BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Today, the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce announced Regional Opportunity Initiatives and Ivy Tech – Bloomington as the 2016 Franklin Initiative Golden Key Award recipients in recognition of the graduation and career coaching initiative.
Ivy Tech – Bloomington Chancellor Jennie Vaughan and ROI Interim CEO Tina Peterson accepted the awards at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting and Community Awards held at the Monroe Convention Center.
ROI, in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington, launched the pilot graduation and career coaching program in nine Southwest Central Indiana public school districts this fall. Working closely with school administrators and counseling teams, coaches support targeted groups of students most at-risk for not attaining high school diplomas. The program is aimed at improving graduation rates and preparing students for pathways into technical certifications, associate degrees, and other postsecondary degree programs.
Graduation and career coaches work with high school and middle school students in Bloomfield School District, Crawford County Community Schools, North Lawrence Community Schools, Loogootee Community Schools, Salem Community Schools, Spencer-Owen Community Schools and Washington Community Schools. These coaches complement two existing coaches in Monroe County Community School Corporation and Richland-Bean Blossom Community School Corporation that are partially funded by the Franklin Initiative.
The Chamber’s Franklin Initiative Gold Key Award recognizes individuals or business that have demonstrated outstanding service and dedication to the Franklin Initiative through exemplary volunteer participation in our local schools.
Read more about the graduation and career coaching initiative.
About the Franklin Initiative
A program of the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin Initiative provides career awareness and workforce development services for youth in Bloomington in Monroe County, Indiana.
The Franklin Initiative works with teachers and schools to offer unique real-world, hands-on experiences that get young people excited about future education and careers by helping them realize the relevance and importance of their education to life and careers after graduation. The Franklin Initiative offers several hands-on Career Learning Programs throughout the school year. Over 1,600 middle school and high school students from Monroe County participate in Franklin Initiative programs annually.