Leadership students graduate

May 7, 2007

Leadership Bloomington Monroe County, a partnership between Indiana University Continuing Studies and the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce, received the “Excellence in Community Involvement” award at Ivy Tech’s annual O’Bannon Institute for Community Service.

The ceremony was part of the college’s Center for Civic Engagement, a program that promotes volunteerism, integration of service learning into the teaching curricula and facilitation of community events on campus.

The eight-month program is designed to develop leadership skills and community involvement. Participants take part in sessions that focus on aspects of community life and works with a group of classmates to complete a project related to a specific community concern.

This year’s projects included a survey of stakeholders in the Arts Row part of the City of Bloomington’s BEAD initiative, a study on transportation needs related to the new Volunteers in Medicine clinic, an intergenerational learning program for area senior citizens and Monroe County Community School Corp. elementary students entitled Young@Heart, the development of a database for substitute preschool teachers and a public relations and marketing strategy for the new 211 information line.

The class of 2006-07, the 23rd the program has produced, graduated May 1.

The next class begins in October.

For more information, e-mail Mary Catherine Carmichael at mccarmic@indiana.edu, call 855-6329 or 855-1163 or go to www.continue.indiana.edu.