The national nonprofit Strada Education Network has selected the Community Education Coalition (CEC) of South Central & Southeast Indiana, located in Columbus, Indiana, to receive $997,000 in grant funding for its Economic Opportunities through Education (EcO) Network initiatives. The CEC was selected from hundreds of applicants in the “innovative solutions in education-to-employment” grant competition that Strada announced in 2018, which prioritized investment in working adults required to upskill as the labor market shifts and “disconnected youth,” aged 18 to 24 years old.

The nearly $1 million grant will support EcO Network initiatives focused on workforce training for adult learners through regional adult education providers, expansion of Ivy Tech Community College Information Technology programs, and college/career success strategies to improve education outcomes connected to well-paying industry sectors.

More info on the grant program and how South Central Indiana employers and educators are partnering together can be found here.