From barbecues, to community-based and backyard fireworks displays, to small town Independence Day parades, I hope you can take a moment this weekend to gather with friends and family and celebrate our country.
When I think about the United States of America, and what it means to me…immediately, descriptors such as independence, freedom, and the song lyrics of “God Bless America” come to mind. This weekend, I hope you also take time to celebrate what our country means to you, including taking a moment to reflect on the men and women who continue to protect and defend those ideals for the next generation of Americans.
Enjoy your time with friends and family this weekend, and have a great and relaxing 4th of July!
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The above photo represents just a few of Dr. Jenner’s favorite memories from past Fourth of July holidays, including a brownie flag cake made with her twin (now teenage!) girls, a fireworks display, and the famous Madison Regatta parade.
REMINDER: Legislatively-Required and Other Guidance Surrounding Newly-Enacted Legislation
Following the close of each legislative session, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) immediately begins working to implement newly-enacted legislation impacting K-12 education, which includes compiling guidance for educators. Guidance is a product of robust cross-agency collaboration and partnership with countless stakeholders. Any future updates will be added to this comprehensive guidance document and shared via the weekly newsletter.
REMINDER: School and Corporation Profile Amendment Window
The school and corporation profile amendment submission window for the 2023-2024 school year is open. In order to ensure IDOE maintains accurate information, all schools and corporations must provide notice when changes are made that affect school openings, closures, and reconfigurations. Information on the submission process can be found here. Contact IDOE's Office of Accountability with any questions.
NEW: I AM Spring 2023 Final Results Now Available
Final results for students who participated in the alternate assessment are available within the Centralized Reporting System (CRS). Schools may share the Indiana Interpretive Guide for Statewide Assessments for assistance with understanding Individual Student Reports (ISRs). Contact the Indiana Assessment Help Desk for assistance with accessing results.
NEW: ILEARN Spring 2023 Final Results Now Available
Corporations and schools may access final student results for ILEARN Spring 2023 assessments within CRS. Final results reflect any rescore requests. ISRs should be securely provided to students and families in a timely manner. Schools must note that overall results are under public embargo (e.g., community/media release) until presented to the Indiana State Board of Education on Wednesday, July 12. Refer to the post-testing resources on the Indiana Assessment Portal for assistance communicating scores and results. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment regarding policy and the Indiana Assessment Help Desk for assistance with accessing results.
NEW: WIDA ACCESS 2023 Final Results Availability
WIDA ACCESS 2023 final results were released on Thursday, June 8, in WIDA AMS. WIDA ACCESS data is also now available in IDOE's EdData Portal and Indiana ILP. Calculations for Less Than Four (LT4) domains for students with approved domain exemptions are also available in IDOE’s EdData Portal. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with questions, ensuring to only include the relevant student test number (STN) in emails for student privacy.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 Formative (Interim) Assessment Grant Applications Close Today, Friday, June 30
The application window for eligible corporations and non-public schools to apply for Formative (Interim) Assessment Grant funds for the 2023-2024 school year closes today, Friday, June 30. Only one application may be submitted per corporation or non-public school ID. Refer to the guidance document prior to submitting the application. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with questions.
REMINDER: Educators Needed: ILEARN Content & Fairness Committees
IDOE is still seeking educators for two ILEARN Content & Fairness committees. Corporation Test Coordinators (CTCs) may share the following opportunities with applicable staff members.
- The ILEARN Computer Science and U.S. Government Content and Fairness Committee will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. ET on Monday, July 17. This committee will be remote, and computer science educators, instructional coaches, special populations staff, and school administrators involved in computer science are encouraged to apply.
- The ILEARN Science Content and Fairness Committee will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, July 18, and Wednesday, July 19. This committee will also be remote, and science educators, instructional coaches, special populations staff, and administrators overseeing science are encouraged to apply.
Attendees will receive a stipend and Professional Growth Plan (PGP) points for their participation. Interested staff should complete this JotForm to indicate interest in each committee opportunity. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Assessment with questions.
UPDATE: IDOE and Roadtrip Nation Announce Fall 2023 Indiana Road Trip
This September, IDOE and Roadtrip Nation will send three young people, ages 18-24, on a free road trip across Indiana in the RoadTrip RV to find their fit in the workforce. Roadtrippers will get to sit down with professionals working in various industries and discuss interests, strengths, and values in professions related to STEM, education, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, agriculture, and much more. Participants will make valuable connections, explore job opportunities throughout Indiana, and learn beneficial job skills through the process. The application deadline has been extended to Saturday, July 9. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
NEW: Level Up Leadership Participant Application Open Through Monday, August 14
The 2023-2024 Level Up Leadership series is an opportunity for emerging leaders to engage in innovative and relevant professional development in order to "level up" the leadership capacity of educators across the state. Educators (teachers, instructional coaches, deans, etc.) with a desire to expand their capacity as an emerging leader can learn more here. Questions can be directed to eel@doe.in.gov.
REMINDER: Registration Open for Indiana Educator Talent Marketplace Webinars
Learn more about how you can use Indiana Educator Talent Marketplace to find great candidates for your open roles. This webinar will walk through the marketplace's newest offering, share tips about how to attract the best talent, and answer your questions.
- Tuesday, July 11, at 3 p.m. ET
- Monday, August 1, at noon ET
Click here to register. Contact eel@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Level Up Leadership Mentor Application Open Through Friday, July 7
The 2023-2024 Level Up Leadership series is an opportunity for emerging leaders to engage in innovative and relevant professional development in order to "level up" the leadership capacity of educators across the state. Applications to participate in the leadership series will be released soon. Educators with a desire to serve as a mentor for emerging leaders can learn more here. Applications are due Friday, July 7. Contact eel@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Staff Performance Evaluation Plan Submission
Senate Enrolled Act 486 (2023) requires each school corporation to develop or adopt a plan for annual performance evaluations for each certified employee. Staff performance evaluation plans must be submitted via JotForm by Friday, September 15. Evaluation plan cover sheets are no longer required as part of the submission. For more information, click here. Contact eel@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Teacher Appreciation Grant (TAG) Policy Submission Required
Information regarding the TAG policy submission can be found here. Local educational agencies (including charter and virtual charter schools) must submit the TAG policy for approval via JotForm by Friday, September 16, to be eligible to receive TAG funding. Contact tag@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Indiana STEM (I-STEM) Educator Expansion Program Registration Now Available
IDOE is partnering with Educational Service Centers (ESCs) of Indiana to launch the I-STEM partnership. I-STEM provides support for both currently licensed teachers in non-STEM areas and prospective teachers who are not licensed and hold a bachelor’s degree to become licensed to teach in a STEM content area. IDOE has identified eligible STEM content areas as life science, chemistry, earth/space science, physics, physical science, computer science, technology education, and mathematics. Click here for more information and registration. Contact IDOE's Office of Educator Talent with any questions.
REMINDER: Nominate an Educator for Teacher of the Year
The Indiana Teacher of the Year Program works to inspire, rejuvenate, and celebrate the teaching profession by recognizing outstanding teachers from across the state. Local schools are encouraged to participate in an annual selection process and local Teacher(s) of the Year are encouraged to complete the state application process by Friday, July 7. More Information on the 2024 Indiana Teacher of the Year selection process can be found here. Contact intoy@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: LINK Portal Setup and Review of Security Coordinators
The LINK Portal is able to recognize all public, charter, and accredited non-public schools’ local Google G-Suite or Microsoft 365 accounts. IDOE configures the organization’s leader as the first account, and the organization leader must log in to designate up to two security coordinators responsible for overseeing the setup of roles for others in the organization. All superintendents and leaders of non-public schools should log in to the LINK Portal and review/update their security coordinator information.
- Instructions for organization leaders on how to review/designate the security coordinators can be found here.
- New public and Choice schools registration process for the LINK Portal can be found here.
- New superintendents or organization leaders of non-public schools who need the first account configured should email link@doe.in.gov.
NEW: Designation of Key Contacts
Security coordinators for all traditional public, charter, and accredited non-public schools are responsible for ensuring their organization’s key contacts for the 2023-2024 school year are set. Key contacts including the roles of Superintendent, Financial Contact, Special Education Director, Principal, Data Exchange Contact, etc. are needed for the 2023-2024 school year even if those contacts were provided last school year.
For school corporations that have an Ed-fi student information system (SIS), key contacts and other staff role assignments should be entered and managed in the local SIS and then provided to Data Exchange/LINK for the new school year. However, all three options below are available:
- Provide staff classifications in the local SIS per vendor’s instructions,
- Add a staff type manually for the 2023-2024 school year via the Security Portal, or
- Upload templates 008_StaffAssociation_StaffEdOrgAssignmentAssociation and 0009_StaffOrganizationContactAssociation into Data Exchange.
Schools utilizing options two and three may cause overriding or loss of data. Schools should connect with their SIS vendor to better understand how to avoid data loss when providing data via multiple methods.
IDOE will recognize active staff assignments/roles during the summer months from the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school years and will begin recognizing only the 2023-2024 school year assignments beginning Friday, September 1. Security coordinator instructions can be found here. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
NEW: SIS Vendor Changes
IDOE-issued Data Exchange credentials (key and secret) are tied to the supporting SIS vendor. If your corporation will be changing or adding an SIS vendor for the 2023-2024 school year, please email link@doe.in.gov with these changes. Your organization will receive a new set of credentials for the new vendor. Please note that participation in the 2023-2024 school year Kick-off Sessions is required in order to receive and activate the credentials. A SIS vendor certification status list can be found here. Additional information on the implementation of Data Exchange can be found on the Data Exchange webpage. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
UPDATE: Kick-off Session Participation Required to Receive Data Exchange Credentials
Schools are expected to join the 2023-2024 school year Kick-off Session that is specific to their SIS. The session schedule can be found in the Moodle Data Exchange Training and Community and should be attended by at least two individuals from each school corporation – the individual in the lead data role and the superintendent, assistant superintendent, chief financial officer, chief information officer, or director/head of school. Schools will only have access to Ed-Id API after the completion of the Kick-off Session. Please allow up to three business days for IDOE to confirm attendance and update access for organizations, after which schools will be able to submit data to IDOE. Schools will continue to have access to the Ed-ID Portal Interface to assign STNs and SPNs. The 2022-2023 school year data collection is set to close on Wednesday, July 12, after which time no further data changes will not be allowed. Contact the Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: Student Academic Record Collection
Changes implemented for reporting course enrollments (student academic record replacing course completion collection) and outcomes will impact all schools that report course-level data to IDOE. These updates are occurring to improve the completeness of academic records for each student, to support metrics on the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard, and to monitor Graduation Pathways progress. The full memo is available here and the related FAQ document is available here. Contact IDOE's Data Exchange Team with any questions.
REMINDER: Student Safety Reporting Due Today, Friday, June 30
Indiana’s Student Safety Reporting Law (IC 20-34-6-1) requires school corporations to report student bullying, arrest, and gang data for each school to IDOE. These submissions are now included on the DOE-ES Report (discipline report) via the STN Application Center data transfer function. This data collection is now open, and submissions must be complete by today, Friday, June 30. Questions related to the submission of this data can be directed to the STN administrator for your school corporation. More information can also be found on IDOE’s website. Additionally, Indiana Code 20-34-6-1 requires each school corporation to submit data to IDOE related to law enforcement presence in schools. This data collection is open now and will close today, Friday, June 30. To complete this data collection, please use this link. Contact Steve Balko with any questions.
REMINDER: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Training Requirements and Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) Recommendations
Senate Enrolled Act 369 (2023) expands Indiana’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest Law to include additional requirements and recommendations regarding sudden cardiac arrest training and AEDs for schools. Please see this memo for additional information.
NEW: Form 9
Form 9 financial data and financial transparency data for January 2023 through June 2023 may be submitted Saturday, July 1, through Monday, July 31. The Form 9 application, which includes a link to the financial transparency submission page, can be accessed via the LINK Portal. Once in the portal, the financial administrator will navigate to the “Form 9 Financial Data” tile. Please review the Form 9 Overview for instructions. Additional guidance can be found in the Public School Finance Community in Moodle. Contact form9@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: Annual Office of School Finance Budget Workshop Materials
Presentations and other material from the Annual OSF Budget Workshop can be found in the Presentations folder in Moodle Finance. Click on the agenda to find links to each presentation. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
REMINDER: School Technology Advancement Account (STAA) Applications
School corporations may file an application for a STAA through Friday, July 14. The STAA application can be completed online and must be completed in one sitting. A sample application and certification page can be found in Moodle. Contact commonschoolfund@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Updated Subcategory Memo June 2023
Please read this memo regarding subcategory changes taking effect Saturday, July 1. Contact IDOE's Office of School Finance with any questions.
REMINDER: Next Generation School Improvement Grants (NextGen SIG)
The Office of School Support and Transformation is now accepting applications for planning grants as part of the NextGen SIG program through Friday, August 4. This is a competitive grant to aid in school transformation. Eligibility for this grant extends to all schools currently identified as Comprehensive Support and Improvement (CSI) and Targeted Support and Improvement (TSI) under Indiana’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Plan. Interested school officials can read more about the grant program in the NextGen SIG overview. A list of eligible schools can be found here.
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Application window
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Review period (tentative)
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Finalist interviews (tentative)
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Announcement (tentative)
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Friday, June 9, through Friday, August 4
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Tuesday, August 8, through Friday, September 1
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Wednesday, September 6, through Friday, September 8
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Friday, September 15
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The scoring rubric used to evaluate the application is found here. Contact IDOE's Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
REMINDER: School Improvement Plans
The submission window for Comprehensive Needs Assessment/School Improvement Plans (CNA/SIP) is now open. Use of the state CNA/SIP template fulfills all requirements under state law and ESSA for schools identified for CSI, TSI, and/or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ASTI). Submissions are due by Friday, October 6. This memo provides additional information, including links to the CNA/SIP Google doc and CNA/SIP template. Contact IDOE’s Office of School Support and Transformation with any questions.
REMINDER: Student Learning Recovery Grant - Expanding What Works
The Expanding What Works program promotes regional partnerships between community organizations, local non-profits, municipal partners, and/or local school corporations to replicate the successful Indy Summer Learning Labs at a regional level. This competitive grant program will prioritize applicants that demonstrate a commitment to partnering with the Lavinia Group to implement a high-quality, research-based summer learning curriculum and fidelity to the core design principles of the Indy Summer Learning Labs. More information and applications are available here. Contact CommunityLearningGrant@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: SAT and Transcript Guidance
Updated guidance regarding the SAT and transcript requirements is now available. This memo provides additional clarification regarding high school transcripts and statewide assessment program test results. Contact IDOE’s Office of Student Pathways with any questions.
REMINDER: Alternative Education Grant Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) Report
In order to distribute alternative education funds in a timely manner, Alternative Education Grant FTE Student Reports must be submitted by Sunday, July 30. No extensions will be granted. If your school corporation had an approved alternative education program during the 2022-2023 school year, an FTE Student Report must be submitted in DOE Online. Contact studentpathways_alted@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 School Year (FY24) High Ability Program (HAP) Grant Application Due Saturday, July 1
The 2023-2024 HAP Grant application will be open until Saturday, July 1. The application must be completed in Jotform by the deadline. No extensions will be granted. Contact studentpathways_highability@doe.in.gov with any questions.
NEW: U.S. Department of Education’s 2023 Determination Under Section 616 of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
The U.S. Department of Education has determined that Indiana meets the requirements and purposes of Part B of IDEA. This determination is based on total state data and information, including the federal fiscal year (FFY) 2021 State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR), other state-reported data, and other publicly-available information. More information on these Part B determinations can be found here. Please contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
NEW: Updates to Special Education Excess Cost (SEEC) Funding
Several changes were made to the SEEC fund during the 2023 legislative session. IDOE will receive an additional $5 million per fiscal year to assist school corporations with paying the excess costs of educating school-age students who have been identified as needing special education services and whose disabilities are of such intensity as to preclude achievement in the existing local public school setting. In addition, Indiana Code (IC) 20-35-6-2 was amended to require school corporations to at minimum pay their share of expenditures before the state will fund excess costs. The amendment became effective upon passage on May 4, 2023. This memo highlights revised SEEC funding policies effective immediately for all applications, including those filed beginning May 4, 2023. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education’s SEEC team with any additional questions.
NEW: Cohort 4 Aspiring Special Education Leadership Institute (ASELI)
ASELI seeks to enhance overall results for Indiana students through guaranteeing equity, access, and the development of aspiring special education leaders through professional training, hands-on experience, membership in professional organizations, and networking opportunities. ASELI seeks to support highly-skilled, diverse candidates, particularly those who have traditionally been underrepresented in special education leadership, in order to establish an inclusive and multicultural educational landscape. Participants are interested in and committed to a career in special education leadership, and they value equity, excellence, and success for our diverse student population. The members of the ASELI Cohort 4 can be found here. Please contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 & American Rescue Plan (ARP) Part B Grant Proportionate Share Waiver Request Forms Available Saturday, July 1
The FY 2022 Part B 611, 619, ARP 611, and ARP 619 grant proportionate share waiver request forms will be available in the Office of Special Education Moodle Community on Saturday, July 1. Completed requests with supporting documentation must be submitted to IDOE’s Office of Special Education Part B Grants team by Thursday, August 31. Following waiver acceptance, a Part B grand budget modification request must be completed by Friday, September 15, to transfer funds across budget scopes. Download the waiver request form and instructions from the Office of Special Education Moodle Community. Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education Part B Grants team with questions.
REMINDER: FY 2024 Special Education Grant Assurances Due Saturday, July 1
FY 2024 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B Grant Assurances templates and instructions for using the Grant Management System are now available in the Office of Special Education Community in Moodle under Part B Grants for Special Education. To reserve the earliest reimbursement effective date for the FY 2024 Part B Grant period, school corporations, charter, and state schools must correctly submit FY 2024 Part B Grant Assurances in the Grant Management System on or before Saturday, July 1. Four new questions have been added to the Assurances to address Section 427 of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1228a). Contact IDOE’s Office of Special Education with any questions.
REMINDER: Register Now for Elevating Education - Improving Outcomes for All Statewide Conference
Registration is open for Elevating Education: Improving Outcomes for All, a new statewide conference from IDOE and the IEP Technical Assistance (TA) Center. The conference is intended for general educators, special educators, and administrators and will take place at the Hyatt Regency Indianapolis and the Indiana Convention Center on Tuesday, November 28, and Wednesday, November 29. Register here, as space is limited! Please contact IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
REMINDER: June PATINS Project Opportunities and Resources for Indiana Educators
The PATINS Project offers opportunities and resources for educators across the state. Opportunities and resources offered are listed here. Contact the PATINS Project or IDOE’s Office of Student Support and Accessibility with any questions.
NEW: 2023-2024 STEM Integration Grant Recipients
IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce the 56 recipients of the 2023-2024 STEM Integration Grant. This competitive grant opportunity supports schools in providing high-quality professional development and securing curricular materials to promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and integrated STEM learning experiences. Review this memo for more information and the list of recipients. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: 2023 Computer Science Catalyst Grant Recipients
IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce the 17 recipients of the 2023 Computer Science Catalyst Grant. This competitive grant opportunity focuses on providing teachers with high-quality teacher professional development programs in computer science and developing and implementing sustainable computer science programs for Indiana’s pre-K through grade 12 students. Review this memo for more information and the list of recipients. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
NEW: July Professional Development (PD) with IDOE
Join PD with IDOE on Wednesday, July 12, for A Starting Line-Up of Community Partners at 10 and 11 a.m. ET in the Indiana Learning Lab. View additional information on these sessions here. View the June PD session Rounding the Bases of Literacy on-demand in the Indiana Learning Lab if you missed it. To register for workshops, or view on-demand sessions, create a free Learning Lab account by visiting the LINK Portal or the Indiana Learning Lab directly and use your school email to log in. Contact the Office of Digital Learning with any questions.
UPDATE: Early Intervention Grant - Cash Request Documents Due Today, Friday, June 30
Corporations or schools that were awarded funds via the 2022-2023 Early Intervention Grant must submit their completed cash request document by today, Friday, June 30, to access grant funds. Corporations and schools must encumber all distributed funds by Friday, September 29, and return any unused funds to IDOE by Friday, December 15. The 2022-2023 Early Intervention Grant end-of-year report will be released later this summer. The Early Intervention Grant will be discontinued after this school year, as it was not included in the biennial budget passed during the recent legislative session. IDOE will publish support and guidance to schools on other available funding sources to support early literacy interventions in the coming weeks. Contact IDOE’s Office of Teaching and Learning with any questions.
REMINDER: 2023-2024 Reading Plan and Dyslexia Reporting Submissions Due Today, Friday, June 30
511 Indiana Administrative Code (IAC) 6.2-3.1 requires all public and accredited non-public schools with students enrolled in kindergarten through grade three to complete and submit an elementary reading plan to IDOE by close of business today, Friday, June 30. IDOE’s Literacy Center released the new Reading Plan Guidance to assist with this requirement.
- Public schools will use this form.
- Accredited non-public schools will use this form.
In addition to the reading plan, IC 20-35.5 requires all public schools to report dyslexia screening data from the current 2022-2023 school year. Accredited non-public schools are not required to submit this data, but have the option to report it. Charter schools will use this form for dyslexia reporting dyslexia screening data. The submission window is open through Friday, June 30. Contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with questions or for additional guidance.
REMINDER: Dyslexia Reporting Requirements
School corporations and charter schools must report dyslexia information for the previous school year on their school website before Saturday, July 15. This information must include:
- The dyslexia intervention programs used during the previous school year to assist students with dyslexia;
- The number of students during the school year who received dyslexia intervention; and
- The total number of students identified with dyslexia.
Reporting criteria can be found on page seven of the 2022-2023 Dyslexia Guidance for Schools. Please contact IDOE’s Literacy Center with any questions.
REMINDER: ESSER II Construction Monitoring Documents Due Today, Friday, June 30
All schools receiving ESSER II funds must submit their responses and documentation concerning the use of ESSER II funds for construction or construction-related activities. Please see the memo distributed to all superintendents, program administrators, and treasurers on or about Thursday, June 1, for more details. Submit documentation via this JotForm. Contact esser@doe.in.gov with any questions.
REMINDER: Title Grants and Support Monthly Coffee Chats
Grab your favorite cup of coffee and join the Title Grants and Support team for monthly Coffee Chats. Chats have moved to the last Thursday of the month at 10 a.m. ET. The link will always be the same. Join us via Microsoft Teams here. This month’s topic covers Moodle resources with an opportunity to ask programmatic Pre-Application questions. Contact TitleI@doe.in.gov with any questions or suggestions for topics.
NEW FROM NASA’S OFFICE OF STEM ENGAGEMENT: Next Gen STEM SPARX
Next Gen STEM SPARX emphasizes engineering to connect students to STEM in a way only NASA can! SPARX is a free educator professional development opportunity that provides teachers with on-demand training and access to an exclusive online community of practice. During the school year educators can connect their classrooms virtually with NASA scientists and engineers to help expose students to various STEM careers. Registration is now open. To learn more about this exciting opportunity educators can join the SPARX Interest Group or click here to RSVP for an upcoming SPARX 101 webinar. For general inquiries, or to schedule a SPARX 101 session for you or your educators, contact SPARX@mail.nasa.gov.
NEW FROM THE INDIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION (IEDC): ConnectIND, First-of-its-Kind Entrepreneurship Portal
Indiana Secretary of Commerce Brad Chambers recently announced the launch of ConnectIND, a digital portal designed to increase support for entrepreneurs and founders and power Indiana’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The new tool is a first-of-its-kind statewide listing of resources, programs and services for entrepreneurs. The portal provides curated connections to Indiana’s robust network of support organizations, mentors, accelerators, capital opportunities, space, licensing and permitting, community connections and more. ConnectIND also offers a matching tool and a dedicated, statewide team of ecosystem navigators through the Indiana Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to help entrepreneurs narrow in on the right tools for them. For more information, contact the IEDC Entrepreneurial Ecosystem team.
REMINDER FROM THE INDIANA DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (IDHS): Indiana’s Secured School Safety Grant Now Open
The Indiana Secured School Safety Grant Program provides matching grants to school corporations, accredited non-public schools, charter schools or a coalition of school corporations and/or charter schools applying jointly to support overall school safety. Applications, a list of allowable uses, and additional grant information can be found here. Applications close Wednesday, July 26, at 4:30 p.m. Additionally, IDHS is offering two virtual training sessions with a question-and-answer opportunity via Microsoft Teams. After registering for the training sessions, participants will receive an email containing the link to join the meeting.
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Training session 1: Wednesday, July 12, at 10 a.m. ET
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Training session 2: Wednesday, July 19, at 10 a.m. ET
Register for training sessions here. Contact IDHS with any questions.
REMINDER FROM THE LILLY ENDOWMENT: Renewal Grants for Indiana K-12 Educators
The Lilly Endowment is pleased to announce the 37th round of its Teacher Creativity Fellowship Program (TCFP). This program supports educators throughout Indiana by providing resources for them to take time for meaningful renewal. The Endowment believes that through new experiences, exploration, and reflection educators can generate renewed energy in their careers, innovative approaches to teaching and educational leadership, and thoughtful ways to encourage students’ creative thinking. The Endowment expects to award approximately 100 grants, each totaling up to $15,000, in 2024. The application deadline is 5 p.m. ET on Monday, September 11. Three information sessions will be held on:
- Tuesday, August 8
- Thursday, August 10
To learn more or register for one of these sessions, visit the Lilly Endowment website. Contact Lilly Endowment staff at teachercreativity@lei.org with any questions.
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