Our Mission

Since 2008, Learning Link, an initiative of the DeKalb County Community Foundation, has been focused on improving the level of education in DeKalb County, Indiana.

 

The percent of DeKalb County adults with two-year degrees is only 6.2 and ranks 79th of 92 Indiana counties (U.S. Census 2000). Only 12.4% of DeKalb County adults (age 25+) have earned a four-year degree compared to 19.4% in Indiana and 22.4% in the U.S. While DeKalb County has a relatively high number of students earning high school diplomas (86% in 2009), many high school graduates lack career-ready skills or the skills to enroll and complete the post-secondary program of their choice.

 

A community’s educational attainment is strongly linked to personal income, economic vitality, health and quality of life (Glaeser 2008). As industry no longer offers high wages for low-skill jobs, an increasing number of DeKalb County citizens are struggling to be economically self-sufficient.

 

Learning Link works differently compared to the traditional initiative that funds new programs. Learning Link connects different sectors, entities and organizations of the community to produce results, creating bridges for communication and collaboration.

 

No longer can one entity or organization solve the complex social problems of importance . . . the real issues are too interwoven and the attempts to address them, too fragmented. It requires the involvement of all sectors working together toward outcomes that are clear and crisp,” states Joseph Connor, CEO and founder of The Collaboratory for Community Support.

 

Achieving the community’s vision of improving the quality of life for all in DeKalb County through continuous learning is the work of our entire community, led by a steering committee and three action teams. Each works within and across teams, recognizing their interconnectedness, or the links between the work of the teams.

 

Click the links below to learn why each component matters, who is on our team, the long-term vision, what we’re doing and what we’ve accomplished.