Grace College Receives Grant From Lilly Endowment’s ‘Indiana Youth Programs on Campus’ Initiative

Grace College has been awarded a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Indiana Youth Programs on Campus (IYPC) initiative. The initiative is designed to help Indiana colleges and universities in their efforts to create high-quality, on-campus programs for Hoosier youth.

Grace College plans to use the grant to launch four camps this summer in the areas of engineering, exercise science, Indiana ecology and the arts. The school will provide scholarships for lower-income students who might not otherwise be able to attend.

“We are very excited to offer various summer camp experiences this summer,” said Dr. Kevin Roberts, provost at Grace College. “Grace College has excellent resources, facilities and talented Christian faculty to make these camps one-of-a-kind. By adding three new academic camps to our existing engineering camps and our long history of sports camps, we look forward to engaging a broader, more diverse group of students from our community.”

Since launching IYPC in 2021, Lilly Endowment has approved a total of $29.3 million in planning and program implementation grants to Indiana public and private colleges and universities.

“By supporting these efforts, we hope that more young people in Indiana will experience what it’s like to be on a college campus and take part in meaningful programs that can help prepare them for success in college,” said Ted Maple, Lilly Endowment’s vice president for education. “It is our belief that these programs will not only add to the academic enrichment of young people but also inspire them to see higher education institutions in Indiana as part of their plans for life after high school.”

Grace’s four camps will be held on campus beginning in the summer of 2023 and provide programming for students going into 5th-12th grade.  The camp content has been carefully curated to engage campers in hands-on, age-appropriate activities pertaining to their areas of interest.

The engineering camp, offered by the Grace Department of Engineering, will allow campers to experience the design process for themselves by building CO2 race cars and working with CAD (Computer Aided Design).

The exercise science camp, run by the exercise science program at Grace, will put campers’ bodies to the test in a traditional combine event, measuring their speed, agility and power. After the combine, they’ll hear from sports and exercise science professionals about how to effectively sharpen both the body and mind.

The Indiana ecology camp will be conducted by the Lilly Center for Lakes & Streams on the Grace College campus. Campers will visit multiple parks and environmental centers, learn local plant and animal identification and hear about careers in natural resources and environmental science.

The visual arts camp, hosted by the Grace College Department of Visual and Performing Arts will equip campers with art supplies and expert instruction. Campers will learn creative skills and work to create a final project, using field trips as a source of inspiration.

“While our camps provide extraordinary learning opportunities for students, they also allow our faculty and college students to serve the community, teaching and mentoring in their areas of expertise,” said Roberts. “Our goal is that campers will come away from our camps with new friendships, a deeper confidence in their abilities and the beginning of a passion for becoming lifelong learners.”

More information about these programs at Grace College —including dates, costs and how local families can apply—will be forthcoming. To express interest in the camp and receive additional information, contact the school at academiccamps@grace.edu.