GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A 16-year-old student in Greencastle is looking to fill the financial literacy gap among students in his community and beyond. Isaac Hertenstein founded the nonprofit Students Teaching Finance, a program that was inspired by the lack of financial education in his school and throughout Indiana, which is not one of 13 states in the U.S. that requires a personal finance class. Hertenstein gained national attention by being one of five grand prize winners of New Jersey-based Prudential Financial’s (NYSE: PRU) Emerging Visionaries program.
Hertenstein talked about his mission in an interview on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick. Click here to watch interview
“What I’m trying to do is teach young students foundational financial topics that essentially can plant seeds in them and begin the learning process when it comes to finance,” said Hertenstein. “So, that comes across from anything like careers to investing to as basic as needs versus wants.”
The program is targeted at students in kindergarten through eighth grade. In addition to in-class teaching, the nonprofit has launched a website to deliver its curriculum.
At the Emerging Visionaries program, which was held at Prudential’s headquarters in New Jersey, Hertenstein took home a total of $15,000 for his idea. He said the event was a great opportunity to not only meet other like-minded students but also many executives from Prudential.
Hertenstein says while he doesn’t envision Students Teaching Finance as a major money-making endeavor, he does have plans for future growth.
“What we’re trying to do is almost change society at a small level and then scale it hopefully into other states, which we’ve already begun doing through other high schoolers teaching this curriculum to their younger peers.”
You can learn more about Students Teaching Finance by clicking here.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — A Greencastle teenager is one of five grand prize winners in New Jersey-based Prudential Financial’s (NYSE: PRU) Emerging Visionaries program. Isaac Hertenstein, 16, earned a total of $15,000 for his Students Teaching Finance initiative, in which high schoolers teach K-8 students about financial literacy.
The Emerging Visionaries program recognizes students ages 14-18 from throughout the country for “leading initiatives that result in fresh, innovative solutions to current-day financial and societal changes.”
Hertenstein started his initiative in 2020 in response to what he says were the financial discrepancies in his community. He says he was inspired after his mother, a teacher, told him nearly 50% of her students were on free or reduced lunch.
“Since that fateful fall night, I’ve read voraciously about economic inequality – and methods to address it. Shortly after researching youth financial literacy education, I combined my interests and laid the foundation of STF by meeting with community leaders,” said Hertenstein. “Support from my community, as well as the prevalent need for financial literacy in it, demonstrated the potential of STF to me. STF was not launched because of a school service requirement, but from a genuine interest in diminishing economic inequities – an issue that hits close to home.”
He partnered with community and school leaders to develop the curriculum, which includes topics on compound interest, needs versus wants, and diverse careers. A Students Teaching Finance website was also created to provide the curriculum around the world.
To date, Students Teaching Finance has provided lessons to more than 325 students.
Hertenstein was named a winner of the Emerging Visionaries program in February, which earned him a $5,000 prize. He was awarded an additional $10,000 as one of the grand prize winners this week at Prudential’s headquarters in New Jersey.
You can learn more about Students Teaching Finance by clicking here.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — DePauw University says two gifts totaling $40 million will support the university’s new School of Business and Leadership. The announcement comes just one day after DePauw unveiled its five-year strategic plan, which includes the creation of the business school.
The university says $20 million was given by Sharon Ubben and her late husband, Timothy Ubben, both of whom are 1958 graduates of DePauw. The gift was committed specifically to help establish the new school.
The Ubbens are longtime donors to the university, supporting numerous endowed scholarships and establishing the Ubben Lecture Series in 1986. Timothy Ubben passed away in December.
“Tim’s gratitude for the role DePauw played in preparing him for his business and philanthropic success filled him until his final days and inspired him once again to help instill leadership skills in students for generations to come,” Sharon Ubben said. “Tim and I have always believed in the power of DePauw to harness the potential of some of our nation’s most talented students. We found it so rewarding to see the impact of our gift, and I wish that Tim were here to see how life-changing this gift will be.”
DePauw will also apply a $20 million gift from Steve and Karen Sanger, both 1968 graduates, to establish the Sanger Leadership Initiative. The gift will also endow the inaugural Sanger Professor of Leadership, the endowed directorship for the initiative, and DePauw’s first Sanger scholarships for students.
“Our vision and goal were always to build upon DePauw’s history and ability to produce thoughtful, engaged leaders,” Steve Sanger said. “With the launch of the School of Business and Leadership, it seemed only natural that our gift would help ensure the new school’s success while creating opportunities for students in any program.”
DePauw says the School of Business and Leadership will make the university one of only four liberal arts universities in the nation with a business school.
DePauw President Dr. Lori White will appear this weekend on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick to discuss the university’s new strategic plan and business school. Tune in Sunday at 10 a.m. on WISH-TV.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — DePauw University has released its new “DePauw’s Bold & Gold 2027” strategic plan. The university says the five-year plan features four pillars: academic renewal, exemplary student experience, institutional equity and flourishing university.
The plan was developed by a 14-member steering committee that was established in October 2020. The university says the committee built the plan after collecting insight, recommendations and feedback from faculty, students, staff and alumni.
“We must equip our students for success and leadership in a society marked by rapid transformation, robust diversity and an explosion of new industries and careers,” DePauw President Dr. Lori White said in written remarks. “This plan imagines a future for DePauw that remains grounded in our historic strengths in the liberal arts and sciences while extending them to new areas.”
The academic renewal pillar will focus on strengthening the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a commitment to a new School of Business and Leadership as well as a Creative School, which combines creative, performing and media arts.
The university says the exemplary student experience pillar calls for investments in “the residential experiences,” an inclusive model for fraternity and sorority life, and more support for student organizations.
The institutional equity pillar will aim for a “holistic focus” on ensuring a diverse student body, as well as faculty and staff. The flourishing university pillar aims to focus on prioritizing “operational excellence, careful fiscal stewardship, growth and protection of the endowment, deepened connections with alumni and the city of Greencastle and investment in supporting and attracting high-quality faculty and staff members.”
You can learn more about the new strategic plan by clicking here.
DePauw says it will be making a major announcement regarding the new School of Business and Leadership on Thursday. Dr. White will appear this weekend on Inside INdiana Business with Gerry Dick.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — An automotive components manufacturer has announced plans to lay off 125 workers at its Greencastle facility. In a notice to the state, International Automotive Components said the move was due to “unforeseen business circumstances.”
IAC Greencastle says the layoffs will begin on or around Dec. 10 and are expected to be permanent. The news comes just five months after the company detailed plans to lay off 93 workers.
The company did not specify whether the affected employees will receive any kind of assistance. According to the WARN Notice, some employees may have bumping rights and bargaining unit employees are represented by the United Auto Workers Local 2382.
Inside INdiana Business reached out to International Automotive Components Group North America, which is headquartered in Michigan, for more information on why the layoffs are taking place, but the company did not respond.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — DePauw University will Friday inaugurate Dr. Lori White as its 21st president. White was appointed DePauw’s next president in March 2020 and is the university’s first woman and first person of color to hold the position.
White began the tenure as president in July 2020. The inauguration was postponed because of the pandemic and DePauw says precautions will still be in place during Friday’s event with all attendees being required to wear masks.
DePauw says the ceremony will feature an invocation and a libation ritual directed by Thomas Parham, president of California State University, Dominguez Hills. The keynote address will be given by Holden Thorp, editor-in-chief of the Science family of journals and to whom White reported during her time at Washington University in St. Louis.
White’s inaugural address will follow the keynote. The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — The DePauw University Board of Trustees has voted to name the university’s new residence hall after alumnus and civil rights leader Vernon Jordan. Additionally, the board has established the Vernon E. Jordan Jr. Scholarship for Public Service and Community Leadership, which will be awarded to students seeking to become leaders in public interest work.
The more than $23 million residence hall opened last fall for first-year students on the Greencastle campus. In addition to more than 150 student beds, the four-story, more than 60,000-square-foot building includes community living space such as a lounge and kitchen.
DePauw President Dr. Lori White says both the naming of the residence hall and the creation of the scholarship program are the university’s way of honoring the life of Jordan, who graduated in 1957.
“Vernon Jordan’s remarkable career embodies the best of DePauw and personifies DePauw’s mission to prepare leaders the world needs,” White said in a news release. “Our entire community felt it important to recognize Vernon in significant ways that would ensure his incredible legacy of public service endures at DePauw and is a source of inspiration for generations of DePauw students.”
The New York-based Corning Inc. Foundation has donated $500,000 as seed money for the scholarship. DePauw says recipients will be students who “demonstrate community involvement and leadership potential” and the program is designed to help recipients develop skills and experience to “solve critical challenges on a neighborhood-to-global scale and to embrace and succeed in public service.”
The Vernon E. Jordan Scholars will participate in service-learning, off-campus study, internships, on-campus speakers, and various other programs, according to the university.
After graduating from DePauw, Vernon Jordan earned a law degree from Howard University and throughout his career, served as an attorney, the Georgia field director for the NAACP, director of the Voter Education Project of the Southern Regional Council, executive director of the United Negro College Fund, and president and chief executive officer of the National Urban League.
(Inside INdiana Business) — Ohio-based Crown Equipment Corp. says it is looking to fill 300 jobs nationwide, including at its locations in Greencastle and New Castle.
The company says it is facing ongoing demand for its supply chain equipment, technologies and services due to the pandemic.
Crown did not specify how many of the open positions are at the Indiana locations. However, those positions include engineering, IT, manufacturing and service jobs.
“The resilience and strength of the material handling market continue to create opportunities for our plants in Indiana,” Randy Niekamp, vice president of human resources for Crown, said in a news release. “As we enter a period of growth, we look locally to find the talent necessary to meet our customers’ growing demands. We are thankful for the strong work ethic and commitment to success that are demonstrated by the Greencastle and New Castle workforce.”
Crown says it provides new hire onboarding and ongoing training for employees, as well as mentoring programs to provide continuous assistance.
Those interested in the open positions can learn more by clicking here.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) — DePauw University has announced students, faculty and staff will return to normal classroom and living operations in the fall. President Lori White says the decision is based on the university’s following of health protocols, the availability of COVID-19 vaccines, along with the university’s plan to distribute available vaccines.
“Although we can’t know with certainty what guidelines and practices the Centers for Disease Control and local, state and national agencies will require this fall, we are optimistic about a return to a fully residential campus,” White said.
White says the university’s COVID-19 mitigation team will continue monitoring the pandemic and will continue to work with local and state health officials on health and safety requirements. White says details about fall plans for class registration, residence halls, work policies and vaccinations will be made available by Academic Affairs and Student Academic Life divisions once they are determined.
White’s message to the university community can be found here.
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Inside INdiana Business) – DePauw University is the recipient of a $1 million grant from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. The university says the four-year grant will allow it to leverage technological lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic to create related coursework and attract prospective students.
DePauw says the funding will help it to develop virtual courses and guest presentations for prospective high school and transfer students as well as redesign traditional, face-to-face courses to include virtual approaches.
The funding is part of the Endowment’s statewide initiative, Charting the Future for Indiana’s Colleges and Universities, which is providing a total of $62 million in implementation grants. The initiative aims to improve how colleges and universities prepare students for successful futures and to address ways to strengthen their long-term financial success.
DePauw received a $100,000 planning grant from the Endowment’s first phase last year, helping procure the second phase implementation grant. Third phase funding will be awarded in 2021.