About Us

Economic Opportunities 2015 (EcO15)

Connecting the Residents of Southeast Indiana to Economic Opportunity through Education by 2015

Lilly Endowment Inc. provided $38 million in grants to two Bartholomew County organizations: Heritage Fund-the Community Foundation of Bartholomew County and The Community Education Coalition. The two organizations continue to provide leadership, oversight, and management support services for the regionally focused initiative called Economic Opportunities through Education by 2015 (EcO15).

The grants continue to assist the Community Foundations of each county in funding educational programs associated with Advanced Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Hospitality/Tourism for 10 counties in Southeastern Indiana. Counties include: Bartholomew, Dearborn, Decatur, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, and Switzerland.

Advanced Manufacturing is the major economic cluster in SE Indiana representing 30% of the region's workforce, therefore, the major focus of the initiative.

To meet the workforce needs of today’s manufacturers, EcO15 and the national Dream It. Do It. advanced manufacturing career awareness initiative continue to develop resources for both educators and students to increase manufacturing job awareness and readiness skills. Resources include relevant, work-based learning institutions, such as Middle School, High School, Career tech, Adult basic education and certification centers, Ivy Tech Community College, IUPUC, and Purdue College of Technology.