ECD

Performance Report: Indiana's Workforce and Education Attainment

A recent report on Indiana's workforce states: "Quite simply, the number of working-age adults in Indiana who have not completed high school, speak little or no English, and are in families that earn less than a living wage is way too high." County-by-county maps illustrate this problem and the variation across Indiana in educational attainment and earnings. http://www.indianachamber.com/adulteducation/

• Increase in Earnings From High School Diploma to Bachelor’s Degree

U. S. Education and Workforce Crisis

The National Commission on Adult Literarcy released a report last month which is chilling. For example, the U. S. is the only country among 30 highly developed countries in which the current generation is less well educated than the previous generation. Another alarming statistic: every year, one in three your adults drop out of high school. As my colleague, Ed Morrison, says: "This represents a lifetime economic disability." For more bad news and the call to IMMEDIATE action go to http://www.nationalcommissiononadultliteracy.org/report.html

High-Tech High School Entrepreneurship Program Video

This is the kind of program I would like to see the Purdue Extension ECD program bring to the entire state of Indiana. This was done last year in West Lafayette but it could be done just about any where there in the state where there is a technology park. How can Purdue Extension partner with the Purdue Research Park to get this done. Take a look at the video. You will be impressed. More information about the West Lafayette program is available here. Can anyone else get excited about this?

Partnership Increases Educational Opportunities for Clinton County Students

Purdue Extension's Learning Network of Clinton County has joined a partnership with the Indiana University High School (IUHS), and Community Action Program, Inc. of Western Indiana to provide a facilitated learning program for high school students seeking alternative forms of education.

Under the partnership, traditional and nontraditional students take online IUHS courses that apply toward their local school’s diploma requirements, or toward an IUHS diploma. Through the Clinton County Learning Network, students receive access to computer labs, on-site tutors, and licensed teacher-facilitators funded through a grant from the Clinton County Department of Child Services. Support services such as career planning, mentoring, and Department of Workforce Development — funded scholarships are also available. IUHS is also providing a 25 percent discount on tuition to students participating through this partnership.

“The collaboration among these three organizations provides a unique and exciting opportunity for students in Clinton County,” said IUHS Director Bruce Colston. “We hope to form similar partnerships in other communities so that students across Indiana can realize their educational goals.”

Indiana University High School is an accredited virtual high school offering more than 100 distance education courses, 60 dual-credit courses, and AP courses in English, history, and chemistry. More information about IUHS is available at scs.indiana.edu.

Contact Susan Tharp at [email protected] or visit www.lnocc.org to learn more about the Clinton County partnership and the possibility of creating similar partnerships in your community.