The Making of Mayor’s Night Out

Last night, multiple members of the Redress South Bend team attended the “Mayor’s Night Out.” This event was hosted in the cafeteria of Ivy Tech Community College. While the cafeteria ended up being a little too small and loud to hold such an event, we believe the event turned out well. In a casual conversation, Mayor’s Office Project Manager Breana Micou told Redress South Bend’s Don Foster that this was her first time planning a "Mayor’s Night Out" and she shared the difficulties and complexities behind the scenes of scheduling and making sure the various city departments and officials would be available to attend this event.

We often take for granted the freedom to arrive and depart at our convenience, yet it’s essential to recognize and value the dedication of the individuals responsible for organizing these occasions. Overall, we believe the Mayor’s office and staff did a great job setting up this event. We believe events like this are important for the public because the public is provided an opportunity to speak with the Mayor, Chief of Police, City Legal, and other department heads all in one room on the same night.

Breaking: In a recent development that promises to reshape the educational landscape, the South Bend Community School Corporation (SBCSC) has been awarded a substantial grant aimed at bolstering higher education accessibility. Revealed by Chad Addie, Assistant Superintendent & College and Workforce Readiness of SBCSC, the corporation will receive $18 million in grants over five years. These grants are specifically earmarked for initiatives that will expand dual credit options and industry certifications available to students.

This financial boost is expected to have significant implications for student preparedness and the transition into higher education and the workforce. Illustrating the potential impact of such programs, Addie recounted an inspiring case from the previous year where 36 8th graders earned two college credits while sitting in the Ivy Tech Cafeteria, the very room we were standing in, an achievement before stepping foot into high school. This early exposure to college-level coursework has been shown to imbue students with a strong sense of purpose, providing them with a clear vision for their futures beyond the high school curriculum.

Our publication, Redress, intends to cover this story in detail, delving into Addie's announcement, and the literature he provided us, and exploring the broader effects of the grants on the city's educational programs. Stay tuned for an in-depth look at how SBCSC plans to utilize these funds to shape the path of education for its students. We were excited to hear Addie's comments last night and look forward to seeing the fruits of the grant funding.