Q&A: Indiana DWD officials discuss expired pandemic jobless benefits
State Department of Workforce Development officials explain what the end of federal pandemic unemployment benefits means for Hoosiers.
Education & Workforce Development
Articles
Loan forgiveness offered to more former ITT Tech students
The Education Department announced Thursday it will forgive student debt for more than 100,000 borrowers who attended colleges in the now-defunct, Carmel-based ITT Technical Institute chain but left before graduating.
Rising COVID-19 rates bring back masks at local school districts
Districts such as Washington Township have found themselves caught in the middle of a political and public health maelstrom, trying to balance changing health guidance amid the delta surge with the demands of parents and desire for in-person learning.
Marion County ranks high on statewide report rating child care access
Hoosier families on average face limited access to child care — with most residents having a tough time finding quality care that meets their family’s needs, according to Early Learning Indiana.
Indiana’s governor backing schools on mask mandates
Indiana’s governor gave his support Monday to the growing number of school districts across the state issuing mask mandates for students and staff as they try to head off more COVID-19 outbreaks.
Supreme Court justice won’t block Indiana University vaccine mandate
Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s action came in response to an emergency request from eight students, and it marked the first time the high court has weighed in on a vaccine mandate.
Court rules for Roncalli in lawsuit brought by fired counselor in same-sex marriage
The Indianapolis Catholic high school scored a victory in its legal battle with Lynn Starkey, who served as Roncalli’s co-director of guidance until 2019, when the school did not renew her contract after learning that she was in a civil union with a woman.
Purdue, foundation to build hypersonic technologies center at West Lafayette’s Aerospace District
Purdue did not release a cost for the center, which will be administered by a new not-for-profit consortium that includes Rolls-Royce North America. The project comes on top of two other new aerospace projects the school announced in recent days.
Indiana buried in unemployment appeals backlog
Indiana has more than 17,000 pending appeals of unemployment-claim denials. Only California, Texas and Virginia—states with much larger populations—have more.
Students challenging IU vaccine mandate file for U.S. Supreme Court review
The students-plaintiffs have challenged the mandate in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana and at the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, but so far their efforts have been unsuccessful.
Ed-tech Codelicious lands $3.8M in seed-stage funding
Codelicious founder Christine McDonnell talks about the investment round, which was led by Indianapolis-based Allos Ventures and EduLab Capital Partners, a venture capital firm with offices in Boston and Tokyo that specializes in learning innovation.
Indiana State University launching tuition-assistance initiative
Called the Indiana State Advantage, ISU said the initiative is intended to attract more students to the university, which has seen enrollment fall in recent years.
Resource officer guru says police at schools need more training
The director of the Indiana School Resource Officers Association wants all police who work in school environments to understand the basics of the job, including adolescent brain development, working with students with special needs and de-escalation techniques.
Target to offer debt-free education to front-line workers
Target Corp. is joining a growing list of retailers and restaurant chains offering educational assistance at select online institutions for its employees in a fiercely competitive job market.
Youth-focused minority leadership group launches $33M campaign
The Center for Leadership Development’s campaign aims to raise funding for a series of new satellite locations and a 20,000-square-foot building expansion to support a planned 63% increase in program capacity.
College coalition launches diverse leadership program
Leon Jackson’s brainchild, a leadership development program for underrepresented groups, is up and running.
New IU president Whitten tests positive for COVID
Pamela Whitten, who took over as Indiana University president July 1, said she began experiencing “mild cold symptoms” Thursday morning before being tested.
Vaccinated staff, students can go mask-free when school starts, IPS says
Indianapolis Public Schools students and staff who are vaccinated do not have to wear masks in classrooms when school starts, according to new district guidance. Unvaccinated students will be required to wear masks at school, and the district recommends that staff continue to wear masks around unvaccinated students, especially children under 12 who are currently […]
UPDATE: Martin University sorting out real estate issues, preparing to draft strategic plan
The liberal arts school is taking a comprehensive look at its campus on the northeast side with an eye toward making it safer, streamlining traffic flow and anticipating future needs.
Purdue: 60% of students fully vaccinated against COVID-19
The vaccination rate for Purdue students is about twice the rate of individuals ages 16-29 across the state, the school said.