Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
WINONA LAKE - Grace College has been awarded a $750,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment of Indianapolis for its Initiative to Promote Opportunity through Educational Collaborations. Funding from this grant will directly benefit Grace students by establishing collaborative learning, internships and employment opportunities in area industries.
Within a three-mile radius of the Grace campus reside businesses - Biomet, DePuy and Zimmer - that hold nearly two-thirds of the worldwide market share for orthopedic devices. For several years, Grace has seen the need to develop a working partnership with these powerful businesses, and strides have been made in establishing ties that will benefit students and the campus.
The grant from Lilly Endowment will further efforts to link students to these orthopedic companies and their emerging technologies. It also will better position Grace graduates for opportunities to obtain employment in these dynamic area businesses.
Dr. Ron Manahan, president of Grace College, said, "The availability of Lilly Endowment funding makes possible an opportunity to develop programs that will provide a rich collaborative learning experience between extremely well-run thriving business and Grace College students. We are delighted for this very promising initiative."
The initiative is intended to help prevent what is referrred to as the "brain drain" in Indiana - students who are educated within the state and then choose employment in other states. It is estimated by officials that Indiana loses approximately 10,000 college graduates each year to out-of-state employers. Studies show, however, that students who have internships with organizations are more likely to find employment with that organization after graduation. With this initiative, Grace hopes to do its part in reducing the "brain drain" of its graduates.
The Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment has been a leader in encouraging Indiana students to stay in the state for their education and their employment. In this Initiative to Promote Opportunity through Educational Collaborations, Lilly awarded $38.9 million to 37 Indiana colleges and universities, based on the total number of students at each school.
