarities Between Two American Tragedies, Clifford Buttram Jr., Oct. 28 and Nov. 11. Understanding Teamwork and Leadership through the Study of American Heist Films, Jane Martin, Nov. 1 and 15. And Unlocking Potential and Finding Yourself in Solitude: The Appalachian Trail, Kelly Eckel, Nov. 6 and 13. For more information or a registration form, contact Nancy Hankee at nhankee@sf.edu.