Crossroads of America: Northern Indiana & Major Highways/Transportation Outlets Connected

"Hoosiers are showing America how to solve big problems and protect taxpayers at the same time."
--Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, Oct. 29, 2009

CNBC recent ranked Indiana 4th nationally for logistics in their “2009 America’s Top States for Business” rankings. Further emphasizing Indiana's commitment to quality infrastructure, Governor Daniels' Major Moves initiative has been cited as the "jobs bill of a generation." Including over 400 transportation projects and providing job opportunities to complete the project, "Major Moves" is further advancing Indiana's already renowned logistics and infrastructure for which many companies have cited as their reason for selecting Indiana for their expansion and relocation.

One project included in "Major Moves" will, when completed, connect Fort Wayne with deep water ports in , OH. This four-phase project broke ground in April of 2008 and its first phase has been completed, with Indiana and Ohio "Meeting at the Line in 2009." A celebration was held on October 28, announcing the opening of a new section of the U.S. 24 Fort to Port highway. A statement issued by Governor Daniels states that, the 2.9-mile section of highway is the first section in this project to be open to traffic in Indiana. The new section will immediately connect at the state line to a 45-mile section extending to the east side of Napoleon, Ohio. Ohio Governor Ted Strickland joined Governor Daniels at the celebration for this milestone.

Follow this link to read more about Indiana's Major Moves program, learn about northeast Indiana's transportation and logistics or see more Indiana and northeast Indiana rankings and accolades.

Visit to Texas shows New Tech schools, project-based learning do work

Northeast Indiana was granted a $20M dollar grant from the Lilly Endowment earlier this year to support the TOps 2015 talent initiative and pursue the enhancement of talent resources throughout the region. TOpS 2015 is focused on furthering our region's ability to support the defense and aerospace industries through science, technology, engineering and math education. The Northeast Indiana Foundation's Executive Director, Mark Becker, and the TOpS 2015 Director, Leonard Helfrich, recently traveled to Texas to learn more about STEM education. After returning, Helfrich supplied the following reflection. (The content below is abbreviated from the article that was published in October 23rd's edition of the Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly.)

One of the elements we are hard at work advancing is the K-12 education piece, which includes the startup of at least six STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) New Tech high schools in our region. In support of northeast Indiana’s work, I recently joined Mark Becker, Kirk Kemmish and 12 education professionals on a trip to tour two New Tech high schools in Texas to learn best practices and investigate what characteristics make up a successful STEM New Tech school.

I am pleased to report that the New Tech programs we toured in Texas provided evidence and examples in support of a program and curriculum that is succeeding. The PBL model engages the students in a broad range of disciplines within each course, rather than the traditional “silo” learning approach. The projects, which teachers construct in collaboration with each other, are designed to require the students to have mastery of course work across a spectrum of the basic curriculum, apply that course work to problem-solving and reach conclusions, all while working in groups.

This develops teamwork skills that many will be required to utilize in work situations, especially those who go into STEM fields. These students also appeared inquisitive and alert in each of the classes we visited, and, more than I would have guessed, they took to working in groups well. A good number of the students were still engaged in extracurricular activities, albeit with a very responsible attitude about getting their course work done above all.

To produce articulate and confident students is an accomplishment in its own right, but in the end, what about the academic results? The testing from these two STEM New Tech high schools does show incremental improvement. For example, in one Dallas suburb high school we visited, the overall district result in reading/English language arts shows sophomores with a 93 percent pass rate, while the New Tech High in that district has results of 99 percent.

In other subject areas, the overall district pass rates versus those for the New Tech high school were: math 76 percent versus 86 percent; social studies 93 percent versus 97 percent; and science 73 percent versus 76 percent, respectively. Differentials were the same for the second school.

At the end of this trip I came away a believer. I am excited to be a part of exploring this new educational model on behalf of the northeast Indiana region and in support of the school districts that are planning and implementing their own project-based learning programs. With the completion of the TOpS 2015 program and many other regional efforts, northeast Indiana will have one of the largest concentrations of New Tech high schools in the country.

We are encouraged by the potential effect these programs will have on our future work force and the region’s ability to supply highly qualified workers to existing and new businesses. Stay tuned for more progress as we work to produce and build upon the information we found in Texas to create more success stories for our region’s students.

Photos from Germany Trip

Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership Project Manager Dale Buuck recently returned from a trade mission to Europe, meeting specifically with German interests specializing in various industries. On-location recaps can be found on this blog, and photos from this trip have also been posted to the Regional Partnership's Flickr account.

Please feel free to sift through our photostream and see what Dale was up to in Germany, as well as some interesting cultural snapshots.

NEIRP's European Tradeshow Photos

Germany Trade Mission Update: Homeward Bound

Friday, October 2, 2009


The Germany trip is now coming to a close. The meetings and interactions we have had with business leaders throughout our time spent here have been very productive and have produced relationships that will continue to be nurtured.


I am also VERY ready to come home. It seems that in the States, being cold is a the common complaint: during conferences, in offices, sitting in classrooms, etc. Here in Germany, however, it is really warm in so many places: The train stations, the trains, the small elevators, THE HOTEL ROOMS, and every single conference room we've been in. In some ways, it reminds me of being at my mom and dad's house. It can be 80 degrees inside and they are reaching for a sweater!
Oh well, on according to my son, I will not have to worry about warm temperatures when I arrive back home. He informed me last night about the cool tempatures awaiting my arrival... I am just fine with that.


Auf Wiedersehen Deutschland! Bis wir uns wieder treffen.
(Goodbye Germany! Until we meet again.)



-Dale Buuck