Last Updated on April 21, 2024 by Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Service Area
KOKOMO, Ind. — A chance to have a little fun. An opportunity to show your pride in the many contributions of Indiana’s community college. And a way to support the Ivy Tech students preparing to make Indiana an even better place to live and work.
According to Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of Resource Development for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area, that’s what the second annual Ivy Tech Day will offer on Tuesday, April 23. At 12:01 a.m., the Ivy Tech Foundation will kick the day of giving, to help Ivy Tech Community College’s more than 190,000 students — including those studying at Ivy Tech Kokomo — prepare for graduation day and a better every day after.
For 24 hours, alumni, faculty, staff, donors, community leaders and all who care about breaking down barriers to higher education can contribute to Ivy Tech’s mission of preparing Hoosiers for today’s – and tomorrow’s – workforce.
Ivy Tech Day aims to generate resources and create opportunities for communities while reuniting and reconnecting alumni and friends of Ivy Tech with the important work happening at Indiana’s largest postsecondary institution and engine of workforce development.
Last year, Karickhoff said, no one had any idea how successful this new initiative would be. “When the clock struck midnight, we had received 171 gifts totaling $25,000, far exceeding our initial goals of 60 gifts and $10,000,” she said. “This year, we have a long list of challenges and matches that will trigger generous donations from enthusiastic supporters and we hope to go well beyond those numbers.”
Supporters can watch the Kokomo Ivy Tech Community College Facebook page for giving opportunities throughout the day and can visit ivytech.edu/giveday to make donations. “All proceeds support student success in the Kokomo Service Area,” Karickhoff added. “Your gifts stay local and help students who live and work in your community.”
Among the many supporters who have already pledged, Security Federal Savings Bank will provide snack and beverage stations for students and employees on the Logansport and Kokomo campuses. Larison Media and the Kokomo Post are serving as Ivy Tech Day social media promotion partners and Ivy Tech alumna Nikki Nordman, owner of Pizza Quiks in Peru and Rochester, will donate 10 percent of the net receipts on food purchased at the restaurants from 4 to 9 p.m. on April 23.
Along with a office-space decorating contest, a cadre of social media ambassadors and a Kokomo cookout, the fun is extending beyond the campuses. In support of Ivy Tech Day, Stellantis will illuminate their buildings in green lights and, courtesy of Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore, the City Hall Fountain will bubble in a green glow.
“Ivy Tech has been woven into the fabric of Indiana for more than 60 years, and nearly a million Hoosiers have completed degrees, courses and credentials supporting successful careers and upward mobility while improving the prosperity of our state,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president, Ivy Tech Community College.
“If you’ve been treated at an Indiana hospital, driven a car assembled in Indiana, or have a young person who graduated high school with dual credit, you’ve likely benefitted from Ivy Tech. Ivy Tech Day is an opportunity for all Hoosiers to help us deliver ‘Higher Education at the Speed of Life’ and meet our students’ most pressing needs.”
Ivy Tech contributes nearly $4 billion annually to Indiana’s economy, including a net impact of $3.6 billion from alumni working across the state. More than 40,000 degrees, certificates and. certifications are awarded annually, and 93 percent of graduates stay in Indiana to pursue their careers. More than 40 percent of Ivy Tech students are the first in their families to attend college, and 25 percent are students of color.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated in Ivy Tech Day last year and look forward to uniting again on April 23 to have an even greater impact on students’ lives,” said Dr. Ethan Heicher, chancellor of the Ivy Tech Kokomo Service Area that includes Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski and Tipton counties.
“Our campuses are doing amazing work, and Ivy Tech has grown to be the biggest community college of its kind in the United States. Students are receiving unique, personal instruction that prepares them for their careers, and Ivy Tech Day will help us continue making an impact in our community.”
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Service Area