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Local foundation named 1 of 10 grant recipients

In collaboration with Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI), the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN) has selected 10 organizations around the state to receive the inaugural round of Lead Forward Community Grants (LFCG), which pair charitable organizations with a Lilly Endowment Community Scholar (or multiple scholars) in their Indiana communities. Organizations could apply for up to $2,500 in funding and scholars were encouraged to be part of the application process and to lead subsequent work on the projects.

The Lilly Scholars Network has announced that grants totaling $22,812 were awarded to fund the initial projects. The grant recipients selected in this inaugural round are:

● Blue River Community Foundation, Shelby County.

● Early Learning Shelby County, Shelby County.

● enFocus, Inc., St. Joseph County.

● Fueled for School, Hamilton County.

● Headwaters Church, Allen County.

● Huntington County Community Foundation, Huntington County.

● Ripley County Community Foundation, Ripley County.

● Rush County Community Foundation, Rush County.

● Wabash College, Montgomery County.

● Warren County Community Foundation, Warren County.

The Lilly Scholars Network, with funding to ICI from Lilly Endowment Inc. and oversight and support from ICI, works to engage Lilly Endowment Community Scholars in topics and with people focused on advancing Indiana’s future, inspire and equip the scholars to be active change makers in their communities and cultivate meaningful connections.

“The Lead Forward Community Grants Program is rooted in one of the fundamental reasons for the Lilly Scholars Network - to help improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state,” said Isaac Janson, chair of the LSN Advisory Council and a 2002 scholar from St. Joseph County. “Scholars are known for their talent and community involvement. As a network, we believe scholars can identify potential for community improvements, have the energy and drive to test ideas and can provide impetus and enthusiasm for trying new approaches to create positive change.”

The following is a brief description of the Huntington County Community Foundation project:

A speaker event highlighting the life of Elizabeth Friedman, who worked in cyber security, will be held at the Huntington City-Township Public Library to inspire young women attendees to pursue an education and career in cybersecurity.

William Murray, a 2015 scholar from Huntington County, is the scholar partner for this project, which was granted nearly $2,500.

"From past managers and co-workers to mentors, women in cyber security have been incredibly influential during my career in cyber security,” Murray said. “I am excited to have the opportunity to work with my local Community Foundation, local educators, and cyber security professionals to introduce young women to the field of cyber security. We are lucky to have America’s first female cryptanalyst as a native of Huntington, Indiana, and I believe her story will inspire the young women in our community.”

“As a former Huntington County Lilly Scholar, William has shown time and time again his passion for our community and his dedication to making an impact in his hometown. William sprung into action with several ideas upon announcement of this opportunity, “ said Executive Director of the Huntington County Community Foundation Matt Ditzler. “We were thrilled to be able to work alongside him and connect him with the right individuals to make his chosen idea a reality. We are so proud of William and are humbled to be part of this inaugural round of Lead Forward Grants.”

LSN plans to offer this grant opportunity again in Spring 2021.

“With the number of quality applications submitted in this inaugural round, we are grateful for a strong response to this opportunity,” said Bryana Schreiber, Lilly Scholars Network Lead Forward Community Grants Coordinator and a 2004 scholar from Posey County. “As a network, we are committed to empowering our community of scholars to work alongside these organizations to address the needs of Hoosiers in their communities. We look forward to seeing these projects come to life and continuing to build this program to empower more scholars and organizations to positively impact their Indiana communities.”

For more information and updates on the LSN Lead Forward Community Grants program, visit lillyscholars.org/leadfor ward or follow LSN on Twitter at @LillyScholars.