Grantee Spotlight: Supporting Public Education in Muncie
Over the past decade, Ball Brothers Foundation has dramatically increased its support for public schools in the heart of Muncie’s Central City: Muncie Community Schools and Burris Laboratory School.
In a city that is working to define itself following years of population loss and the loss of major industry, one of our central philosophies is that good schools are a critical building block to attracting and retaining talent and to preparing the next generation of students for the workforce and life. Among the top factors that households consider in choosing where to live are good schools and public safety. These elements are key to quality of life.
BBF has clearly articulated a position that our funding will not cover basic expenses that taxpayer dollars are designed to support—daily transportation, on-going teacher and administrative salaries, etc. Foundation dollars are generally targeted instead to “margin of excellence” areas: bolstering professional development for teachers and administrators, creating niche programs to attract and retain students, increasing college and career pathways, enhancing extra-curriculars and athletic programs that engage students, and providing the other “margins of excellence” that are important to helping local schools provide a competitive K-12 education.
Since 2014, BBF has made over $4.5M in grants to strengthen public school education at MCS and $1.8M at Burris.
Examples of BBF funding include:
Establishment of district-wide professional development for MCS teachers/admins
Seed funding to establish “niche” programs within MCS to retain/attract families to the district with competitive offerings including the Dual Language Program at West View Elementary School and a new Montessori pilot
Funding for Burris to reconnect with the International Association of Laboratory Schools, promoting identity as a true lab school (unique in the state of Indiana)
Branding/marketing for both MCS and Burris targeted to retention/attraction of students and building community pride
Purchase of athletic uniforms, music program equipment, and support of other extra-curricular needs at both MCS and Burris to bolster student engagement and development of life-long soft skills
Building a new professional development strategy at Burris that supports faculty in classroom-based research efforts to pursue new initiatives and to share their findings with the greater community
Construction of new classroom spaces and nature play areas at Camp Adventure (outdoor learning center on Muncie’s southwest side operated by MCS) and at Burris
Piloting integration of new interactive technology into select classrooms, grade levels, and subjects within Muncie Community Schools
Integration of Project Lead the Way into 1st through 12th grade classrooms within MCS
Building capacity of school counseling departments at both MCS and Burris. Funding has assisted with the expansion of career/college and social/emotional supports for students, professional development for school counselors, and software.
Purchase of technology (Wifi hot spots), supplies/equipment, and virtual school transitions during the pandemic
Review and adoption of literacy and social studies curriculum at Muncie Community Schools that is culturally reflective; implementation of a culturally responsive teaching initiative at Burris
Establishment of “Emerging Media” program at Burris, a highly popular offering with career pathway connections that is also building alumni engagement
Development of new and enhanced “career pathways” and career/technical education opportunities within individual schools and at the Muncie Area Career Center
Matching funds for school security enhancements at MCS and Burris