NORTHEAST – Ivy Tech Community College–Northeast and Garrett-Keyser-Butler Community School District, along with WorkOne and Freedom Academy, are partnering to form Project Millennium. This project invites students, parents and adults of the Garrett community to pursue postsecondary education or training with these organizations. Ivy Tech will offer online courses, face-to-face and prep courses through the Garrett Learning Center (510 Second St., Garrett) beginning this fall. For Ivy Tech courses, standard college admission applies although tuition assistance may be available to qualifying students.

“The Garrett Learning Center looks forward to working with Ivy Tech Community College to offer educational opportunities to all residents of Garrett,” said Greg Myers, director of the Garrett Learning Center. “The program will be offered at the learning center during evening hours to accommodate work schedules of interested individuals. It is our hope that by providing this opportunity, the citizens of Garrett will take advantage of the program to explore new career opportunities or to advance their current career.”

Those in the Garrett community who are interested in learning more about Project Millennium should plan on attending the Project Millennium Community Launch, which will be from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11 in the Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center (1200 E. Houston St., Garrett). Ivy Tech Chancellor Jerrilee K. Mosier, Ed.D., and other representatives from Ivy Tech will be in attendance to offer information about degree and certificate programs, career and internship resources, and financial aid and tuition assistance. Individuals from WorkOne will present material about their College Essentials program and Freedom Academy staff will discuss their training and certificate programs. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Workshop will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 16 at the Garrett Learning Center for interested individuals to begin the financial aid process. Anyone from the Garrett community interested in learning more about Project Millennium and opportunities to advance their knowledge base is welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served and the pool and gymnasium will be open for families of the participants the day of the launch.

Event Schedule:

• Thursday, Aug. 11 – Project Millennium Community Launch, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Judy A. Morrill Recreation Center (1200 E. Houston St., Garrett)
• Tuesday, Aug. 16 – Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Workshop, 6 to 8 p.m. at the Garrett Learning Center (510 Second St., Garrett)

“We are fortunate to be working with visionaries such as Dennis Stockdale at the Garrett school system,” said Chancellor Mosier. “The innovative approach he and his staff are taking toward education is refreshing, and the college sees this as a great opportunity to expand our partnership and bring Ivy Tech courses and programs into their community.”

Dennis Stockdale, superintendent of Garrett-Keyser-Butler CSD, noted the community has an interest and demand in advanced manufacturing, criminal justice, auto body/mechanics, culinary arts, welding, early childhood education and health-related areas of study.

“This partnership between Ivy Tech and the Garrett-Keyser-Butler CSD will allow us to offer postsecondary training, not only to the parents of our students, but to the whole Garrett community,” said Stockdale. “We will work to build opportunities for our students, whether on our campus or on the Ivy Tech campus in Fort Wayne.”

Project Millennium is in line with the “Anytime/Anywhere” Initiative funded by the Classroom Innovation Grant the Garrett-Keyser-Butler CSD was recently awarded. The initiative aims to provide all students in the immediate Garrett community, regardless of socioeconomic status, with access to Internet at home and on the go. The grant will fund the purchase of mobile wireless hotspot devices for qualifying students to utilize. In turn, these will allow for other outreach opportunities such as this partnership to embrace higher education and promote Ivy Tech within the community. The total amount of the grant received by the school system was $201,269.

For more information, visit projectmillennium.co or contact Greg Myers at 866-357-3185 or gmyers@gkb.k12.in.us.

About Ivy Tech
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech serves nearly 200,000 students annually and has campuses throughout Indiana. It functions as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.

About the Classroom Innovation Grant
Classroom Innovation Grants are in place to promote a statewide culture of educational innovation through technology. Twenty-two schools or school corporations received nearly $200,000 each to be used for classroom technology projects. At least 25 percent of the funds must be used for staff professional development relating to the use of technology in the classroom. All Indiana public schools were eligible to apply. Winners were chosen by a panel of six IDOE staff members. The grant is funded through the federal Title II D program and the David C. Ford Fund.