The Wabash Valley Community Foundation has awarded $200,250 in Education Pillar grants to eight organizations serving Vigo County, marking the first grant cycle completed under the Community Foundation’s newly restructured competitive grant process.
The grants support a wide range of educational initiatives designed to expand learning opportunities, strengthen workforce readiness, improve literacy and provide access to programs that help local students and families succeed.
“Education is a lifelong journey, and this grant cycle highlights that reality,” said Beth Tevlin, President and CEO of the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. “The projects we are funding touch nearly every stage of life, from reading with young children and exploring science through hands-on exhibits to career readiness, workforce training and leadership development. Together, they create opportunities that can have lasting impacts for generations.”
Grant recipients include:
- Terre Haute Children’s Museum, $100,000, to create a Drone Control Activity Center as part of a new agricultural exhibit.
- Wabash Valley Goodwill Industries, $25,000, to equip a learning lab used for Indiana’s Promoted Industry Certification instruction.
- Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, $4,500, for the Reach Out & Read program benefiting Vigo County families.
- Junior Achievement of the Wabash Valley, $15,000, for curriculum materials that support financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship education.
- Camp Navigate, $15,750, to purchase 35 Chromebooks and expand its S.T.E.A.M. coding and workforce readiness programming.
- Emerging Entrepreneurs of the Wabash Valley, doing business as Vigo County CEO, $5,000, for student trade show expenses.
- Vigo County School Corporation, $25,000, to purchase wrestling mats for middle school athletic programs.
- Crossroads of America Council, Boy Scouts of America, $10,000, to provide financial assistance for Vigo County families needing support with program participation costs.
The Education Pillar is one of four focus areas established through the Community Foundation’s recently restructured competitive grants process. Following a year-long review of grantmaking practices and sector best practices, the Community Foundation transitioned from two annual grant cycles in Vigo County to four pillar-based cycles focused on Education, Health and Human Services, Arts and Culture, and Community Development.
The revised process is designed to create a more focused review system by grouping organizations with similar missions together while also significantly reducing the time between application submission and grant decisions.
“This restructuring is about maximizing the impact of the resources entrusted to us by our donors,” Tevlin said. “By creating more focused grant cycles and a more efficient review process, we can better support organizations that are addressing important needs in our community while getting funding into their hands more quickly.”
Applications are now being accepted for the Vigo County Health and Human Services Pillar grant cycle. Organizations serving Vigo County may apply through August 3, 2026, at 2:00 PM. The Health and Human Services Pillar supports programs and services that improve the health, well-being and quality of life of Vigo County residents. Funding is intended for organizations that address critical community needs through direct services, access to care, behavioral health support, food and nutrition assistance, services for vulnerable populations, family and youth support programs, and other initiatives that promote healthier, more stable lives.
Organizations that have not selected the Health and Human Services or Education pillars should note that the Arts and Culture Pillar grant cycle will open on October 15, 2026, with applications due December 1, 2026. The Community Development Pillar grant cycle will follow, opening January 15, 2027, with a deadline of March 1, 2027.
Eligible organizations that have completed the Organizational Health Review in March 2026 are encouraged to apply. The next opportunity to complete the Organizational Health Review is August 15, 2026, through September 30, 2026. More information on the grant process is available at wvcf.org/grants or by calling 812.232.2234.
