WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) has announced that Claypool Elementary,
Jefferson Elementary, Madison Elementary and Washington STEM Academy have officially been recertified as STEM Certified Schools by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for the upcoming school year.

This recognition highlights each school’s continued commitment to high-quality STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education through inquiry-based instruction, cross-curricular collaboration, and real-world problem-solving experiences, the school district explained in a news release.

As part of a rigorous five-year renewal process, these schools demonstrated sustainable, student-centered practices that align with the IDOE’s vision for innovative STEM learning environments.

“Warsaw Community Schools (WCS) has become known as a state and national leader in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education,” said Dr. David Hoffert, WCS Superintendent. “We are blessed by the dedicated work of our teachers and the strong support of our local industry and community. The culture of STEM education is a through line throughout our schools."

"We are proud to recognize Claypool, Jefferson, Madison and Washington for their state STEM school recertification and the high standard of education it exemplifies,” he said.

The IDOE established the STEM Certification Program in 2015 to identify schools that go beyond the traditional classroom, incorporating project-based learning, community partnerships, entrepreneurship, and integration with the humanities and related arts. Fewer than 120 schools across Indiana currently hold active STEM Certification.

Warsaw Community Schools now has five STEM Certified buildings. Edgewood Middle School earned its certification in 2023, further reinforcing the district’s K–12 STEM pipeline and its mission to prepare students for future success.

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INDIANAPOLIS — Ivy Tech Community College is preparing to offer Pell Grants for incarcerated students to complete business administration and automotive technology certificates through its Madison and Terre Haute campuses, respectively.

The college announced last month that the Indiana Department of Correction had approved two business administration certificates through Ivy Tech Madison and an automotive technology technical certificate from the Terre Haute campus to be Pell Grant-eligible for students in state prison. The announcement comes after a new law went into effect last July that allowed incarcerated individuals to receive Pell Grants for the first time since 1994.

Incarcerated Hoosiers enrolled in prison education programs could receive up to $7,395 per year in federal grant money to pursue college and continuing education. The Higher Learning Commission, which accredits Ivy Tech, and the federal Department of Education will need to approve the programs before students can start working on the FAFSA.

Students who complete the programs also would be set up for employment after they are released. Ivy Tech would work with the Department of Correction to make sure that graduates get a job with an employer who will accept employees who have criminal records.

Ivy Tech’s Madison campus is the statewide hub for prison education, offering educational and vocational courses at correctional facilities across the state. More than 5,000 students who were currently or previously incarcerated complete programs through Ivy Tech each year.

In addition, Ivy Tech’s ELEVATE program helps students in the Indianapolis metro area who were previously or are currently incarcerated enroll in classes, find jobs and access support services like counseling or expungement clinics.

Claire Rafford covers higher education for Mirror Indy in partnership with Open Campus.  Contact Rafford at claire.rafford@mirrorindy.org or on Instagram/X @clairerafford. 

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One of the EF-1 tornadoes with winds about 95 mph hit the small Clinton County community of Forest, badly damaging its volunteer fire station. No serious injuries were reported in the area about 40 miles north of Indianapolis

A similar tornado hit Saturday evening near the Ohio River city of Madison. Winds of up to 100 mph also struck the area, where damage included the roof being blown off a bowling alley. A Friday night tornado in southern Indiana's Crawford County caused some building and tree damage.

Water has receded in the southern Indiana city of Salem after flash flooding Friday swept semitrailers into a downtown creek and damaging businesses.

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