Bob Powell had a modest goal when his company partnered with a DeKalb County school to launch a first-of-its-kind recycling program.
Brightmark LLC – which has an advanced plastic recycling plant in Ashley – just hoped for a successful implementation, said Powell, founder and CEO.
Country Meadow Elementary more than delivered, Powell said. The 300-student school diverted about 3,000 pounds of plastic waste – including bottles and food packaging – from landfills this past academic year.
Known as a circularity center, the Ashley facility used the company’s patented Plastics Renewal technology to convert mixed plastic types into new products, a news release said.
Powell said Country Meadow’s recycling goal is more ambitious for the upcoming school year – 4,000 pounds.
“As a dedicated member of the communities we serve, Brightmark looks forward to continually and consistently showing up for the town of Ashley through engagement programs like this,” Powell said. “We hope this story inspires other school districts to build their own recycling programs so, together, we can create a world without waste.”
The program started under the leadership of Principal Jane Bitting, who left DeKalb Central Schools this summer for another district. Bitting described the program as a great partnership with Brightmark, which shared a video with the school to help explain the bigger picture to students.
“Our students now have an understanding of what is capable when recycling happens instead of just putting items in bins and never knowing what happens,” Bitting said by email last week.
For the program, students from each grade served as recycling ambassadors, the release said. These students ensured recycling rules were followed as items were deposited in Brightmark recycling bins, and they helped tally the pounds being recycled.
“We are the only school in the United States that is recycling our plastics to a facility that is using them to repurpose them into other materials,” Bitting said.
Powell said pairing education with action is powerful.
The combination “instills environmental optimism that the kiddos have to be environmental changemakers,” he said.
Kindergarten teacher Heather Ford shared her enthusiasm about the program in a statement. She said it’s great to know she and her students are making a difference, and her family started recycling plastics at home.
“It is amazing how much plastic we actually have,” Ford said. “It has cut our trash almost in half.”
Indiana schools interested in the program may contact the company at [email protected].
Bluffton
Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School District delivered items to Grace and Mercy Transitional Housing on Clark Avenue through grant funds as part of the American Rescue Plan for children who qualify for McKinney-Vento homeless assistance. Items included personal hygiene products, such as toothpaste and soap, along with non-essential items, including books, markers and stuffed tigers. A basketball goal was also purchased for the facility.
Grace
Hayden Mullett of Fort Wayne was among four Grace College students awarded for excellence in student teaching. The Carroll High School graduate was named Outstanding Prospective Secondary Education Teacher.
Huntington
Huntington University students and faculty received 23 awards – including Best of Festival and Best of Competition – at the Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts.
Indiana Tech
Indiana Tech and Wittenberg University of Springfield, Ohio, have partnered to launch a dual-degree program that will enable students to earn a Bachelor of Arts in physics from Wittenberg and a Bachelor of Science in engineering from Indiana Tech. Visit www.wittenberg.edu/academics/engineering-pathway for information.
Internship
Lilian “Lily” Coler of Fremont High School was selected for the Student Enhancement in Earth and Space Science summer internship at The University of Texas at Austin’s Center for Space Research. This nationally competitive program, funded by NASA, selects students who will increase their knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math through earth and space education.
Northwest State
Northwest State Community College business programs were granted continuing accreditation through next spring by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
The Northwest State Community College Foundation raised more than $70,000 during its 15th annual Green Carpet Event, No. 1 Hits. All proceeds benefit student scholarships.
PFW
Friends of the University – a group that supports Purdue University Fort Wayne – honored Carolyn Stumph with this year’s Friends of the University Outstanding Teacher Award. Stumph teaches economics for the Doermer School of Business.
Friends also awarded its annual scholarships to students Natalia Fuller and Raul Papaleo Jr.
Questa
The Questa Education Foundation’s 2024 spring and summer graduates included nearly 100 students from northeast Indiana. The Allen County graduates were Mica Allen, Cheyenne Berry, Mary Grace Bookmyer, Victoria Carrillo, Dominique Davis, Lauren Davis, Kelsey Denison, Ella Doron, Mitchell Farmer, Celeste Foltz, Nathan Glaser, Colin Hahn, Morgan Hansen, Brandi Hartley, Lindsey Henkle, Karson Henry, Tyler Hiatt, Audra Hilker, Blayne Huston, Audrey Kelly, Kailee Koch, Phil Kruyer, Amanda Kyu, Morgan Lamon, Supawan Ma, Paula Denise Martinez, Cydney Miller, Sarah Parker, Taylor Place, Audrey Renninger, Abigail Rodenbeck, Noah Sackett, Reagan Sanderson, Olivia Schuller, Abby Sheehan, Andrew Sheron, Eva Smith, Jewel Stephenson, Mark Sturm, Alyssa Swangin, Tessa Tester, Brian Tippmann, Corey Uetrecht, America Vazquez Garcia, Thida Win, Avery Wortman, Jayme Yates and Jenna Zuber.
Scholarships
Helena Agri-Enterprises awarded five Indiana high school students with Homegrown Scholarships worth $1,000. Recipients included Kammy Miller of Warren, Fletcher Wenger of Bluffton and Nick Beckner of Decatur. The scholarship was open to graduating high school seniors from 15 states who will major in an agriculture-related program.
Trine
The Accreditation Commission of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships announced last month that it granted initial accreditation to Trine University’s dual enrollment program. Trine offers more than 60 dual enrollment course options, including specialized pathways that allow high school students to earn credits toward specific degrees.
Trine faculty and students introduced more than 500 students from the Metropolitan School District of Steuben County to engineering and computing fields during the district’s Career Day in late May. Students could use a Microsoft HoloLens mixed reality headset to construct augmented reality play spaces. Third graders made slime; fourth graders constructed airplane designs and tested flight distance and time; and fifth graders built foamboard truss bridges. Supplies were provided through a Lilly Endowment grant to Trine’s Pre-College Outreach and Engagement.
Warsaw
Warsaw Community Schools announced Hilary Stouder will be principal of Lincoln Elementary School, pending board approval this month. Stouder has held various roles in K-12 education, including 20 years at Whitko Community Schools as a second grade teacher, librarian, instructional coach and master teacher. She has been at Lincoln for the past three years as an interventionist and instructional coach.
