Public Affairs // Public Affairs

Robinson Center I-Robotics team to compete in Germany

2012-02-25T13:00:00-05:00

The Robinson Community Learning Center ’s LEGORobotics team, in only its fourth year, is heading to Mannheim, Germany, to compete in the Open European Championship June 7-9 (Thursday-Saturday).

The team, comprising 10 students ages 10-15 from South Bend area schools, went to Fort Wayne, Ind., in December to participate in the state tournament. Out of 52 teams statewide, the RCLC’s I-Robotics team earned the top prize and the opportunity to travel abroad. Read more

New Market and Affordable Homes Open Spring 2013 in South Bend's Near Northeast Neighborhood

2012-02-23T08:00:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

As part of a new plan for South Bend’s Northeast Neighborhood, a major mixed-income, single-family residential housing development is planned for a 13.4-acre site north of State Road 23, south of Eddy Street Commons and east of Eddy Street.

The objective is to create a seamless mix of 53 market-rate and affordable 2,400 to 1,100-square-foot homes in an attractive, safe, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with strong links to the surrounding area.

The redevelopment plan is a project of the Northeast Neighborhood Revitalization Organization (NNRO), a local not-for-profit dedicated to the social, physical and economic revitalization of the city’s near north side.

“We started the groundwork for this plan five years ago,” says Tim Sexton, associate vice president for public affairs at the University of Notre Dame and current NNRO board president.

“We are thrilled that the collaborative end result of this ‘Triangle’ Housing Redevelopment Plan will include a mix of 53 new market-value (70 percent) and affordable (30 percent) homes. It is transformational, but the plan intentionally builds on the assets of the existing neighborhood,” says Sexton.

Neighborhood resident and NNRO board member Marguerite Taylor, says “The vision for my neighborhood is coming to fruition—an area you can walk or bike, with places to eat and shop, dog-walkers and where you know your next-door neighbor’s name.”

NNRO leaders knew that maintaining the racial and socioeconomic diversity of the neighborhood was vital to the project’s success. Community revitalization without displacement is part of the South Bend Heritage Foundation’s (SBHF) mission and philosophy. In addition, the organization’s affordable housing expertise has made SBHF a natural partner in the Triangle project.

Current owner-occupants in this area have worked with NNRO and with South Bend Heritage to either receive relocation benefit assistance to find new housing opportunities in the neighborhood or have applied for a new “triangle” home.

Marguerite Taylor says, “Every single person who moved from the triangle to another location is better off today than when they were living on Burns, Georgianna or Duey Street. And, I mean everyone. The job of the resident members of the NNRO is to see that people are treated fairly and that the neighborhood is not gentrified. We take that charge seriously.”

The NNRO’s collaborative groundwork for the project has relied on strong existing partnerships with both the City of South Bend and the University of Notre Dame. The city has committed between $500,000 and $1 million in local funds to launch the initiative.

Other partners include The South Bend Clinic, Memorial Hospital, Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center and the Northeast Neighborhood Council.

Necessary infrastructure improvements and rerouting of SR 23 are scheduled to begin in April 2012. The future estimated value of neighborhood investments will exceed $12 million. Residents will begin moving into the new homes by the spring of 2013.

Jackson Intermediate Center Wins National Fluid Power Association's Challenge

2012-02-21T14:00:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

A four-person team of students from the South Bend School Corporation’s Jackson Intermediate Center took top honors at the 2011 NFPA (National Fluid Power Association) Challenge at the University of Notre Dame on December 2^nd.

The Fluid Power Challenge is a six-week initiative, sponsored by Mishawaka-based Daman Products Company that tested the problem-solving abilities of forty-nine students from nine of the South Bend School Corporations’ intermediate centers.

It’s a great opportunity for discovery, says Larry Davis, Daman president.

In 2010, Daman decided to bring one of the National Fluid Power Association’s model junior high competitions to Michiana, with a goal of encouraging local students to select more engineering classes in their high school curricula.

Davis had observed a shortage of the engineering skills needed to sustain the fluid power industry in the region. Students exposed to engineering courses in high school are more likely to pursue technology-based, post-secondary studies, he says.

“This is NOT like being in a classroom,” Davis notes. “The students learn that the process of discovery is not linear. It’s good to mess up and then apply what you learn to your next attempt. To develop a solution to an engineering problem requires real world skills.”

The competition focuses not only on developing mechanical and fluid power skills, but also exposes each four-person team to project and resource management, team collaboration and the challenges of meeting a deadline. Ideally, each four-person group is comprised of two 7th- and two 8th-grade students, with an equal representation of boys and girls.

Matt Giloth, distributor services manager at Daman Products, now handles the operations of the Fluid Power Challenge.

Giloth, who has been with the company for over 25 years, explains that Daman has a history of working to influence education. With the support of partners such as the National Science Foundation, the University of Notre Dame, General Sheet Metal, Womack and Barnaby’s Pizza, the company has multiplied its impact.

During the first competition in 2010, Notre Dame engineering students acted as mentors to each of the teams. “The kids really enjoyed the mentorship piece,” says Giloth, “I’m confident we can arrange the involvement of even more Notre Dame Students next year.”

Laura Marzotto the South Bend Community School Corporation’s director of career and technical education, has been an integral part of the competition’s success, Daman executives say.

When approached with the idea, Marzotto was eager to involve South Bend’s intermediate center students.

“When someone approaches you with an opportunity this good, you can’t walk away!” she says. “Our local business community brings the real world to our students. We can’t do that without these types of partnerships.”

Adds Marzotto, “This is project-based learning at its best. The students are given a problem, basic instruction and guidance. On challenge day, the teams recreate their ‘solution’ from scratch within a set time limit. Although Jackson Intermediate Center walked away with top honors, every single team showed up prepared to compete. What makes it fun for the students is that they are in control of their own learning.”

ND to Grow $1M LEEF at Park

2012-02-16T08:00:00-05:00

Erin Blasko, South Bend Tribune

SOUTH BEND - The University of Notre Dame will construct a cutting-edge experimental research and education facility at St. Patrick's County Park under a lease agreement approved Tuesday by the parks board.

Under the terms of the agreement, the university will pay $1 a year to the parks department to lease 28 acres of undeveloped land on the east side of Laurel Road for a period of 49 years. Read more

Notre Dame Workforce Campaign propels United Way campaign forward

2012-02-15T14:00:00-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: February 15, 2012

Headline: Notre Dame Workforce Campaign propels United Way campaign forward

Every year local businesses partner with United Way of St. Joseph County to raise funds that are invested into the community. Participating businesses run their own internal workforce campaigns and are the lifeblood to United Way’s annual campaign, accounting for approximately 90% of total funds raised annually. United Way literally could not have the impact it does without the help of local businesses and their employees.

Notre Dame is a longtime supporter of United Way through workforce campaigns and corporate donations and has been the second largest source of campaign contributions for many years. This year we are proud to announce that, despite the challenges of the current economy, Notre Dame exceeded its 2011 campaign goal and was the number one workforce campaign.

Notre Dame employees, serving as workforce campaign managers, worked tirelessly to ensure the success of their fundraising efforts. To motivate faculty and staff, campaign thermometers were posted at the entrances of the campus. Many events were planned and executed, including a Tailgate Toss Tournament, Trivia Night, Rummage Sale, Coin Collection, and much more (see complete event list below). Notre Dame even developed its own Notre Dame/United Way website to make donating as easy as possible.

Additionally, women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw and men’s basketball coach Mike Brey showed their support by lending their words and likenesses to this year’s campaign posters that were posted throughout the campus. Visit http://www.uwsjc.org/images/stories/UWSJC_ceoposter13.pdf and http://www.uwsjc.org/images/stories/UWSJC_ceoposter14.pdf to view the posters.

United Way is so grateful to have partners like the University of Notre Dame. Notre Dame’s stewardship is a wonderful, inspiring example for all the community.

Notre Dame special events benefitting United Way:

Building & Landscape Services Tailgate
Tailgate Toss Tournament and Fall Festival
Trivia Night
South Dining Hall Rummage Sale
Compton Opening/Centerplate
Library/Radiant Hearth Pizza Sale
St. Michael’s Laundry Bake Sale
ND Food Services Coin Collection
Tailgate/Morris Inn & ND Conference Center
ND Food Services Rummage Sale
Blue & Gold Blues Event
Jeans Day
ND Food Services Pie Sales
ND Food Services Jeans Day
Campus Services – Candy Sales
Athletics Playing for Peace Fundraiser

To find out how funds raised for United Way impact the community of St. Joseph County, please visit www.uwsjc.org.

United Way of St. Joseph County is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating long-lasting change, ensuring all residents have access to the building blocks to a better life: education, income and health. For more information about United Way of St. Joseph County, visit www.uwsjc.org, find us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter @uwstjoecounty.

Contact: Kate Jones

Company Name: Group 7even

Telephone Number: 219.476.3704

Email Address: k.jones@group7even.com

Website Address: www.group7even.com

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Move over Marvel and DC Comics. The Take Ten Crew™ is back and ready for action!

2012-02-13T08:00:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

When real world bully Braxton creates trouble for Samantha (Sam) at school, Sam thinks an online lashing is in order to get back at him. But Penny, Sam’s little sis and the crew’s newest freshman member, leads the team to the cyber world to “arm” her big sister with the needed tools to restore the peace both in the digital world and the school’s halls.

The Take Ten Crew is a group of comic book characters created in 2007 by students from the Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) and the local schools. The creative initiative is an outgrowth of RCLC’s Take Ten© program, a skills-based violence prevention program that builds conflict resolution expertise. The comic book stories engage readers of all ages by providing both realistic bullying scenarios and positive alternatives to violence.

Ellen Kyes, Take Ten’s program director will address a Memorial Hospital “Community Plunge” on cyber bullying in February. Kyes knows this topic is on the minds of both parents and children, and this new edition of the comic has evolved to reflect the experiences of today’s students. The forthcoming edition also involves online animated characters. “Everyone loves comic books. But this is a unique tool to reach kids – this time in a futuristic way,” she says.

But here’s the best part: Youth artists wrote the storyline and designed the illustrations.

This talented group was referred by the Snite Museum of Art and by local intermediate and high school art teachers. The creative experience required extensive home drawing assignments and four hours of weekly studio work at the Center until the project was complete.

The comic book enables each young artist to develop a professional portfolio of published work. Local art instructors recognize it as a fabulous opportunity for their best and most committed students.

“It is amazing to watch kids from different backgrounds gel as a team and support one another,” says Kyes.

Initially, during the Take Ten lesson and brainstorming phase, three of the artists shared their own cyber-bullying experiences. Other stories surfaced later.

Robinson Community Learning Center AmeriCorps members, Rachael Foster and Lauren Kross, assisted the group during studio time at the Robinson Community Learning Center while Jeff Peterson, of Mindstorm Digital, served as the lead artist on the project.

The launch of the comic book is slated for February 16. For more information, visit http://rclc.nd.edu.

Product set for testing in the area - Startup company at Innovation Park settles on Michiana as its home

2012-02-03T00:00:00-05:00

By JIM MEENAN South Bend Tribune

6:33 a.m. EST, February 3, 2012

SOUTH BEND -- F Cubed, the startup company with the funny name, is making substantial progress at the University of Notre Dame's Innovation Park.

F Cubed, which now employs 12 people, announced this week that it has reincorporated as an Indiana company. It also announced that it has hired Robert Williams as a vice president of sales and marketing. Read more

TAP offers free tax help - Accounting students volunteer, along with faculty, area accountants

2012-02-02T13:50:00-05:00

South Bend Tribune Report

5:44 a.m. EST, February 2, 2012

Local taxpayers with annual incomes of $40,000 or less will be able to get free tax preparation help from University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College accounting students, beginning Feb. 11.

The Vivian Harrington Gray Tax Assistant Program (TAP) will offer services at nine sites in South Bend and Mishawaka through April 17. The centers will be closed March 10-17 and April 7-9 due to the students' spring and Easter breaks. For a complete listing of centers and hours of operation, call 574-631-7863 or visit business.nd.edu/Accountancy/Domestic_TAP/. Read More

Eighteen AmeriCorps members join Robinson Community Learning Center staff

2012-01-18T09:30:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

After ten years of building relationships between South Bend’s Northeast Neighborhood community and the University, Robinson Community Learning Center (RCLC) leaders and staff dreamed of expanding the scope of their hospitality, civic and educational opportunities to students of all ages.

As of September 2011, RCLC was able to accomplish their dream as a result of an AmeriCorps grant through the Indiana Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. This funding has enabled the RCLC to double their staff capacity.

A team of new AmeriCorps members —six full-time and 12 part-time—coordinate a range of educational programs, recruit additional volunteers, expand outreach and develop curricula to respond to community needs.

AmeriCorps members who complete their service earn a monetary award for college, graduate school, or to pay back qualified student loans and some also receive a modest living allowance during their term of service.

Since 2001, international participants from all over the globe arrive each morning at the Center to learn English. Now, RCLC AmeriCorps members offer a preschool class to the children of these parents. This allows parents and children to learn English as a New Language (ENL) at the same time.

At the RCLC every afternoon, local residents meet to socialize, build skills and share ideas through computer instruction and various clubs.

Lu Ella Webster, a community leader involved in the establishment of the RCLC a decade ago, now serves as a full-time AmeriCorps member. Says Webster, “AmeriCorps has strengthened me and challenged me to reach further.”

Andy Kostielney, RCLC assistant manager, says Webster’s leadership has more than doubled the Center’s outreach to older adults. “Our new book club just finished Cupcake Brown’s A Piece of Cake, and Zumba classes have been really popular,” says Webster.

The busiest time of day has always been after school. Each week, hundreds of students of all ages each week are welcomed into the safety of the 7500 square foot facility. Youth enjoy literacy, entrepreneurship, conflict resolution and afterschool programs that build on each student’s strengths and interests.

With the added support of AmeriCorp members, students can enjoy activities from even broader array of afterschool opportunities. Some participants have engaged in college essay writing sessions. Others launched a new magazine, The Robinson Review, a student-written and edited publication that highlights activities at RCLC.

Outside the Robinson Center’s physical space, the organization has partnered with school systems both locally and nationally through violence prevention outreach that directly impacts over 2,000 youth per year. The Center has engaged thousands of local and university volunteers to implement their high-quality programs for over a decade.

Ellen Kyes, director of the center’s inventive Take Ten violence-prevention program, describes the careful notes and volunteer evaluations she has recorded at the end of each year, “I knew what we needed to do to reach more kids - I just needed the man-and-woman power to implement it! The training, supervision and coordination of multiple sites and hundreds of volunteers required more than one staff position. Now we can take Take Ten to the next level.”

The introduction of these talented and energetic individuals to the RCLC, says manager Jennifer Knapp Beudert, “has given new life to what we think was already a pretty amazing place. All of the members are excited to be here and to contribute to the mission. They have really become part of our Robinson Center team.”

Holy Cross Institutions to Hold ‘Holy Cross Harvest’ for Food Bank

2012-01-17T11:00:00-05:00

The Holy Cross institutions of Saint Mary's College, Holy Cross College, and the University of Notre Dame will hold their second Holy Cross Harvest together, “harvesting” food and monetary donations for the Food Bank of Northern Indiana.

The event will run between January 23-February 14.

For more information on the ND Holy Cross Harvest, click here or to see a copy of the joint Press Release.

Notre Dame Surpasses United Way Campaign Goal

2012-01-11T11:50:00-05:00

Notre Dame Reaches United Way Goal

The University of Notre Dame's United Way Campaign concluded raising $305,000 to benefit 23 organizations and 60 community programs in support of the building blocks of a good life - Education, Income and Health. For additional information on the 2011-2012 campaign, visit http://unitedway.nd.edu.

A new college try ... to feed the hungry

2012-01-10T10:00:00-05:00

Joe Dits, South Bend Tribune

Originally published in the South Bend Tribune on January 9, 2012

SOUTH BEND -- They each were going to do their own food drives. Now several local colleges and universities have unified their efforts to feed the needy in six counties, and they're seeking your help.

Thomas Coley didn't let it rest there Monday.

The original story was published in the January 9, 2012 South Bend Tribune. For a copy, click on Food Drive.

Notre Dame Women's Basketball: 'McGraw' green is quite lucky for ND

2012-01-10T09:55:00-05:00

By CURT RALLO South Bend Tribune

Coach Muffet McGraw marveled at the impact of the home crowd to the Irish victory.

“We wouldn’t have won that game if it wasn’t for the crowd,” McGraw said. “The crowd was amazing. They really, really helped us, and they know exactly when we need them. They came on strong for us. It was electric, and that was huge for us. I want to thank them.”

The original story appeared in the January 8, 2012 South Bend Tribune. For a copy, click on ND Women's Basketball.

ACE Professional Development Goes Virtual With Teams for Teachers in South Bend Schools

2012-01-05T16:00:00-05:00

ACE’s first virtual delivery of a professional development program will start on Jan. 11, when five schools will receive Strategic Intervention Team (SIT) training via webinars, with follow-up through wiki and listserv communication and even a virtual SIT coach.

Faculty from four diocesan elementary schools in the South Bend, Ind., area will participate in the interactive webinars on three consecutive Wednesdays this month. Nancy Masters, ACE’s associate program director for the Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) program, will present this award-winning training.

The SIT coach, Lindsay Johns Will (ACE 14), will introduce herself to the participants via a visual link and then will offer her online services for these schools throughout the new year. Lindsay teaches at St. Clement Catholic School in Chicago. She formed a successful SIT team during her own coursework in the TEC certification program.

ACE’s Strategic Intervention Teams initiative provides ongoing assistance to Catholic schools that serve children with learning and behavioral problems. The initiative helps teachers develop the process, protocol, and strategies for teacher-led intervention teams, as well as the materials and strategies to help teachers evaluate and enhance their own teaching strategies.

The purposes of the team are threefold: to provide a forum for teachers to develop intervention strategies for students exhibiting learning or behavior difficulties; to provide personnel resource for determining appropriate interventions for students in the regular classroom setting; and to decrease the number of inappropriate referrals for testing or special-education placement.

The SIT initiative, established several years ago and overseen by ACE’s Ryan Director of Program Development Dr. Joyce Johnstone, has consistently used digital communications to help its trained teachers stay in touch. Numerous alumni of the teams around the country maintain online networks for sharing experiences and best practices.

Each of the four local schools will also receive several resources that have been found useful by teams across the nation. Also, the webinars will be archived so that future faculty members, or even parents at these schools, may view them.

The schools are: Holy Cross, Our Lady of Hungary, all in South Bend, and St. Anthony de Padua and St. Vincent, in Elkhart.

For more information contact: Joyce Johnstone, at Johnstone.3@nd.edu; or Nancy Masters, at nmasters@nd.edu.

College for a Day

2011-12-19T15:00:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

“What major should I choose? Which courses are required? How will I find my way around campus?” These are all questions one might expect from college-bound seniors. However, in this case, it is three Edison Intermediate Center eighth graders who cautiously enter the school’s conference room to discuss their experiences as participants in the College for a Day program.

The three interviewees were selected by their teachers at Edison, one of the South Bend School Corporation’s most innovative experiential learning pioneers at the middle school level.

Eighth-grader Diamond Meridy explains why she believes she was chosen. “I used to get in trouble more, but now if I don’t agree with something my friends are doing, I speak up and think independently.”

Kvionte Palmer, politely states that he prefers to be addressed as “Kv.” Kv said it was an honor to represent his classmates; “I am known for putting myself out there. I am outspoken and my parents encourage me to put myself in new situations and to get to know new people.”

Since his daylong immersion experience at Ivy Tech last year and on Notre Dame’s campus in October, Kv has returned to Notre Dame as a student ambassador. Kv knows that college is for him. Because of his interest in science and engineering, Purdue University is Kv’s top choice.

Karen Morris, assistant professional specialist for Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education and a founding member of the planning team, carefully crafts the day’s events so that the children leave campus with a realistic college experience. Morris also aligns the program’s activities with the State of Indiana academic standards, recruits other faculty volunteers, handles logistics, and spearheads the program’s evaluation and data collection.The College for a Day program, created in 2005, provides two day-long, hands-on experiences for all seventh and eighth graders at Edison. Representatives from the University of Notre Dame, Ivy Tech Community College, Bethel College, Indiana University- South Bend, the City of South Bend and the South Bend Community School Corporation comprise the program’s planning team.

Although Morris explains that the measurement of the program’s impact was largely anecdotal in 2005, the students now take online pre and post-tests to gauge their perceptions before and after participating in the program. Morris says, “Each year, the planning team asks ‘are we helping kids change their perceptions about their own future opportunities?’” Now Morris has the data to prove it.

Each year in the fall the seventh graders visit Ivy Tech for a mock college experience. The full schedule compresses an entire academic year in one day-long visit. Not only do the Edison students complete an application for admission and take placement tests, but they also receive three cents in “financial aid” to purchase books. They attend classes, go on “spring break” during a beach-themed lunch and attend a commencement ceremony complete with keynote address. As the students’ names are called, Ivy Tech’s registrar and vice chancellor for student affairs, dressed in formal academic regalia, present the seventh graders their certificates as they walk across the college’s stage.

Edison eighth-grade students visit Notre Dame’s campus for a day in the fall. The children spend the morning at the Jordan Hall of Science, are assigned team projects, attend STEM class designed specifically for them, dine with college students and have an opportunity to ask specific questions about student life. The 8^th graders spend the afternoon in the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center learning about the types of coursework available in the arts and participating in an improvisational performance on the main stage.

For Edison eighth grader Austen DeLeon, the most memorable parts of the day on campus were dancing on the performing arts center’s main stage and the egg drop experiment in the Jordan Hall of Science. Small teams of students competed to design a craft that would most effectively land an egg from Jordan Hall’s second floor.

Members of the planning team explain the importance of implementing activities that are both accessible to middle school students and life-changing. Exposure to a college campus does not change perceptions, Janice Austin, director of admissions at Ivy Tech says, “As a society, we have expectations for our youth. However, if we don’t present college in a way that makes it not only imaginable but later attainable, we are failing our children.”

Jackie Rucker, Associate Director of Community Relations at the University of Notre Dame, remembers thank-you letters written by the students during the program’s early years. The consistent theme of those letters was, “I didn’t know what college students did, but now that I’ve actually done it, I can see myself going to college.”

“That is why we continue to do this program,” Rucker says.

Edison principal Karla Lee says that after six years of implementing College for a Day, the planning team knew they had a strong model that could be replicated with other middle school and higher-education partners. “We knew we didn’t want to keep this [program] to ourselves. But first we wanted to be sure that we could quantify the impact the day-long programs have on our students’ lives.”

College for a Day will now be implemented with Jefferson Intermediate Center at both Indiana University at South Bend and Bethel College. “We are thrilled to participate for the first time this spring,” says Jefferson Intermediate Center principal, Byron Saunders. “It is a win-win. The immersion demystifies the college experience for our students and teaches them to plan beyond high school. In turn, local partners in higher education become embedded in our school system and are able to see our kids for who they are - prospective enrollees.”

Tara Lavalee, associate professor of political science at Indiana University – South Bend, agrees. “We are so blessed with so many institutions of higher education in this community. We want these middle school students to be able to concretely visualize themselves as college freshmen. We want them to see that college is attainable. Well-prepared students will go back out and reclaim their own community. That is how South Bend can really thrive.”

RCLC's Robotics Team Wins Best "Robot Design"

2011-11-28T09:00:00-05:00

The Robinson Community Learning Center's Lego Robotics team "I-Robotics" competed in the First Lego League North Central Indiana Regional Competition on Sunday, November 20. The team received the award for best “Robot Design.” Their scores in all areas ranked them among the top four teams, giving them an opportunity to advance to the Indiana Championship Tournament.

The team is comprised of students ranging from ages 10 to 14. Many of the members have been part of the team for all four years. RCLC Lego Robotics team members are: Isaiah Crudup, Cambrin Dixon, Thomas Forsythe, Malik Giger, Andrew McDonald, Hannah Moss, Lydia Moss, Philip Moss, Tiana Mudzimurema, Valencia Randolph. The Indiana Championship Tournament will take place December 10, 2011 at IUPUI-Fort Wayne.

In Partnership to Enhance Science and Math Teaching in Indiana

2011-11-17T08:00:00-05:00

A new University of Notre Dame partnership with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) will help to bring STEM college-level courses to more students in secondary schools across Indiana.

Funding from the U.S. Department of Education, announced last week, cleared the way for NMSI to make a $7 million grant to implement additional College Board’s Advanced Placement math, science, and English courses in Indiana through a program administered by Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI).

NMSI, an initiative launched several years ago by top leaders in business, education, and science to reverse the troubling decline in American math and science education, is expanding to Indiana its highly successful program to effect large-scale change in access to and success in AP courses offered by Indiana’s high schools.

The Advanced Placement Training and Incentive Program in Indiana (AP-TIP IN), set to begin implementation in 34 secondary schools starting in 2012, aims to ensure that more students are better prepared for college and for success in the highly technical and highly competitive jobs of the future.

With the support of BioCrossroads, an enterprise catalyzing the continued growth of Indiana’s life sciences industry, Notre Dame’s IEI has already overseen the training of about 225 AP teachers. This key step toward establishing new courses through the AP-TIP IN program has also received ongoing assistance from the Lumina Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.

“This partnership is a team effort bringing together the worlds of education, business, and government,” says Joyce Johnstone, the Ryan Senior Director for Program Development at the IEI. “The grant from NMSI allows us to move forward on a path that many different stakeholders see as crucial for Indiana’s youth and for our schools.” Johnstone is primary investigator for the project.

Karen Morris, the AP TIP-IN program director, adds, “The expansion of AP teaching capacity in Indiana could not have been accomplished without the enthusiastic assistance of Dr. Tony Bennett [Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction] and the state’s Department of Education. Our colleagues there have generously contributed to the effort,” she says, noting that schools all around Indiana have shared in the commitment.

Rev. Timothy Scully, C.S.C., director of the IEI, says the NMSI partnership also reflects Notre Dame’s commitment to advance access for the nation’s primary and secondary students to quality education. “This grant illustrates the Institute for Educational Initiatives' unwavering commitment to advance educational opportunity for all children, whether in public, charter, or faith-based schools," Father Scully says. “We seek to galvanize the efforts of all actors in our state and in our country to improve the academic quality of the curricular offerings available to students and teachers, in this instance especially in Math and Science."

Schools participating in the NMSI-supported AP program during the last three years have recorded triple-digit increases in the number of qualifying scores, based on newly released College Board data:

A 124% increase in passing exams in AP math, science, and English among all students, compared to a 23% increase nationally over the same period of time.
A 216% increase in passing exams in AP math, science, and English among African-American and Hispanic students, compared to 50% nationally.
A 144% increase in passing exams in AP math and science among female students, compared to 20% nationally.

The newly announced federal funding for NMSI makes possible NMSI’s expansion into Indiana and Colorado. These join the list of current NMSI AP partner states: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

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For more information:

Bill Schmitt, IEI communications/media specialist, at wschmitt@nd.edu and 574.631.3893.

Program for Youth Mentoring through Literature Gains County Support

2011-11-15T08:00:00-05:00

Reading for Life, an innovative literature-based mentoring program that provides an alternative to prosecution for low-risk juvenile offenders, was recently awarded County funding to sustain its operation in St. Joseph County, Indiana. With the unanimous approval of the County Council and Commissioners, Judge Peter J. Nemeth of the St. Joseph Probate Court has appropriated basic funding for Reading for Life for 2012.

Peter Morgan, J.D., Executive Director of St. Joseph County’s Thomas N. Frederick Juvenile Justice Center, points out that “Reading for Life has been more successful in diverting young people from the juvenile justice system than traditional programs such as community service. The program’s success makes it very cost-effective.”

Developed at the University of Notre Dame’s Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI), Reading for Life is a character education diversion program that focuses on seven cardinal and theological virtues, and engages youth in small-group discussions of classic and contemporary literature with trained mentors. The goal is to encourage young people to make more prudent life choices. The program mentors juvenile offenders through the Juvenile Justice Center’s probation department.

“This is a very exciting development for Reading for Life,’” says Alesha Seroczynski, Ph.D., director of the program. “For those of us in the academy who conduct applied research, it is always great when a community organization sees such value in our work that they want to incorporate it into their own programming. This really is a scholar’s highest honor.”

Seroczynski, an associate program director with IEI, notes that Reading for Life could not be successful without the tireless hours that volunteer mentors from our community invest in these young people. “Our volunteer mentors are the heart and soul of the program,” she adds. “They genuinely care about these youth and want them to become successful young adults.”

Reading for Life is “a concrete example of how the Institute for Educational Initiatives’ long investment in moral education is now paying dividends,” says Clark Power, an IEI Fellow and Professor of Developmental Psychology in Notre Dame’s Master of Education (M. Ed.) program. “The Reading for Life program in St. Joseph County should serve as a model for literature-based character education across the country.”

For the past two years, Reading for Life has been supported by the Arête Initiative at the University of Chicago. Learn more about this endeavor at http://scienceofvirtues.org; for information about becoming a volunteer mentor with Reading for Life, see their website at http://ireadforlife.org.

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For more information: Bill Schmitt, Media/Communications Specialist wschmitt@nd.edu / 574-631-3893

Institute for Educational Initiatives, University of Notre Dame

Strong Partners Yield Successful West-Side Business Planning Workshop

2011-11-08T09:00:00-05:00

By Allison Nanni

Angela Brister, a local Michiana entrepreneur, decided to participate in the October 1 business planning workshop at the Sample Street Business Complex because her pastor, Tina Patton, suggested it.

“I thought the experience might help me sort through some of the ideas swimming around in my head,” says Brister.

While living in Illinois, Brister ran a successful website design company for seven years. One of her ideas is to create a similar company here to service small business owners. However a dream of opening a hair-braiding salon has been percolating as well. “The research on other companies will be invaluable for me as I make the decision about which direction to take,” Brister says.

The business-planning workshop Brister attended was offered through a partnership between the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame (The Gigot Center), The Michiana African American Chamber of Commerce (MAACC), the Economic Development Committee of 100 Black Men and the Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic.

As a newcomer to Michiana, Brister felt the individual attention she received from the students and partners was what set this experience apart from other technical workshops she has attended in the past. “The students helped me to work more research and details into my business plan,” Brister says.

Jackie Rucker, associate director of community relations, says of the local partners, “The MAACC and the Economic Development Committee of 100 Black Men are committed to trying to build capacity in the minority community. Glenn Williams of the MAACC marketed the educational opportunity to the organization’s membership and among his professional networks. Williams also provided the space at the west-side facility used for the training. James Summers of 100 Black Men helped us to develop the focus for the day. Their input was critical to the success of the program.”

For the Gigot Center, this was a great example of a community partnership that complemented one of the center’s core strengths – and linked the community to market the delivery of a high-quality entrepreneurial program. “When students alone market this type of workshop opportunities, we typically draw 12-15 people,” explains Melissa Paulsen, Program Manager and Concurrent Instructor at the Gigot Center. With the Michiana African American Chamber of Commerce, One Hundred Black Men and Notre Dame’s Office of Community Relations as strong marketing partners, over thirty enthusiastic, local micro-entrepreneurs participated in the half-day workshop. “Micro-entrepreneurs trust these local organizations. The grass roots organizations vouch for our credibility and for the expertise and individual attention participants can expect from these sessions,” says Paulsen.

Both graduate and undergraduate members of Notre Dame’s student groups, Net Impact and the Student International Business Council, collaborated with Paulsen to implement two hands-on sessions. Dag Brummet, a recent Notre Dame MBA graduate, also assisted Paulsen with the content for the workshop.

The first morning session focused on Ideation. Faculty advisors, MBA and undergraduate students consulted with the entrepreneurs individually. Together they completed a questionnaire comprised of difficult questions around business strategy: What makes your good idea a viable market opportunity? What components should you have in place before beginning? Which components might be missing?

The second session, entitled Marketing and the Competitive Advantage, stretched small business owner Marvin Crayton. Crayton founded his business, Marvin A. Crayton Construction Co., Inc. in 1984.“The workshop refreshed me and reinforced some ideas I had about updating my business plan. In this economy, finding general and commercial construction contracts is tough. I am looking for that competitive edge,” says Crayton.

Paulsen adds that the event was mutually beneficial for both the Notre Dame students and the micro-entrepreneurs. “The workshop is a great experiential learning tool for the students. Abstract ideas become concrete when the students tackle the strategic issues of beginning a small business together with the workshop participants.” Conversely, micro-entrepreneurs learn about concepts such as value proposition and competitive advantage before launching their own businesses.

The Gigot Center works in conjunction with the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to avoid any duplication of educational programming, and to bridge the micro-entrepreneur to the technical assistance the SBDC offers.

After this introductory workshop, many entrepreneurs now feel ready to pursue their business idea as well as additional knowledge from community resources including SBDC to build their business.

“We need strong businesses on the west side,” says Crayton, “I would point other local entrepreneurs to what Notre Dame has to offer.”

Hospitable Orientation for Community's New Faculty and Staff

2011-11-02T15:00:00-04:00

By Allison Nanni

Photos by Marcus Snowden

More than thirty new faculty members from five area colleges and universities boarded a small bus on a breezy October afternoon to tour a variety of South Bend/Mishawaka area “community jewels.”

The three-hour bus tour was created through a partnership between the University of Notre Dame, the City of South Bend and the South Bend/ Mishawaka Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (CVB).

Last year, Jackie Rucker, associate director for community relations, worked with both partners to “pilot” a tour for Notre Dame faculty new to the university. “Not only did we run over our time last year, but the participants didn’t want the tour to end!” Rucker says. “We decided to expand the tour this year to include new faculty and selected administrators from Holy Cross College, Saint Mary’s College, Ivy Tech and Indiana University – South Bend, and Bethel College.

Says Rob DeCleene, executive director of the CVB, “Really South Bend and Mishawaka are college towns—it is up to us not only share that image but to also promote all of the opportunities a college town has to offer. We want to put our best foot forward with these new members of our community!”

Violet Hawkins, Ivy Tech’s dean of public and social services, participated in the tour. “There is a lot going on in this town,” she says. “New faculty may not yet be acclimated to the area. It is good to start them off right, so they can better understand the community where they now live and work.

Notre Dame Chemistry professor, Vlad Iluc, describes his move to South Bend from the University of Chicago as smooth but hectic. Without much time to research the community before his arrival, Iluc was thrilled to participate in the tour, “I thought this would be a great way to get to know others and the city,” he says. After two months, Iluc was ready to expand his routine commute beyond his new home, campus and the occasional trip to the grocery.

Luis Loya, a native of Michoacán, Mexico and a new literature and Spanish-language professor at Saint Mary’s College, has already done his share of sightseeing. Since moving to the area from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Loya regularly travels through South Bend’s west-side Mexican community on his bicycle, “I know all of the Mexican groceries and restaurants, but now there are a lot more places to come back and explore!”

The bus tour included a ride through South Bend’s historic district, a drive down “the avenue” in Mishawaka and sightseeing in both downtown areas. Also included were guided tours of the Oliver Mansion, the Center for History, the Studebaker National Museum, the South Bend Civic Theater and Shiojiri Niwa the Japanese garden across from Merrifield Park in Mishawaka. The tour was followed by a reception at Tippecanoe Place.

Sue Solmos, residential marketing specialist for the community and economic development division of the City of South Bend, describes the city’s perspective as a partner in the tour initiative: “It is important that we help our universities and colleges to recruit the best talent. Sometimes newcomers who are not yet acclimated don’t realize that the South Bend/Mishawaka area is not an ordinary place. Here, partnerships are easy,” she says. “People want to work together—they want to work for the common good. My hope is that we connect these new members of our community to that cultural tradition.”