A Letter from Josh Alsip, Director of Community Engagement
Summer is winding down but there are still a ton of great things happening throughout the area and a lot of exciting developments with the See You in Terre Haute Community Plan.
First, if you haven’t seen it already be sure to check out our talent attraction and retention video that we debuted at the 110th Annual Meeting in August. I’ve embedded the video below!
The reception on social media has surpassed even our wildest expectations including 120,000+ views, 2,000 shares, and 14,000 social media reactions. If you are interested in learning more about the video or how your organization or business can get involved in using the video to bring in quality job candidates, email me at Jalsip@terrehautechamber.
I also want to remind you of an amazing opportunity! The Wabash Valley Community Foundation is now offering Seed Grants to further fulfill the objectives of the See You in Terre Haute Community Plan. Seed grants assist projects in their preliminary stages, helping cover the groundwork costs necessary for larger projects. These grants will help expand programs that are developed to encourage population growth and/or increase per capita personal income. The categories include Economic Development, Health & Wellness, Infrastructure, Quality of Life, Talent Attraction/Retention and tourism.
Nonprofit organizations can apply for up to $10,000 from the Wabash Valley Community Foundation. The applicant must provide at least a 25% match and complete said project within 12 months of receiving the seed grant funds. 50% of the grant funds will be distributed at the beginning of the grant cycles with the balance distributed upon confirmation of the matching funds. It is the intention of the Community Foundation to fund 10 Seed Grants within the next 18 months. Learn more about this great opportunity here.
Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce
Director of Community Engagement
Tourism Pillar
Planning efforts continue for the 2024 Solar Eclipse in Terre Haute! Most people who have seen a total eclipse have described it as the most spectacular natural event they have ever witnessed.
Terre Haute is in the line of totality, meaning that thousands of people will be flocking to Terre Haute on April 8, 2024. Planned festivities include a Downtown Terre Haute Eclipse Festival, many CommunityViewing Parties, a special Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra Concert, and more.
Learn more about Total Eclipse of the Haute here. If you’re interested in being part of the community planning efforts, reach out to the Terre Haute Children’s Museum.
Quality of Life Pillar
Swope Art Museum has unveiled a new mural on the north side of the building. James Shepard has painted a beautiful piece showcasing some of the collection’s fantastic artworks. Make sure you visit the Swope and take a selfie with it. This is another addition to the alley between Wabash Avenue and Ohio Street along 7th Street which is quickly becoming a public art alleyway.
To read more about the mural click here.
Health and Wellness Pillar
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) recently received a $250,000 gift over three years from Union Health Systems to expand the Paramedic to BSN (PM-BSN) program.
This online degree program allows students who are paramedics the opportunity to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, enabling students with varied work schedules to take classes while still employed. The program’s first cohort began in January 2023 and was at capacity with 24 students. The Union Health Systems grant enabled the College to enroll a second cohort this August with an additional 24 students. The grant will also allow the program to add more faculty members and strengthen courses.
Learn more about the gift here.
Infrastructure Pillar
The City of Terre Haute recently released the Terre Haute Data HUB that provides maps for different aspects of our City based on data from across various departments. This allows citizens to be informed of important City work, including pavement history, proposed pavement plans, where snow plows are and so much more. You can check out the Terre Haute Data HUB here.
Talent Attraction and Retention Pillar
Exciting news! Rose-Hulman was just ranked the No. 17 College in America by the The Wall Street Journal Colleges in America guide. This put Rose-Hulman next to Princeton, MIT, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, and Harvard.
In the Wall Street Journal 2024 Best Colleges subcategories, Rose-Hulman earned No. 1 rankings in both learning opportunities and learning facilities, with students specifically citing interactions with faculty, collaboration with other students, available campus workspaces, and satisfaction with physical classroom/teaching spaces.
Learn more here.
Economic Development Pillar
ENTEK broke ground on its brand new $1.5 billion Vigo County production lithium battery separator facility this week! This investment will create up to
642 new, high-wage careers by the end of 2027 and play a significant role in growing our population.
Terre Haute and Vigo County also look to become a national and statewide leader in the growing EV (Elecrical Vehicle) supply chain.
Learn more about the groundbreaking here.
