Free ‘Impact X Class’ offered to cultivate innovation, solutions for Muncie community
MUNCIE, Ind. — A collaboration by the City of Muncie, Ball State University’s Entrepreneurship Center and the In Place Impact Muncie Initiative has resulted in a free class aimed at fostering innovative solutions to make a positive impact on the local community, according to a release.
Starting Sept. 13, the In Place Impact Muncie Initiative will begin offering a free 12-week “Impact X class” taught by Christiana Mann, assistant lecturer of hospitality innovation and leadership at Ball State; Mike Martin, a local entrepreneur and artist, and Kory Gipson, Common Market co-owner and community listener.
Though not college-accredited, the class will be held on Ball State’s campus. The class is intended to help participants develop realistic and meaningful impact-focused innovations to address social, economic, and environmental issues within the Muncie community.
Martin originally took the Impact X class at the College of Charleston to help formulate the concept for his Common Market, which is located in Muncie at Eighth Street and Hoyt Avenue. While taking this class, Martin became acquainted with Stuart Williams, the founder and CEO of In Place Impact, and started working on bringing Williams to Muncie to meet with city, community and business leaders, according to the release.
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With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing, the two began a series of virtual meetings with city officials aimed at bringing In Place Economics to Muncie. Williams finally was able to visit Muncie in person for the first time in March 2022, when he invited the public to an open forum to learn about In Place Economics. This led to Muncie Mayor Dan Ridenour agreeing to conduct an initial “Government In Place Index,” in which the city goes through a thorough evaluation about its inclusiveness in hiring, economic vibrancy for all residents, and the environmental impact among many other factors designed to take a genuine look at Muncie’s impact as a city.
The goal of In Place Economics is to create a circular economic model that empowers all residents of a community. One requirement of the program — certification training for local government officials and business owners — is now complete.
The other requirement for certification is the offering of a free community class, which led to the partnership with Ball State’s Entrepreneurship Center.
Space will be limited for the Impact X class at Ball State. For more information about the class and registration, email munciecommonmarket@gmail.com.
Lilly Scholarship applications now available
MUNCIE — Incoming high school seniors can now apply online for the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship administered by the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County.
Applicants must be residents of Delaware County and attend an accredited high school in the county. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County is awarded to students who possesses leadership potential and are well-rounded and community-minded, according to a release.
The scholarship covers tuition and required fees for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a bachelor’s degree at any accredited Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Additionally, the scholarship provides a special allocation of up to $900 a year for required books and equipment.
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Students can get more information and apply for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County by visiting cfmdin.org/lilly. Applications must be completed by Sept. 19.
The application requires students to respond to five essay prompts and obtain two letters of recommendation from non-family adults in their lives. Two finalists are selected for Delaware County. Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI), the statewide administrator for the scholarship, reviews all finalists. Recipients are announced in December.
In addition to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, The Community Foundation administers other scholarships to support post-secondary education. Community-minded donors established the 52 scholarship funds and set the criteria for the awards. Scholarships are awarded to students participating in various activities, with a wide range of grade-point averages, from schools across Delaware County. Awards vary by scholarship. Applications for those other scholarships will be available by Jan. 1, 2023, at cfmdin.org/apply-for-scholarships.
High school students applying for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County should contact their school counselor for more details. For help with the online scholarship software, email scholarships@cfmdin.org.
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This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Free ‘Impact X Class’ offered to cultivate local innovation, solutions
