As the name suggests, Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams has had a long working relationship with Lilly Endowment, Inc., which is headquartered in Indianapolis.

That endowment is the largest private foundation in the United States, with assets reaching a record $100 billion.

The endowment provided a large gift to the Lakes and Streams nine years ago, which led to the organization being renamed.

The Grace College entity was established in 2007.

Bosch, who's overseen the Lilly Center for Lakes and Streams for nearly 18 years, realizes how unique that connection has been.

“They have invested a lot in the most important changes for the better in our state,” Bosch said.

“To have them backing this new project that we're working on is pretty exciting,” he said.

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WINONA LAKE — Grace College hosted a joint groundbreaking with Kosciusko County Velo (KCV) on Thursday afternoon to celebrate the start of two highly anticipated community projects. 

Various groups, including Grace students, faculty, staff, administration and community partners, first gathered to break ground on the Community Fieldhouse at the Miller Athletic Complex. 

[caption id="attachment_130270" align="alignright" width="420"] The Kosciusko County Velo Cycling Board of Directors broke ground on phase II of the Winona Lake Bike Park at the Hauth Trailhead along Pierceton Road on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Times-Union[/caption]

Then, the crowd made their way to Hauth Trailhead, the future site of the Winona Lake Bike Park, for the second groundbreaking.

“Both of these projects are key components of the Catalyst Corridor initiative that represents a strategic investment to significantly enhance community well-being, recreational opportunities and overall quality of place in the Winona Lake-Warsaw and greater Kosciusko County area,” said Dr. Emiko Kreklau, executive director of the Catalyst Corridor.

 “At Grace College, we are unapologetic about our community involvement. When our community thrives, we all thrive. Collectively, these projects will address the health and wellness needs in the community while also contributing to the region's vibrancy.”

According to recent community surveys, 87.2% of residents do not believe there are enough recreational facilities, and 89.6% specifically indicate a need for additional indoor facilities. Currently, residents who participate in youth and adult sports leagues such as soccer, baseball, softball, cricket and flag football frequently travel outside the area for sporting events and practices.

The Community Fieldhouse addresses the shortage by providing year-round accessibility and comprehensive amenities. The project will include an indoor turf field capable of supporting U-12 soccer games with a divider curtain for younger age youth soccer. The space will also contain six total batting cages for baseball and softball, as well as a weight-training room and restrooms.

The fieldhouse will be located at the Miller Athletic Complex, and will be in a prime location for community access. 

Eight new pickleball courts will be built adjacent to the fieldhouse and six existing tennis courts, providing sufficient space for community pickleball tournaments. The fieldhouse will also be connected to the Heritage Trail and the Winona Lake bike trails, just across from the Winona Lake Bike Park.

The second ribbon-cutting celebrates another step toward construction of KCV’s upcoming bike park, which will include a pump track, a kids bike playground, jump lines, a skill zone and more. The project transforms 15 acres into a space where riders of all ages and skill levels can ride, learn and grow. It builds on KCV’s 10+ miles of mountain bike trails and expands access to safe, structured riding experiences for the entire community.

“The addition of the Winona Lake Bike Park, in conjunction with the new fieldhouse, off-road trails and greenways, creates great, healthy opportunities for residents of Kosciusko County to enjoy outdoor activities,” said Mike Cusick, president of KCV Cycling. “This new recreation hub will also attract many visitors from outside our region, which will result in a significant positive economic impact for our community.”

The Times-Union reports Cusick said they’re estimating 1,100 truckloads of dirt will be moved from the fieldhouse to the park to create the base for the park, and that thanks to Grace College President Dr. Drew Flamm and others at Grace, much of the needed dirt will be moved from the Fieldhouse project.

The Catalyst Corridor Project is a series of initiatives in Warsaw and Winona Lake that fall into four themes: innovation initiatives, wellbeing amenities, connection ways and enhanced placemaking. The Catalyst Corridor is made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its College and Community Collaboration (CCC) initiative.

To learn more about the KCV bike park and how to get involved, go to kcvcycling.org/blog/kosciusko-county-bike-park-learn-ride-connect/.

To contribute to the Community Fieldhouse, visit www.grace.edu/give-to-grace/current-projects/.

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WINONA LAKE — Grace College has received a $1.2 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help Grace Theological Seminary establish The Proclamation Project, which will help prepare aspiring and active preachers to cultivate practices for proclaiming the gospel to diverse audiences.

The effort is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Compelling Preaching Initiative. The aim of the initiative is to foster and support preaching that better inspires, encourages and guides people to come to know and love God and to live out their Christian faith more fully.

Grace Theological Seminary hopes to increase the number and vitality of preachers who passionately and proficiently preach the gospel in ways that captivate and subsequently transform listeners. This includes seeing churchgoers inspired to know and love God and more fully live out their faith in homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities and across the world; and seeing nonchurchgoers express interest and take steps to learn more about following Jesus.

Grace Theological Seminary will accomplish this goal through a wide range of initiatives, including new academic programs and microlearning courses, regional preaching workshops, seminars and an annual preaching conference. 

The Proclamation Project will also institute preaching cohorts connected to academic programs, which will expose preachers to preaching coaches and cultivate a growing community of active and aspiring preachers. The seminary also intends on investing in a state-of-the-art preaching simulator.

Grant funds will be spent on program staff, program research, marketing, technology, course development and resource development needed to accomplish these goals over the next five years.

“Grace Theological Seminary was founded in 1937 to train pastors to proclaim the gospel to their congregations and to the whole world,” said Dr. Freddy Cardoza, vice president of Grace Theological Seminary. “While much has changed over these eight decades, the desire to see the gospel proclaimed by Spirit-anointed preachers has not. Romans 10:14-17 is a good reminder of why we train pastors to preach. It explains that faith comes from hearing the word of God; therefore, we want to train pastors to preach in a variety of contexts and to a diverse constituency all for the glory of Christ.”

Grace Theological Seminary is one of 142 organizations receiving grants through the Compelling Preaching Initiative. The organizations, which reflect the diversity of Christianity in the United States, are affiliated with mainline Protestant, evangelical, Catholic, Orthodox Christian, and Pentecostal faith communities. Many of the organizations are rooted in Black Church, Hispanic, and Asian Christian traditions.

To learn more about Grace Theological Seminary, visit seminary.grace.edu/.

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WARSAW — Kosciusko County Community Foundation announced it received a $2,838,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to strengthen the learning and development of very young children in the northeastern Indiana community.

The grant will support a partnership between the Community Foundation and LaunchPad, Kosciusko County’s child care and early learning coalition, according to a news release from the Community Foundation. The goal of the partnership will be to enhance the operational capacity of LaunchPad, provide education and training resources for early learning professionals, and build child care and early learning capacity through grant investments in area nonprofit or school-based child care programs.

Funding from Lilly Endowment will also support a feasibility study for a second- or third-shift child care and early learning program in the county.

“With support from this grant, many more Kosciusko County infants and toddlers will have access to the type of quality care and development opportunities that are essential to healthy development,” said Community Foundation CEO Stephanie Overbey.

The Community Foundation will share more details in 2024 regarding a grant program to help strengthen nonprofit and school-based child care programs to expand the number of infant and toddler seats they offer or to increase the quality of care they offer, the release states. For example, eligible child care organizations will be able to apply for grants to improve their facilities and increase their operating budgets to serve more children.

“We are thrilled about this new grant investment in children and families in Kosciusko County,” said LaunchPad Director Sherry Searles.

Kosciusko County Community Foundation Inc. is a public charity whose mission is to bring caring people and charitable endeavors together to inspire generosity and strengthen communities. The Community Foundation grants about $3 million annually in the areas of education, health, arts and culture, recreation, civic projects, environment and human services. Gifts made to the Community Foundation are tax-deductible.

For more information, visit www.KCFoundation.org, call 574-267-1901 or visit 102 E. Market St., Warsaw.

LaunchPad is a child care and early learning coalition operating under the Kosciusko County Chamber Foundation. LaunchPad was established in 2018 in response to the community’s urgent need for child care. The coalition’s mission is to strengthen the climate of early learning in Kosciusko County by focusing on the most recent research for children, birth to age five, and meeting the needs of our youngest citizens. For more information about LaunchPad, visit kchamber.com/get-involved/launch-pad/ or contact Sherry Searles at 574-267-6311.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company.

While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

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INDIANAPOLIS – Kosciusko County's LaunchPad organization was awarded a grant of $183,000 that it intends to use to assist two school districts with licensing of infant and toddler classrooms.

Early Learning Indiana announced on Tuesday the 86 organizations receiving grants through the Early Years Initiative, a competitive grant program to help strengthen communities’ efforts to support the learning and development of infants and toddlers in Indiana.

The Initiative is generously supported by Lilly Endowment Inc.

LaunchPad Director, Sherry Searles said they are "thrilled" to be named as a grant recipient Early Learning Indiana's Early Learning Initiative.

"The funds we receive, totaling $183,000, will be used to assist Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation and Wawasee Community Schools in licensing infant and toddler classrooms within their school buildings, Searles said.

In addition, a portion of the funding will be used to ensure that all staff receive instruction in supporting healthy brain development.

Through more than $31 million in grants of up to $500,000 each, the 86 organizations will work to maximize the critical period of growth and brain development in very young children during their first three years of life.

The awarded projects and programs are designed to help Hoosier families support the cognitive, social-emotional and physical wellbeing of infants and toddlers. Funding will support: 

• The development of more than 1,500 new infant and toddler seats in high-quality child care settings in communities facing the most critical need for early child education services 
• A total of 46 programs that will work to strengthen families through home visits and parent education offerings 
• Efforts from 30 organizations to help with early detection of special needs or disabilities among very young children and provide responsive interventions 
• 15 programs that will promote essential skills through early language enhancement strategies

The aim of the Early Years Initiative is to help organizations in Indiana meet the developmental needs of infants and toddlers (birth through age three) and surround Hoosier families with the resources to make the most of these crucial years of learning. The Early Years Initiative has a particular focus on infants and toddlers in low-income families, in families within communities of color and families where very young children are multi-language learners.

All 86 organizations will serve families in low-income households; 69% of grantees will serve members of communities of color; and 63% will serve multi-language learners. 

Early Learning Indiana launched the initiative in March 2023 with support from a $50 million grant from Lilly Endowment.

Organizations from all corners of the state responded to the request for funding.

Awarded organizations include social service providers, faith-based organizations, community foundations, United Ways, child care providers, school districts, higher education institutions and other not-for-profit organizations. View the full list of recipients at EarlyYearsInitiative.org. 

“We were encouraged by the range of proposals received from community organizations that care deeply about ensuring infants and toddlers in their communities develop the foundational knowledge and skills that support their future learning and development,” said Early Learning Indiana President and CEO Maureen Weber.

"We only have a few short years to set our youngest Hoosiers on a path to thrive in life, and the work of these organizations across the state will enable us to make the most of these years while deepening our understanding about which efforts are most effective.” 

Studies show a child’s brain is hardest at work during the first three years of life, busy creating the foundation for all future learning capacity, social-emotional development, and mental and physical health. 

“The environment and experiences of a child’s first three years of life substantially influence cognitive, social, emotional and physical development and often affect long-term academic success and quality of life,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “We are enthusiastic about the potential impact these funded efforts will have on very young children and their families in our state.” 

The Early Years Initiative is a three-year effort. Early Learning Indiana will share details about additional funding opportunities and other efforts of the initiative in early 2024.share details about additional funding opportunities and other efforts of the initiative in early 2024.

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WINONA LAKE — Itsel Flores-Uribe, a Grace College sophomore from Elkhart, recently was one of 30 Hoosier students to receive the “Realizing the Dream” scholarship from Independent Colleges of Indiana.

Each of the honorees is a sophomore student who has “realized the dream” to be the first in his or her family to attend college, according to a news release from Grace College.

The event is made possible by the support of Lilly Endowment Inc. Each honoree received a $4,000 scholarship to help with college costs.

One out of every three students on ICI campuses is first-generation. Financial aid provided by ICI institutions, combined with state and federal grants, makes a private college education a possibility for all Hoosier students, including Flores-Uribe.

From a young age, Flores-Uribe was keenly aware of the sacrifices made by her parents to give her opportunities they never had.

“When my mom was young, she had the opportunity to attend college, but she sacrificed her college savings to support her family financially,” said Flores-Uribe. “And both of my parents left their family, friends and home country to come to the United States, adapting to a new culture and language so that my brother and I could pursue higher education.”

When Flores-Uribe began searching for colleges, Grace wasn’t on her radar. She had a list of Christian colleges to visit, but none of them felt like where she belonged. After several disappointing visits, a friend invited Flores-Uribe to Grace’s Latino Visit Day.

“The moment I arrived at Grace, I knew God was telling me that this was the right college for me,” said Flores-Uribe.

Now, Flores-Uribe is studying international business and entrepreneurial management with the goal of owning her own business one day.

After only a year and a half on campus, Flores-Uribe has already gotten involved in a number of groups and clubs that make Grace College feel like home. In hopes of learning her third language, she attends French club, and she also enjoys playing on the club rugby team where she has built strong relationships with her teammates, the release states. Flores-Uribe especially enjoys being a part of Esperanza Latina.

“Esperanza Latina is a place where I count my friends as family,” said Flores-Uribe. “It’s a place where we share tradition and culture. Through it, I’ve learned many things from other Latinos.”

Flores-Uribe’s college experience has been everything her parents have worked so hard for, stated the release. So when she found out she had been awarded the Realizing the Dream Scholarship, she was overjoyed.

“I was in pure shock for a few minutes and then immediately called my mom to give her the news,” she said.

Grace College provides significant financial aid for students. In fact, nearly 25% of its incoming students are attending Grace tuition-free through a combination of federal, state and institutional aid.

For more information about Grace College, including financial aid and scholarship information, visit www.grace.edu/admissions or call 866-974-7223.

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