IDOE gives Excellence in Community Collaboration Awards to local organizations
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. -- The Career Academy Network of Public Schools and The Boys and Girls' Clubs of St. Joe County are this year's recipients of the Indiana Department of Education's Excellence in Community Collaboration Award.
The award recognizes a collaborative, innovative approach to K-12 education and exceptional community involvement.
It comes as the school and the non-profit have been working together for student support, offering a series of tools to enhance the student experience.
In fall 2023, Success Academy at The Boys and Girls Club launched, offering a unique blend of competency-based education for grades K-5.
Paired with that is the Future Lab, a state-of-the-art facility featuring advanced STEM technologies like 3D printers, welding technology and more.
The two also opened the joint Portage School of Leaders, and The Teen Center, aka The Club in January of this year.
The school offers broadened career pathways in CTE programs.
All these resources are helping build a more well-rounded, experiential education for our community's students.
Jacqueline Kronk, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of St. Joe County says, "this award signifies what real collaboration looks like. When two organizations come together for the betterment of our students, it really highlights the productivity and the positive influence it'll have on our kids and their future trajectory."
The award also comes with a $250,000 prize, which they've already got plans for.
With the belief that educators are at the forefront of student experience, both organizations plan to use the funds earned from this award to benefit teachers and staff.
Superintendent of Schools for the Career Academy Network of Public Schools, Jeremy Lugbill Says, "we plan to invest the funds back into teacher salaries and back into the adults that are working with our kids so that we're developing, and we just have the best high-quality teaching staff that we possibly can."