More than 265 engaged community members from across northeast Indiana united Nov. 20 for a half-day conference, the CAPET Summit: A Future-Ready Region, which focused on removing barriers to educational and training attainment. Equally important to the Coalition for Advancing Postsecondary Education and Training is building a skilled talent pipeline to meet the region’s evolving workforce needs.
“We knew this work would require coordination, trust, and a willingness to do things differently—and the region showed up,” said Elizabeth Bushnell, executive director, Questa Education Foundation. “The Summit marks a transition from planning to implementation, and we are moving forward together.”
Over the past year, more than 400 regional partners have contributed time, data, insights, and collaboration to develop shared recommendations to expand access, strengthen learner supports, and improve alignment between education and employment.
“Creating opportunity is a collective responsibility,” said Laura Macknick, president & CEO, Don Wood Foundation. “Together, we can build a future where learning leads to earning—and where every person in northeast Indiana has a real chance to thrive because the community is building a structure to help all learners achieve.”
With guidance from the three working groups, many group discussions with various partners, and input from each county, the primary recommendations included:
- Building a comprehensive regional resource directory to connect students with the resources they need,
- Creating a regional marketing and awareness campaign to show the value of learning beyond high school,
- Establishing a regional data dashboard to measure the region’s progress in education and training attainment,
- Mobilizing a network of student navigators to guide students as they pursue further education and training,
- And challenging and supporting employers to further engagement in education and talent development.
The resource hub will be known as “Questa Compass,” a tool to help students find what they need. Questa Education Foundation is building the directory, starting with enhancements to their existing Scholarship Search Tool, which helps students find hundreds of local scholarships and aid opportunities in one centralized location.
CAPET partners also announced the evolution of the initiative, its new identity: Learn More, Earn More. Which means CAPET will now be called the Learn More Earn More Regional Coalition. This second phase of the initiative has a dedicated website, LearnMoreEarnMore.org, that is designed to inspire learners, dispel myths about education, and direct students to resources.
To sustain momentum and ensure shared accountability, partners also announced the formation of the Learn More, Earn More Leadership Council, a group comprised of organizations spanning education, workforce development, and community investment.
LEARN MORE EARN MORE LEADERSHIP COALITION MEMBERS:
- Questa Education Foundation – Dr. Liz Bushnell
- Don Wood Foundation – Laura Macknick
- Northeast Indiana Works – Edmond O’Neal
- Region 8 Education Service Center – Dr. Josh Wenning
- Junior Achievement of Northeast Indiana – Lena Yarian
- Foellinger Foundation – Sarah Strimmenos
- Dekko Foundation – Tom Leedy
- Indiana University Fort Wayne – Dave Chappell
- Purdue University Fort Wayne – Dr. Carl Drummond
- Ivy Tech Community College – Dr. Kim Barnett-Johnson
- Manchester University – Leon Letter
In partnership with Ascend Indiana, LMEM has begun developing a regional data dashboard to track participation and completion in education and training programs, ensuring transparent progress toward improving talent pipeline outcomes.
“We’re living in a moment where the world of work is evolving faster than any of our systems can comfortably adapt, said Brad Rhorer, president & CEO, Ascend Indiana. “When technology cycles are measured in months, and curriculum cycles are measured in years, the only way to stay aligned is to anchor our strategy in real-time data. These dashboards give northeast Indiana the ability to spot gaps earlier, identify patterns faster, and translate those insights into coordinated action.”
