Menu
DeKalb County Promise
  • Home
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Partners
    • Community Foundation DeKalb County
  • Resources
    • For Teachers
    • For Parents
  • News
  • Walk Into My Future
  • Events
  • Contact
  • DONATE
  • Enroll in Promise
Close Menu
Walk Into My Future 2018

DeKalb County Promise Builds Hope Through “Walk Into My Future”

More than 2,200 DeKalb County children in Kindergarten to grade 3, will engage in multiple hands-on learning activities at Ivy Tech Community College on Friday, September 20, as they  participate in the DeKalb County Promise Walk Into My Future. Through this age-appropriate experience, young children gain ideas of what they can aspire to after completing high school.

Students from kindergarten to 3rdgrade countywide will have the opportunity to interact with members of the Ivy Tech community as they move through career stations hosted by Ivy Tech students and faculty, and the DeKalb County community. Citing the importance of such an experience, Clint Kugler, CEO of Wabash County YMCA, and co-founder of Promise Indiana, said “giving young children that personal experience of imagining they are a (post-high school) student plants the seed of a dream for their future. It helps change a child’s identity.”

With “Walk” planning by Ivy Tech staff and faculty underway, working in tandem with DeKalb County’s community-wide Walk Planning Committee, the following Ivy Tech Schools will be hosting career stations:

  • Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
  • Arts, Sciences and Education
  • Business, Logistics, and Supply Chain
  • Enrollment Services
  • Health Sciences
  • Information Technology
  • Nursing
  • Public Affairs and Social Services
  • Student Success

The Walk Into My Future event  is one of three components of DeKalb County Promise. DeKalb County families can enroll their children, ages 4 to grade 12, in 529 career savings accounts at no cost, receiving an initial $25 enrollment incentive. Classroom teachers, too,  serve an important role helping children build their “future stories,” by including career-focused activities in their classrooms. The goal is setting the expectation that learning beyond high school, such as attending a trade school, earning a work skill certification, or going to college, is important for family-sustaining jobs of the future.

DeKalb County Promise is a partnership between the Community Foundation, DeKalb County Central, DeKalb County Eastern, and Garrett-Keyser-Butler public school districts, Lakewood Park and St. Joseph Catholic private schools, and the home school community of DeKalb County.

Numerous other community organizations are behind the effort, including Ambassador Enterprises, the Cole Foundation, Community Foundation DeKalb County, DeKalb Health, Eckhart Public Library, Junior Achievement, The James Foundation, United Way DeKalb County, and the YMCA, among others. More than 30 regional organizations are working together to benefit DeKalb County children and families.

“We want to build hope for future careers for DeKalb County students at an early age, and not just for college. There are rewarding careers across manufacturing, life sciences, agriculture and more key industries in Northeast Indiana that do not require a four-year degree but do require post-high school education. The Walk is where dreams can begin,” states Matt Bechdol, President of the Community Foundation of DeKalb County Board of Directors and Promise champion.

“DeKalb County Promise is an inspiring opportunity for families to focus on their children’s futures. It is a great way to show children that their family, friends, and the DeKalb County community care and believe in them,” said Tanya Young, Executive Director of the Community Foundation of DeKalb County.

As partners plan, numerous sponsorship opportunities are available, including helping fund t-shirts, transportation, signage, etc. To learn how you or your organization can contribute or be recognized, please call Judy Sorg or Tanya Young at the Community Foundation, 260-925-0311, or e-mail JSorg@CFDeKalb.orgwith questions or for a menu of sponsorship opportunities. For more information about Dekalb County Promise, go to www.DeKalbCountyPromise.org. Visit and follow DeKalb County Promise at Facebook and Instagram @DeKalbCountyPromise.

DeKalb County Promise is supported by Promise Indiana. Promise Indiana designs systems, creates partnerships, and gives communities the tools they need to rally champions, promote long-term savings, and support post-secondary education attainment for all youth. www.Promiseindiana.org

DeKalb County Promise Expands to Grade 12 to Build Hope

Related Posts

DeKalb County Promise

News

DeKalb County Promise Expands to Grade 12 to Build Hope

Promise Garrett Students at Ivy Tech

News

DeKalb County Promise Opening Spring Enrollment

Promise $20 donation

News

DeKalb County Promise To Receive $20,000 Donation

Back To Top
DeKalb County Promise logo

To get involved, volunteer, or just share your ideas, please contact us at Community Foundation DeKalb County, 700 S. Main Street, P.O. Box 111, Auburn, IN 46706, call 260-925-0311 or email promise@cfdekalb.org.

Copyright © DeKalb County Promise, All Rights Reserved.
The DeKalb County community Promise funds are intended for qualified post-high school training and educational expenses, and not for K-12 private school tuition. For more information about the CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan (“CollegeChoice 529”), call 1.866.485.9415 or visit www.collegechoicedirect.com to obtain a Disclosure Statement, which includes investment objectives, risks, charges, expenses, and other important information; read and consider it carefully before investing. Ascensus Broker Dealer Services, Inc. (“ABD”) is Distributor of CollegeChoice 529. If you are not an Indiana taxpayer, consider before investing whether your or the beneficiary’s home state offers any state tax or other benefits that are only available for investments in such state’s qualified tuition program. CollegeChoice 529 is administered by the Indiana Education Savings Authority (Authority). ABD, the Program Manager, and its affiliates, have overall responsibility for the day-to-day operations, including investment advisory, recordkeeping and administrative services, and marketing. CollegeChoice 529’s Portfolios invest in: (i) mutual funds; or (ii) an FDIC-insured omnibus savings account held in trust by the Authority at Sallie Mae Bank. Except for the Savings Portfolio, investments in CollegeChoice 529 are not insured by the FDIC. Units of the Portfolios are municipal securities and the value of units will vary with market conditions. Investment returns will vary depending upon the performance of the Portfolios you choose. Except to the extent of FDIC insurance available for the Savings Portfolio, depending on market conditions, you could lose all or a portion of your money by investing in CollegeChoice 529. Account Owners assume all investment risks as well as responsibility for any federal and state tax consequences.