Starke County | News & Events | Northern Indiana Community Foundation

The Starke County Community Foundation (“SCCF”) hosted its 2010 Scholarship Reception on Thursday, June 24th at the Knox Community Center. This is an annual celebration of the talented young men and women who have earned their places as accomplished scholars in Starke County.

It is also a celebration of the scholarship fund founders who created the scholarships that help many local students pursue their educational aspirations. The event provides a forum for donors to share meet the scholarship recipients and share memories of those who are honored in the scholarships. Attendees socialized while enjoying a desert buffet catered by Fran Shepherd.

Terri Johnson, Executive Director of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation opened the program by welcoming the fund founders, guests, scholarship award recipients and their parents. Gene Ladd, President of the SCCF explained the concept of community foundations and its importance in Starke County.

North Judson native and local attorney, Martin R. Lucas, was the featured speaker. He urged the college bound scholars to “Plan to Succeed” by adopting organized study habits, setting goals, and embracing scholarship and a love of learning.

Twenty-one scholarships were awarded to twenty students totaling over $191,000 which also includes the Starke County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. All students are current graduating seniors of Oregon-Davis, North Judson-San Pierre and Knox Community High Schools as well as non-traditional and college students.

Date: June 3, 2010
Contact: Carol Connelly, Director, Media & Communication Services, ext. 5267, cconnelly@pnc.edu

WESTVILLE – Purdue University North Central will open its classrooms during the week of June 14 to 18 to Starke County middle school students and five Starke County science teachers who will enjoy a hands-on science and health camp.

The camp is made possible by a grant from the Starke County Community Foundation and presented through a partnership of the Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center and PNC.

In its second year, the camp is designed to stimulate interest in health science among middle school students by providing learning activities that increase awareness of potential health science and medical professions. In the meantime, their middle school science teachers will themselves find out about creative projects and educational resources that they can put to use in their classroom to stimulate student interest and success in science and related topics.

This year, 21 students and three teachers will take part in the camp, including five students who attended the camp last year and decided to return for another learning experience.

This program was designed by Christine Brletic, associate director of Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center, in close collaboration with Dr. Nancy Marthakis, PNC associate professor of Biology, and a Doctor of Osteopathy.

"One of our major goals with this camp is to stimulate interest in health care and biological sciences early on, so that students are better prepared for these disciplines when they enter the college setting," said Marthakis.

“Bacteria: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: Is the Beach Safe to Swim?” Students will have a bacterial culture activity and they will make yogurt from milk as part of their studies.

“Communicable Diseases: How Fast Does Disease Spread?” This will feature a mock epidemic activity.

“The Circulatory System: Got Blood?” Participants will explore what is in blood and participate in the making of fake blood. They will also visit the PNC Nursing labs for a demonstration of the SIM man equipment.

“Anatomy Day” will highlight forensic science. The “lab” will be a mock outdoor outside crime scene marked with yellow crime scene tape. Students will dig up synthetic bones that Marthakis will bury ahead of time and then study the bones in a PNC lab. The students will also visit the cadaver lab

The final day of the camp will take place at Starke County Hospital with a tour and activities.

The Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center was the second regional center established by the State of Indiana i n 2001. It is hosted by the Purdue University Calumet's School of Nursing. It serves 19 Northwest Indiana counties.

The Area Health Education Centers were established nationwide by Congress in the early 1970s to recruit, train and retain a health professions workforce committed to underserved populations. Today, 56 programs with more than 235 centers operate in almost every state and the District of Columbia. About 120 medical schools and 600 nursing and allied health schools work collaboratively with AHECs to improve health for underserved and under-represented populations.

The Starke County Community Foundation (SCCF) kicked off the holiday season by presenting joy and cheer in the form of grants to community organizations during its 2009 Grants Luncheon. Over $19,000 was awarded on Thursday December 10 at the Knox Community Center.

The grants come from the Community Foundation’s Unrestricted Funds, which allow the Community Foundation to help meet the greatest needs in Starke County. The funds that make it possible for these grants to be awarded are The Freedom Fund, the Stewart Lain Memorial Fund, the Ann R. Nichols Memorial Fund, the Schuyler Family Endowment Fund, the Starke County General Unrestricted Fund, the Starke County Tribute Fund and the Arlowa S. Vorm Memorial Fund.

Community Services of Starke County - Items for the Food Pantry	$ 3,000
Fletcher Cemetery Association - Tree removal at the cemetery	$ 2,000
Friends of the Park Assoc. Knox IN - Materials for finishing the skate park	$ 2,500
Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana- Michiana - Recruiting and Program Support	$ 2,500
LaSalle Council BSA - Boy Scouting in Starke County	$ 2,500
Love Inc. S.W.A.T. (Servants with Appropriate Tools)	$ 750
Psi Iota Xi - Young Artist Conference Spring 2010	$ 1,000
Northwest Indiana Area Health Education Center - 2010 Science/Health Camp	$ 2,500
Starke County Chamber of Commerce - Reference USA	$ 425
Starke County Choralaires - Music and Instruments for 2010 season	$ 650
Knox Community High School - Shakespeare for Starke County Schools	$ 1,500
Total	$19,325

For the second year, your Starke County Community Foundation is sponsoring Lights of Remembrance for the holidays. We invite you to take part in this special chance to remember, honor, or thank a loved one.

With Lights of Remembrance you pay tribute to your honoree AND you help Starke County’s citizens who benefit from the funds held by the Community Founation. More than $50,000 in grants and scholarships went out last year!

A suggested minimum donation per light is $10 per honoree. A donation of any amount to the Community Foundation secures a remembrance light on the tree at Hensler Nursery. Each light represents one honoree. Donate by mail or online.

To make your tax-deductible donation, complete the attached coupon, clip it, add your check, and mail it to the Starke County Community Foundation. For your honoree’s name to be read at the main tree-lighting at Hensler Nursery on December 6, your gift must reach the Community Foundation before noon on December 3.

Or donate online. When donating online please put the following information in the “Comments” section of the Make a Donation Page.

3) Type of Remembrance (Honor, Remember, Thank – please name one of the three choices)

4) Name of fund your donation will be attributed to (General Operating will be used or you can provide a fund name)