OCRA Partners with Indiana Youth Institute

Photo courtesy of the Indiana Youth Institute

Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs have announced a new partnership with the Indiana Youth Institute. The Promise Indiana program will work with communities to help residents save money for post-secondary education and training opportunities.

Rural communities can apply to start a Promise Indiana initiative in their county. Five communities will receive services from Indiana Youth Institute to create a "locally responsive collective engagement plan" that helps them get set up and implement plans to ensure youth can save and secure the funds they need to pursue higher education.

The application will evaluate communities based on these key areas:

• demonstrated alignment to the program, including leadership partnerships;
• strength of potential strategy and action;
• presence of available local skillsets;
• local community accountability;
• ability to leverage local resources; and
• projected geographic reach.

“It is so important that young people in our communities are becoming engaged in their areas,” Crouch said in a news release. “When you have a personal stake in your hometown, you are more likely to stay there, which in turn will increase economic development in our state.”

Interested communities must submit an application by June 30.

For more information and to access the application, click here.