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WARSAW, IND. (April 27, 2007) – The Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, Inc. announced the organization is investing in Ivy Tech Community College-Warsaw’s future as an educational leader in the community. Rich Haddad, K21 Foundation President, said the organization will invest $250,000 in Ivy Tech’s capital campaign to raise $2.8 million for land acquisition for a new campus in Warsaw.
"K21 Foundation is in the community not only to respond to health and wellness needs, but to help advance health and wellness in Kosciusko County. We see education in the health industry as a major solution to ensuring and advancing healthcare in our county. We have partnered with Ivy Tech on several projects to develop and grow their commitment to education in health and medical fields. By taking this step of investing in a permanent campus, we believe this benefits the long-term future of health,” he continued.
"One of the key statistics that our board noted in considering this investment opportunity was that 96 percent of Ivy Tech graduates staying in their community. That hits our mission well in wanting to benefit the residents of Kosciusko County. Also, seeing the great progress in the health education fields at Ivy Tech gave our board encouragement to continue our investment by helping Ivy Tech become a more permanent part of the community. Since our initial participation with Ivy Tech, they have seen their medical related enrollment go from five students in 2005 to 56 students this spring. That's tremendous progress that we anticipate will only keep growing,” Haddad said.
According to Ivy Tech-Warsaw Executive Dean Randy Maxson, “The Warsaw campus has been the fortunate recipient of K21 Foundation grants in the past. Three separate grants totaling just over $300,000 made both our science education center and medical assisting lab possible. We’ve always harbored the dream of a permanent campus and, with that in mind, made sure that the grant monies were used to equip and furnish spaces with resources that could be easily moved to our future home.
“There’s an obvious correlation between the quality of our instructional spaces and the number of students we educate. The K21 Foundation’s support of Ivy Tech-Warsaw has gone far to fuel our enrollment growth. Students want quality instruction with state-of-the-art equipment and Ivy Tech-Warsaw is able has been able to provide that through the K21 Foundation’s generosity and commitment to the community.”
Ivy Tech has had a presence in the community since the late 1970s, but always in a borrowed or leased space. The lease for the current main facility at 3755 Lake City Highway will end in 2012. The college recently began a capital campaign in response to the community’s need for a new, permanent campus in Warsaw
Once Ivy Tech acquires the land, college officials and community members will pursue securing state funding for the “bricks and mortar” of the new campus. The new campus will serve Kosciusko County and surrounding communities. Current plans are to fold programs at the main campus and the Ivy Tech Orthopedic and Manufacturing Training Center, which opened in October 2006 at 980 Executive Drive, into the new campus.
The Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, Inc. was established in 1999 with the proceeds of the sale of Kosciusko Community Hospital to Quorum Health Group, Inc. The foundation’s available assets were invested and the income from the investments are used to fund community projects and programs dedicated to promoting and maintaining the health and wellness of Kosciusko County citizens. The Kosciusko 21st Century Foundation, Inc. is dedicated to maintaining an endowment to ensure health care facilities remain in Kosciusko County and is committed to improving community health and wellness through investments and grants.
Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with over 100,000 students enrolled annually. Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its communities, along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. More information about Ivy Tech can be found at www.ivytech.edu.
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