Community Education Coalition

06/01/2026

Always opportunities… and will keep moving our community forward!

📈 Columbus is on the move!

We’re excited to see Columbus ranked #35 among the Best Places to Retire and #69 among the Best Places to Live in the U.S. - a jump of 22 spots from last year! 🎉

These rankings reflect what many of us already know: Columbus is a special place, with a strong sense of community, world-class design, thriving local businesses, and people who care deeply about its future.

And we’re not done yet.

Through initiatives like and community members are working together to make Columbus even stronger, more vibrant, and more connected.

https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-live

https://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings/best-places-to-retire

05/08/2026

06/02/2025

“𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄—𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲.” 💛

Meet Ebun Okuleye-Ash, a passionate early educator at Busy Bees who’s making a lifelong impact on children with varying abilities. From building bonds with families to helping every child grow in their own unique way, Ebun reminds us what true care in education looks like and how critical it is for every person's long-term success.

🎥 Watch her story in Bartholomew County Early Learning Coalition's "Small Starts, Big Impact" series—where everyday educators are shaping brighter futures, one small start at a time.

05/08/2025

📣 Big things are happening at The Bridge at AirPark Columbus College Campus!

Students from IU Columbus, Ivy Tech Columbus, and Purdue Polytechnic Columbus recently came together for an exciting internship and career fair—connecting with over 50 top employers in advanced manufacturing, business, and tech.

💼 Employers left with resumes in hand and a clear view of the impressive talent emerging in our region.

This kind of collaboration helps our local workforce—and community—grow stronger, together.

Learn more about The Bridge and how we're working with our partners to connect talent with opportunity: https://educationcoalition.com/building-career-pathways-airpark-students-engage-with-top-regional-employers-at-the-bridge/

04/23/2025

🔗 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗖!

We're excited to share our latest update showcasing how we're fueling Indiana’s workforce pipeline, strengthening employer partnerships, and keeping skilled talent in the state!

📊 𝗖𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗟𝗮𝗯 shared powerful results at the Attainment 2025 & Beyond Conference: Talent Hubs saw a 12.2% increase in credential attainment — far surpassing the national average of 1.8%. That’s 21,000+ people now equipped for better jobs and brighter futures!

🏢 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 at AirPark Columbus College Campus helped students from Ivy Tech, IU Columbus, and Purdue Polytechnic connect directly with over 50 top employers in high-demand fields like advanced manufacturing, tech, and business at the Spring Internship & Career Fair.

👶 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 is strengthening our workforce by tackling one of its biggest barriers: child care. Local employers and community leaders came together to explore solutions that support working families. Educators also received free training to help create safer learning environments, and 𝘚𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴, 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵 will soon spotlight a Pre-K Teacher of the Year shaping future-ready learners.

Read the full update here 👉 https://conta.cc/4jktC7z

Get more stories like this delivered to your inbox 👉 https://tinyurl.com/cecmonthly

03/10/2025

Southeast Indiana’s advanced manufacturing sector offers exciting opportunities for anyone interested in innovation, problem-solving, and cutting-edge technology. 🔧🤖

The Bridge: Connections helps students explore pathways in engineering, automation, IT, and business—key fields driving modern manufacturing. From designing next-gen products to optimizing high-tech production, there’s a place for you in this evolving industry.

🔗 Learn more: https://sites.google.com/educationcoalition.com/connections/home

Bartholomew County Early Learning Coalition

03/10/2025

🚨 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲: 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀, 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸

Access to quality child care isn’t just a family issue—it’s an 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 for Indiana. By enabling families to work, earn, and pursue education, Indiana saves billions annually while boosting its competitiveness and attracting businesses that depend on a stable, skilled workforce.

Yet, the proposed state budget falls $𝟮𝟬𝟳 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 of Governor Braun’s original recommendation. Without this funding, thousands of Hoosier families could lose access to child care, and providers may struggle to keep their doors open—harming our workforce and economy.

𝗛𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 is rallying support to restore full funding for child care. Join us in urging policymakers to prioritize our state’s future.

➡️ 𝗔𝗱𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟭𝟳 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSft27Jy08Z7aM98Xpy2F5OOKFeNcqf_fiF4qiPJRzngQ7X6iw/viewform?usp=sharing

📄 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gV3r71gqkbnCjZJsRBcJg2mxYUpPWNVx/view

Every signature counts—let’s protect child care access for Hoosier families!

02/27/2025

🔗 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 & 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆: 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗖!

We're excited to share our latest update showcasing how we're fueling Indiana’s workforce pipeline, strengthening employer partnerships, and keeping skilled talent in the state!

📚 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 at the AirPark Columbus College Campus continues to transform student journeys into career success stories! Read how student Derek Heideman leveraged this hub to secure three career-focused internships.

📅 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝗼𝗻: 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 & 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿 - A must-attend event connecting regional employers with talented students from Ivy Tech, IU Columbus, and Purdue Polytechnic Columbus. Stay tuned for dates!

👶 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 making waves:
- CEC Early Learning Manager Christine Waters joined educators and policymakers in a recent gathering at the Indiana State House to promote policies supporting early learning as essential infrastructure

- New "Hoosier Milestones" statewide alliance co-created to support early care policies

- Leadership Bartholomew County panel participation addressing education challenges

- "Small Starts, Big Impact" Episode 3 coming soon featuring a Pre-K Teacher of the Year

Read all the details here: https://conta.cc/4gYYeK5

Get more updates delivered to your inbox: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/HAl8iL7?source_id=eaa5e1bc-7a7c-4884-80ad-b813e9c6f823&source_type=em&c=CoL_QMmrX99UA7g6yOhqu60iIo-kJVtr3WwjMktNLFpnq-AQbai4Bw==

01/24/2025

Job Opportunity Alert! 🚀

Are you passionate about education and workforce development? The Community Education Coalition is seeking a 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Your role will involve acting as a process facilitator who brings together employers with education partners to increase student access to jobs and internships across the Southeast Indiana region.

𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀:
✓ Bachelor's degree
✓ 5+ years in education/corporate talent recruiting
✓ Strong relationship-building skills
✓ Systems thinking approach

See the link below for more details. Email your resume to [email protected] if interested!

🔗 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CF35M0vAznHkRnpkiqYeQbQb5Yyx1Ek4/view?usp=sharing

01/06/2025

Tomorrow, Monday, January 6, 2025, the Columbus Learning Center (CLC) and the Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AMCE) will be closed due to inclement weather. Further announcements will be made should additiona closure dates be required. Please stay safe everyone!