Muncie Central, Burris Laboratory School Receive Grants to Support Students, Faculty
MUNCIE—High school students and faculty at Muncie Central and Burris Laboratory School will benefit from a grant to each institution. The funding is directed at new classroom equipment, expanded course selections, extracurricular activities, and minor facility upgrades through the support of Ball Brothers Foundation grants awarded during the Foundation’s first grantmaking cycle of 2015.
“Ball Brothers Foundation believes that investing in quality education in Muncie’s two public high schools is important to ensure the future vitality of our city and region. Providing our city’s students with a competitive education means ensuring that they have access to the equipment they need in the classroom and innovative courses that challenge them to develop 21st century skills. It means ensuring that extracurricular activities that promote teamwork, healthy lifestyles, and leadership opportunities are available and of high quality. It also means providing faculty with the training and resources they need to maximize their talent,” said Jud Fisher, President and COO. “Directing grants to the two public high schools within the city limits is important as our community redefines itself and strengthens its assets.”
A $250,000 grant to Muncie Central will support continued transition efforts following the 2014 Central and Southside merger. Student program and course offerings including Early College, newspaper and yearbook production, and Advanced Placement will all be strengthened through BBF support. Professional development and department planning will help faculty improve instructional strategies and student outcomes. Faculty will also receive supports to provide after-school tutoring in the areas of math and English. Athletic programs will benefit from equipment and uniform support, and new signage will be installed at both the soccer field and softball diamond. Additionally, the school’s wellness and fitness programs will benefit from updated equipment and technology.
At Burris Laboratory School, Ball Brothers Foundation support totaled $200,000. The grant will enhance the integration of technology into high school classrooms with the expansion of a 1:1 iPad initiative. Lab equipment and software will strengthen the school’s STEM offerings, as will faculty training for the launch of Project Lead the Way curriculum at Burris to engage students in project-based math and science learning opportunities. Faculty will benefit from in-depth professional training across a variety of areas including working with high-ability students and students with learning disabilities. Grant funds will support an instructional coach to work with new teachers and with other teachers in need of additional support.
The school plans to create a sensory room for students with special needs which will include physical and occupational therapy areas. The school also plans to use grant support to upgrade its weight room. Extracurricular offerings will be strengthened, providing students with improved opportunities in the areas of fine arts, robotics, academics and athletics. Finally, in collaboration with Ball State University, Burris plans to develop a new school logo and purchase new apparel, signage, and banners branding the school.
A listing of other grants approved during Ball Brothers Foundation’s first grantmaking cycle of 2015 is available at www.ballfdn.org.
With assets exceeding $165 million, Ball Brothers Foundation annually makes grants in support of arts and culture, education, the environment, health, human services and public affairs. The Muncie-based family foundation gives priority to projects and programs that improve the quality of life in BBF’s home city, county and state.