An effort to plant 500 trees on Southwest Allen County School grounds over the next few years is taking hold.
Two elementary schools, Covington and Deer Ridge, recently benefited from the Shading Our Children project, an initiative of the Canopy Growth Fund that supports the planting of trees on school grounds.
On April 13, volunteers planted about 70 trees in Covington and 30 trees in Deer Ridge, Cody Tinnell said. He co-founded a fund with Derek Fite in 2022 to plant more trees in the area.
“We believe that all public spaces should have trees, and this is especially important for schools,” Tinnell said in an email. “The young people in our community deserve schoolyards that promote better health, provide shade, and are overall more beautiful spaces to spend time in.”
Tinnell said SACS became the foundation's first school district partner because of a desire to grow tree canopies in schools. The grounds of this district also have ample space for planting.
“Their maintenance team is working diligently to take care of the newly planted trees,” Tinnell said. “A willing partner who allowed us to test our approach on their properties made it a logical starting point.”
District spokeswoman Stacey Fleming said in an email that the planting location was determined based on multiple factors, with input from SACS staff and Tinnell and Fite. Considerations also included access to residential areas. Future building expansion. A school facility with an old tree missing. And a school that lost a tree to disease.
“Security and sight lines also contribute greatly to the chosen location,” Fleming added. “We always want to make sure we don't obstruct or obstruct the view from the surveillance cameras.”
The Canopy Growth Fund wants to expand the initiative to all area schools and has had initial discussions with Fort Wayne Community Schools, Tinnell said.
He said schools were ideal places to plant plants because of the potential benefits.
“Research shows that when humans have increased contact with trees and nature, they become happier, healthier, and experience less stress,” he said. “Because most schools have available outdoor space and a dedicated landscape maintenance team, the trees themselves are much easier to reach full maturity, providing all the public health, environmental and financial benefits.”
The trees are native to Indiana, cost between $15 and $35 each, and are between 4 feet and 7 feet tall, Tinnell said.
Business partners and the Tree Canopy Growth Fund supported the project, Tinnell said. We are also looking for grants for future planting.
The fund is administered through the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne, and the program is coordinated by Fite and Tinnell outside of their day jobs. Tinnell explained that it is a volunteer-driven effort where all donations directly support outreach, education and/or tree purchases.
The trees planted this month in Covington join 30 trees planted on campus last fall. Tinel said the pilot event was a success.
“Based on early tests, it appears that all the trees have survived the winter and are budding for spring,” he said.
event
Grace College's College of Humanities will host a poetry reading with author and poet George David Clark on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Morgan Library, 921 Connection Circle in Winona Lake. This reading is the second in the Lila Carson Lecture Series, a program in which Grace hosts nationally and internationally acclaimed authors on campus. The event is free and open to the public. A coffee and cookie reception will be included, as well as discounted purchases and autographs of “Newly Not Eternal.”
The University of Manchester's School of Environmental Studies, Peace Studies and Education will hold a community day at the Koinonia Environment and Retreat Center on Saturday. The event will include children's activities, community food, live music, educational sessions, and more. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but attendees don't have to stay the entire time. The retreat center is located at 6147 S. 650 East, Pierceton, just off Indiana 13. For more information or to register, go online to manchester.advancementform.com/event/community-day/register.
galette
Garrett High School students visited Gettysburg and Washington, D.C. last month. This trip is available every two years for Garrett juniors and seniors who are taking or enrolled in dual-credit level English or history classes. In addition to touring the White House and other sites, the group also attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery and George Washington's grave at Mount Vernon.
manchester
Graduates of the University of Manchester's December Nursing Student Group reported a 100% pass rate on the National Board Licensing Examination. This is an exam that all nursing graduates must take in order to work as registered nurses. University of Manchester graduates passed their exams with an average pass rate of 94.5%. The national average is 80%.
Manchester wins the award Kaina Martinez Recipient of Garrett High School's 2024 Multicultural Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. This award is given to an outstanding student who identifies as a racial or ethnic minority and has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting diversity within their community. The scholarship is renewable annually for four years and covers tuition, fees, dorm room and meal plan costs.
PFW
Volunteers, including Purdue University Fort Wayne students and Girl Scouts from Troop 55048, are tackling period poverty through projects that improve access to menstrual products for those most in need. Today, volunteers will place recycled newspaper vending boxes filled with products like tampons and pads at the Cinema Center, Prime Boxing and Calhoun Street near Southside High School. Students from the University's School of Communication cleaned the boxes and collected the items, while scouts decorated the containers.
recognition
The Indiana Department of Workforce Development held its 2024 State Career Development Conference last month. Jobs for America's Graduates students participated in a competition highlighting the employment skills they learned through the program.Including top individual winners samantha slavin of DeKalb High School. trinity akins and Stephanie Diaz Ivy Tech Community College Fort Wayne.and Carly Blevins, olivia davis, Peyton Hamby, carolyn hoffmeyer, Braylon Judy and aliyah nichols A graduate of Manchester Junior High School.
Published by Dog Training Elite, a family-owned dog training company. eva hoopA special education teacher at Leesburg Elementary School, he is the recipient of the 2023 Hometown Hero Award. Hoop received the award at last month's Warsaw Community Schools board meeting. Her selection was based on her concern for individual students, her ability to stimulate learning, her collaboration with fellow professionals, and her commitment to continuous improvement and support of school programs.
Trine
Trine University has announced that ACT and SAT scores will continue to be optional for traditional undergraduate students seeking admission. Trine originally made test scores optional in fall 2020 due to the cancellation of standardized tests due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants taking the ACT or SAT may submit scores if they wish, but those scores will only be considered as part of their overall academic performance.
julie kerinsa fundraising expert who previously worked at Trine as associate director of alumni events and community campaigns, has returned to the university as development director.
The Kappa Sigma Fraternity Foundation established the scholarship in honor of member William Sangiacomo, a longtime Trine golf coach and teacher. The William SanGiacomo Scholarship Leadership Award provides $1,000 annually to undergraduate students in her Theta-Xi chapter of Trine.
Trine's Christian Campus House receives an award michael smithan assistant professor in the mathematics department who received the Outstanding Faculty Award at the organization's 38th annual banquet last month.