INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Ivy Tech Day – the first-ever Day of Giving for Ivy Tech Community College – brought alumni, students, and friends of the College together on Tuesday to celebrate 60 years of achievement and opportunity in Indiana. The 24-hour event also exceeded its goal with 1,839 gifts contributing $241,685 that will provide for immediate student and programmatic needs across the state. The Foundation set a goal of 600 contributions to recognize Ivy Tech’s 60th anniversary this year.
The Ivy Tech’s campus in Evansville received $8,525 in contributions from more than 60 of Ivy Tech friends, alumni, staff, and members of our Campus Board of Trustees in the first-time day of giving.
Several events across Indiana knitted together the state’s passion for the nation’s largest singly accredited community college – such as lighting downtown Evansville green including the old Court House and Main Street, a commemorative Ivy Tech wine in Terre Haute, a “green scene†in downtown Muncie, and a Monument Circle lighting in downtown Indianapolis.
“The response underscores the importance of Ivy Tech to the State of Indiana,†said Sue Ellspermann, president, Ivy Tech Community College. “Our donors, alumni, students, employer partners, faculty and staff, and friends in the community demonstrated the collective passion people have for Indiana’s community college, and I am incredibly grateful to the many people and organizations who support our work.â€
Approximately 173,000 people attend Ivy Tech’s 19 campuses across Indiana. Last year, over 41,000 credentials and certifications were awarded, and 93 percent of those who graduate stay in the Hoosier State to pursue their careers.
More than 50 challenge donations, ranging from $200 to $10,000, were received during the day.
“Ivy Tech Day was about bringing people together across Indiana, and we are thrilled with the response of our communities and campuses,†added Courtney Roberts, Ivy Tech Foundation president. “Our college and communities work together to make Indiana a great place to live. More than 90 percent of our graduates stay in Indiana to pursue their careers, and they showed us this week how they make a real difference for Hoosiers.â€
Ivy Tech was founded 60 years ago on March 15, 1963. Ivy Tech contributes $3.9 billion annually to Indiana’s economy, including a net impact of $3.6 billion from alumni working in the state. Eight of ten students who graduate from Ivy Tech do so without student debt. Additionally, Ivy Tech:
- graduates more nurses with 2-year degrees than any college in the nation, and most stay in Indiana to pursue their careers.
- contributes to 1 of every 70 jobs across Indiana.
“We are incredibly grateful to our generous alumni, community partners, and friends across Indiana,†Roberts said. “Their spirit and enthusiasm made it a great day, and their commitment makes Ivy Tech a wonderful college for students in Indiana.â€
