Waste Reduction District, library to hold Fix-It Fair

The Recycling and Waste District of Porter County will host a free Fix-It Fair, a community-driven event focused on sustainability and skill-sharing, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Porter County Public Library System Valparaiso Branch, 103 Jefferson St, Valparaiso. Expert volunteers will be on hand to offer free repair services and guidance for a wide variety of items, including: sewing; jewelry; IT troubleshooting and computers; electronics; clocks and lamps; and tools and small furniture. Bring items in need of repair and take advantage of the expertise offered by the Fix-It Fair’s dedicated volunteers. Registration is required at portercountyrecycling.org under the “Fix-It Fair” page. For more information, contact the District at info@portercountyrecycling.org.

Porter County announces holiday compost hours

Recycling & Waste Reduction District of Porter County announces that the Valparaiso compost site will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 1, for the holidays. The Boone Grove and Portage compost sites are closed for the winter and will reopen in March of 2025. For more information, go to https://portercountyrecycling.org/.

ServSafe™ Food Manager 1-day class, examination

Purdue University Extension – Lake County will offer a ServSafe™ Food Manager 1-Day Class and Examination on Feb. 5 at 2291 N. Main St., Crown Point. Register for this eight-hour class at https://cvent.me/K25ZOE. For more information, contact the office at 219-755-3240.

PCCF announced 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars

The Porter County Community Foundation (PCCF) has announced the recipients of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Porter County: Samuel Macker; William Orban; and Mariah Rivera. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership. Macker, a senior at Chesterton High School, has excelled both in and out of the classroom, demonstrating a commitment to school, athletics and community activities. Macker plans to attend Purdue University or the University of Notre Dame and become an aerospace engineer. Orban is a senior at Valparaiso High School. A proactive leader, he channeled his passion for languages into improving an after-school Spanish tutoring program benefitting elementary students and his peers. Orban intends to study computer science at Purdue University or Indiana University. Rivera will graduate from Portage High School in the spring. She has demonstrated outstanding leadership and resiliency. A skilled writer, avid reader, and talented musician, Rivera plans to earn a degree in sociology at Purdue University or Butler University, then attend law school with the goal of becoming a human rights lawyer. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. In addition to nominating local students for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, PCCF offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for first-year and continuing college students. Applications will be available in January 2025 and are due March 31, 2025. Visit https://pccf.gives to learn more.

NIPSCO names Bridging Our Energy Grant recipients

Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO), in partnership with its parent company’s NiSource Charitable Foundation has announced the winners of its inaugural Bridging Our Energy Grant. Purdue University Northwest and Boys and Girls Club of Northern Indiana Corridor have each been awarded $100,000 for strategic initiatives centered on diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI) and economic inclusion programs. Introduced in October, the Bridging Our Energy Grant received 46 applications from organizations across NIPSCO’s northern Indiana service area. Eligible organizations had to be a 501(c)3 as determined by the Internal Revenue Service with a DEI and/or economic inclusion program focus as well as a direct impact in NIPSCO’s service area. The Foundation will fund the grants for each organization with two annual installments of $50,000 in 2024 and 2025. Purdue University Northwest will launch a diversity outreach and engagement program for its Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. The Boys and Girls Club of Northern Indiana Corridor will debut an emotional well-being service program expansion to serve children in White, Pulaski, Fulton and Cass counties. Two other finalists for the Bridging Our Energy Grant, the YWCA Northeast Indiana and Amani Fort Wayne, will each receive $10,000 in recognition of their strong submissions. For more information about NIPSCO’s Corporate Citizenship efforts, go to nipsco.com/givingback.

Registration opens for Valpo’s Beacon Engineering Academy

Registration for Valparaiso University’s Beacon Engineering Academy is now open. The camp will take place from June 22-28, 2025 and is open to students entering the 10th or 11th grade. This hands-on week will allow participants to explore the world of engineering through projects, activities and team challenges. Two options will be available this year: an overnight camp from June 22 to 28, and a day camp from June 23 to 27. The cost per-student is $800 for the overnight camp and $400 for the day-camp, with a limited number of partial scholarships are available for qualifying participants. Led by expert engineering faculty and current undergraduate students, the overnight camp features four key components: introductions to various engineering fields, development of real-world skills, social activities and collaborative large-scale engineering projects. Returning projects include robotics, biomechanics and prosthetics challenges, along with a new environmental engineering project. Participants are encouraged to have completed courses in physics or chemistry prior to attending. For more information, details about scholarships, or to apply to attend, click https://www.valpo.edu/college-of-engineering/engineering-camp/. For any questions regarding Beacon Engineering Academy, contact engineering.camp@valpo.edu.