RCCF, Hillenbrand Partner For New Scholarships & Leadership Grants

A total of $15,000 in college scholarships and local community leadership grants are being provided by Hillenbrand, Inc.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - The Ripley County Community Foundation, Inc. (RCCF) will administer a total of $15,000 in college scholarships and local community leadership grants provided by Hillenbrand, Inc. (NYSE: HI).

The partnership between RCCF and Hillenbrand builds on the company’s existing commitments to providing hands-on educational opportunities to area students. Through co-op programs with Batesville and Sunman-Dearborn Community Schools, and internship programs with Oldenburg Academy and Milan, Hillenbrand and Batesville Casket associates regularly mentor students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

The new scholarships and leadership grants managed by RCCF are designed to increase the availability of funding to students and teachers across the region to supplement college tuition, support classroom needs, and provide for community-based activities that foster leadership skills in southeast Indiana. 

STEM College Scholarships: Opportunities are available to students graduating from Oldenburg Academy, and Batesville, Jac Cen Del, Milan, and South Ripley High Schools no later than June 2019. To be eligible, students must plan to pursue higher education in a STEM field, complete The Ripley County Community Foundation High School Scholarship Application and write an essay focused on how they intend to use their STEM education to enhance the community. Applications are due by 4:00 PM on April 1, 2019 and are available online at https://rccfonline.org/scholarships-2/. RCCF and Hillenbrand will award a total of $3,000 in scholarships.

(Hillenbrand Scholarships and Grants cont.)

STEM Teacher Grants: RCCF will award $2,500 in grants to teachers in Ripley County Schools including Batesville, Jac Cen Del, Milan, Oldenburg Academy, St. Louis, St. Nicholas and South Ripley. Grants up to $500 are available.  

Community Leadership: RCCF will award $2,500 in grants to promote student and/or teacher projects that enhance community leadership opportunities for youth in Ripley County. Grants up to $500 are available.

In addition to these scholarships and grants, Hillenbrand and Batesville have also donated $7,000 to RCCF, which will be leveraged with the Lilly Matching Fund to allow for a total of $21,000 new funds for the community to access.

“We’re thankful that the Ripley County Community Foundation is partnering with us to create inclusive scholarship and grant opportunities that benefit a broad number of students in and around Batesville,” said Glennis Williams, Hillenbrand senior vice president and chief human relations officer. “We believe supporting area students, their families and teachers will improve our community and work to build a strong workforce in southeast Indiana.”

To learn more about these scholarship and grant opportunities and to obtain applications and supporting documents and materials, visit the Ripley County Community Foundation website at www.rccfonline.org.