$42 million grant to support initiatives, projects in southwest-central Indiana

The $42 million will fund initiatives through new nonprofit organization Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc., and through Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, and Indiana University. It covers 11 counties, including Monroe and four adjacent counties.

Regional Opportunity Initiatives Inc., a supporting organization of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, will implement an education and workforce plan with $25,870,000 of the grant. Peterson hopes the plan will set up students in the more than 20 school corporations in those 11 counties for success in career paths that will be hiring thousands of new employees in their area.

“How do we prepare this region to successfully take advantage of the opportunities our employers will offer, and prepare young people and adults retooling for the jobs of the future that we believe will truly advance this region?” Peterson said.

In November 2014, a steering committee made up of regional business, military, nonprofit and university officials released the “Strategic Plan for Economic and Community Prosperity in Southwest Central Indiana.” The plan assessed the strongest industries in Brown, Crawford, Daviess, Dubois, Greene, Lawrence, Martin, Monroe, Orange, Owen and Washington counties, identified challenges to the prosperity of the region and outlined strategies to grow and develop the area’s economy and quality of life.