WWW.CFSJC.ORG • (574) 232-0041 • 205 W. JEFFERSON BLVD., SUITE 610 • SOUTH BEND, IN 46601

JULY 2016 CONNECTING PEOPLE WHO CARE WITH CAUSES THAT MATTER

PHM Elementary Students Learnin Summer Visual Arts ProgramThe Community Foundation supports the Visual Arts Academy, where art strengthens critical thinking and writing skills.

More than 800 elementary students in the Penn Harris Madison school district are taking a week-long “deep dive” into the world of art this summer, thanks in part to support from the Community Foundation’s ArtsEverywhere Fund.

The Visual Arts Academy, now in its fourth year, is open to all kindergarten through fifth grade students in PHM’s 11 elementary schools. Under the leadership of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Kay Antonelli, the program combines workshops with visiting artists, field trips to Notre Dame’s Snite Museum of Art, and

hands-on creative activities.

Because PHM elementary schools have no formal visual arts education component, the Academy fills a key niche. Each week of the six-week program is designed for a specific grade level, ensuring that the content is age-appropriate and correlates with statewide arts standards.

During the day, groups of students rotate through several different Penn High School venues. In one classroom, they create books of poetry, strengthening their writing skills; down the hall, others learn basic printmaking, adding new terms such as negative space and breyer to their vocabularies. The broad question “What can you do with art?” structures their activities, and each student has a journal in which he or she elaborates on four thematic answers: You can tell stories, you can use it, you can express yourself, and you can explore the world.

HIGHLIGHTS

continued on p. 2

Visiting artist Christi Zeibarth demonstrates decorative paper-making to PHM Visual Arts Academy students.

We’re very excited to welcome Peter L. Morgan to the Community Foundation’s staff in the newly created position of Director, Strategic Initiatives.

Pete’s responsibilities include assisting with the design, implementation, and management of key Community Foundation initiatives in education, violence prevention, and community development. He’ll also assist with donor engagement, asset development, and professional advisor services. Most recently, Pete worked as Executive Director of the St. Joseph Probate Court/Juvenile Justice Center. He also has served as Executive Director of the Family Justice Center of St. Joseph County and Associate Director for Youth Justice Programs at the Robinson Community Learning Center.

Morgan holds a JD and an LLM from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a BA in Theology, also from Notre Dame. His wife, Rachel Tomas Morgan, is Associate Director for International Engagement at Notre Dame’s Center for Social Concerns. They have two children, Sarah and Ben.

Pete Morgan, Director, Strategic Initiatives

Because PHM elementary schools have no formal visual arts education component, the Academy fills a key niche.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY • PAGE 2

Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that only one in three teens has a summer job—far fewer than in past decades. That statistic means that a majority of young people are missing out on the opportunity to gain marketable skills, learn to navigate the workplace, and earn a paycheck.

Because we believe that real-world work experience can be tremendously valuable for students, the Community Foundation makes paid summer internships with local nonprofit

organizations a component of both the Laidig Community Service Scholarship and the Charles Martin “Touch a Life” Scholarship. This year, 14 scholars have paid internships with Hope Ministries, Unity Gardens, Heroes Camp, and other local charities.

Becca Shoue, a Laidig Scholar studying nursing at the University of Indianapolis, is doing an internship with Holy Cross Village at Notre Dame, where she works primarily with residents in the facility’s Memory Care Unit.

“I didn’t realize how much I’d love it,” Becca says. “Each resident has their own story. It’s great to get to know them.”

And Becca has been a real asset for Holy Cross, says her supervisor, Lynn Schmid.

“Becca sees the need, jumps right in and takes care of it,” she says, appreciatively. “She’s gone far beyond our expectations—she’s phenomenal.”

Scholarships That Pay Students for Summer Internships, Too

Laidig Scholar Becca Shoue, who is interning with Holy Cross Village, on a recent field trip with residents

New Deadline: Lilly Scholarship Applications

Hoping for a Lilly? Get your application in by September 15.

One of the Community Foundation’s most popular and competitive scholarships has moved up its application deadline. Students planning to apply for the full-tuition Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship need to submit their applications by Thursday, September 15.

First offered in 1998, the Lilly Scholarship has been awarded to 95 St. Joseph County students, which means that the Community Foundation helped distribute nearly $10 million to Lilly Scholars on behalf of Lilly Endowment. The General Scholarship Application—which is used for the Lilly Scholarship, as well as other Community Foundation scholarships—is available online at cfsjc.org/scholarships. Questions? Contact Emily Slatt, Program Officer, at the Community Foundation: emily@cfsjc.org or (574) 232-0041.

This year, 14 scholars have paid internships with Hope Ministries, Unity Gardens, Heroes Camp, and other local charities.

As part of our commitment to education, the Community Foundation has more than 50 scholarships funds. Visit www.cfsjc.org/scholarships to learn how you can support our efforts in this area.

Charles Martin Scholar Myracle Newsome, interning with children at St. Margaret’s House

PAGE 3

The Laidigs have shaped their philanthropy around education, because of its power to change lives.

Growing up on a Mishawaka farm, Jon Laidig combined the experience of working the land with an inventor’s spirit. He knew there had to be a way to improve how grain and silage were stored, and he was determined to find it—so he designed and built a bottom unloader for silos. Despite early trials and errors, he persevered, and his hard work progressed into patented designs. Over the years, he and his wife Sonja built Laidig, Inc. into a thriving business that sells its systems all over the world.

Jon and Sonja always felt a strong obligation to give back to our community. They believed firmly in the value of education, and the scholarship

programs they created through the Community Foundation have helped to send scores of local students to college. But it troubled them to know that college scholarships can’t reach those students who drop out along the way.

As a result, they broadened their charitable giving to include our community’s youngest children, creating the Jon and Sonja Laidig Fund for Early Childhood Excellence. This fund provides permanent annual support for the improvement of early childhood classrooms, and is one of the engines that drives the Foundation’s Early Years Count initiative. Through it, the Laidigs have helped to ensure that thousands of our community’s youngest children start school ready to succeed.

Sadly, Jon Laidig passed away in January 2015, but his legacy lives on through the Laidigs’ important philanthropic work.

Take a look: How many Community Foundation donors do YOU know? Visit cfsjc.org/donor-stories.

Focusing on Our Donors: Jon and Sonja Laidig

Jon and Sonja Laidig, pictured in the Community Foundation’s main conference room

PHM Elementary Students, continued from p. 1

In the scene shop, third-graders crowd around a table, watching as visiting artist Christi Zeibarth demonstrates how to make decorative paper.

“Okay, what color should I use next?” she asks, cheerfully, reaching for a squeeze bottle of acrylic paint. “Did I hear someone say pink?”

The paper will be a component of a six-panel mosaic montage that Zeibarth and the students are creating. Made of thousands of pieces of Zeibarth’s intricately cut, colorful “pretty papers,” it includes student-drawn images—cats, faces, giraffes—and snippets of text. There’s an intriguing tactile component to the work-in-progress, and the students clearly enjoying running their fingers overs its ridges.

Bob Thompson, principal of Bittersweet Elementary School and one of the more than 25 PHM faculty working with the 2016 Academy, says that the finished mosaic may be auctioned off to raise money for next year’s program.

“We hope to offer it again in 2017,” Thompson says. “The kids really love this program, and their parents value it, too. At the end of each week, we have a culminating activity where the parents come tour the spaces and see some of their children’s work on exhibit. It’s a lot of fun.”

Recently, the Indiana Department of Education nominated the Academy to be a “Promising Practice,” a special Bicentennial designation that showcases 200 outstanding educational programs throughout the state.

It troubled the Laidigs to know that college scholarships can’t reach those who drop out along the way.

Recently, the Indiana Department of Education nominated the Academy to be a “promising practice.”

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Once again, it’s time to enjoy our best arts organizations at Potawatomi Park’s beautiful Chris Wilson Pavilion.

For the seventh year, we’re delighted to present the award-winning Community Foundation Performing Arts Series in the Chris Wilson Pavilion at South Bend’s Potawatomi Park. This five-event free series begins on July 30 and runs on consecutive Saturdays throughout August. All events begin at 7 p.m.

Bring a lawn chair or blanket for seating;

there’s also some fixed seating available in front of the stage. You can pack a picnic, or buy dinner from Fiddler’s Hearth, who will be selling food and drinks at all performances except July 30. In case of dangerous weather, concerts will be cancelled; check the Community Foundation’s Facebook page or website for updates.

The Performing Arts Series is sponsored by the Community Foundation’s ArtsEverywhere Fund, the Marjorie H. Wilson Charitable Trust Fund, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department.

Performing Arts Series Includes Symphony, Big Band, and More

The South Bend Symphony performs at the series in 2015

All events begin at 7 pm

Jul. 30 The Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival’s Young Company performs William Shakespeare’s Pericles, Prince of Tyre

Aug. 6 Southold Dance Theater presents an evening of ballet and contemporary dance, featuring two guest artists and the company’s top students

Aug. 13 The Twin Cities Jazz Orchestra performs a bicentennial big-band salute to beloved Indiana composers Cole Porter and Hoagy Carmichael

Aug. 20 The South Bend Symphony Orchestra performs a full “pops”-style concert, featuring a community play-along of the William Tell Overture

Aug. 27 The South Bend Chamber Singers and guests the Notre Dame Children’s Choir perform “Choral Creatures,” an evening of animal-themed vocal music

2016 Series Schedule