The IU Southeast Office of University Relations and New Neighbors Education Center on behalf of Student Life were the recipients of grants from the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County. In total, the two grants accounted for $17,200 of the $350,000 awarded as part of the fall grant cycle. IU Southeast was one of 33 recipients in the community.
Strengthening educational equity for culturally and linguistically diverse families
Navigating the pathway toward higher education is a challenge for many potential students and their families, but none more than families with language and cultural differences. The New Neighbors Education Center in partnership with IU Southeast Admissions and Office of Student Success, the Floyd County Public Library, and PK-12 schools in New Albany Floyd County are launching an initiative to assist families in Floyd and Clark Counties.
The grant for $15,000 from Caesars Foundation of Floyd County will partially fund efforts to assist up to 1,500 families through a Parent Leadership Institute for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CDL) students and families, providing English language classes to 20 caregivers, hosting a CDL family conference, providing campus visits to IU Southeast and Ivy Tech Community College-Sellersburg, as well as provide peer mentors to CDL students at IU Southeast and interpreters and translated materials for all events and family/student follow up.
“Through this grant, we will provide increased access to college, equity in the knowledge base and pathways to higher education, and increased advocacy by CDL students and parents in their education and that of their children,” said Dr. Donna Albrecht, director of New Neighbors Center and director of graduate students for the School of Education. “The impact of access to higher education for English learners, immigrants, multilinguals, people of color, and people of diverse heritage is significant to the community in fields such as education, healthcare, business, and industry. Ultimately, we will strengthen our region as a place to work, build productive lives, and ensure the prosperity of future generations—a core component of IU Southeast’s mission—through increased and more equitable access to higher education.”
Helping young alumni transition from college to career
The IU Southeast Office of University Relations received a grant of $2,200 to provide professional and personal development to IU Southeast alumni transitioning from college to career. A conference for young alumni will be held on the IU Southeast campus on Friday, February 2, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The conference will feature keynote speakers from accomplished alumni, and interactive workshops on career advancement, financial planning, and personal development.
“I am proud to see our foundation support such worthwhile causes that will make a lasting impact in our community,” said Josh Kornberg, executive director of the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County. “I am thankful to our Board of Directors who believe in the work of our grant program. The generosity of Caesars Southern Indiana is a reflection of the philanthropic fabric of our community, and we are most grateful for their ongoing commitment to Floyd County and our residents.”