Kindergarten children at the Deming Early Learning Center are learning about emotions and how to manage their feelings using a program called Little Spots of Emotions. The social emotional curriculum uses children’s books and educational materials, including colorful “spot” mini-plush characters. On Thursday, transition kindergarten teacher Katrina Thompson led children through several activities, one in which they walked in a circle physically demonstrating different emotions.
When Thompson put a pink “love” plush on her head, they demonstrated love with smiles, hand hearts and joyful movement.
When she placed an “angry” red spot on her head, they followed her lead by growling and stomping their feet (with a few giggles interspersed).
Green stood for peaceful; yellow happy; blue sad; gray anxiety and orange confident.
Later, Thompson played a short video that included a sad song with the blue sadness spot.
“Sadness needs love. So how are we going to show our love?” Thompson asked the children. Their responses included: hugs, hand hearts, sharing, smiles and rainbows.
At one point, a child said she was sad, and Thompson gave her a hug.
Both Thompson and Chrissy Jarvis, Deming Early Learning Center principal, say the program is making a difference.
And now, thanks to a Vigo County Education Foundation grant sponsored by Alternatives for Living and Learning, the center will be able to expand the program to pre-Kindergarten classes, said Jarvis, who received a grant last year as well to start the program at Deming.
“I was able to pilot the program last year in my kindergarten classes and I wanted to expand to include all pre-K classrooms in the building,” Jarvis said. “This allows for a consistent, school-wide framework while helping our youngest learners identify, understand and manage their big feelings.”
​The curriculum relies on visuals to support the students in this learning. The visuals are especially important for students with limited language skills, Jarvis said.
In the future, the goal is to further expand the program through parent education and parent nights “so we can have common language at school and at home,” she said.
“Our hope is by addressing this critical need at a young age, we are implementing necessary early intervention allowing for greater future academic success and healthier social interactions with peers,” Jarvis said.
“They can’t learn until they learn how to self regulate and manage their emotions,” she said. “With this age group, that’s the most critical thing we can teach them. “
When the children go to their home schools, Jarvis hears positive feedback that students are better able to process emotions and stay in a classroom.
Thompson said she sees a big difference in how children handle situations. Initially, whereas they may be extremely frustrated by a difficult task, later on, they learn perseverance and to keep trying.
Nearly $35,000 in grants
​On Friday, the Vigo County Education Foundation awarded $34,856 in school-wide grants to 16 schools. The grants are awards between $1,000 and $3,000 given for programs that impact students throughout the entire school.
During the Business and Bagels program, which took place at Woodrow Wilson Middle School, Old National Bank received the Leadership Giving Award.
The schools received grants to support a variety of activities ranging from a school musical, educational field trips, programs that encourage good attendance and behavior, STEM initiatives, family involvement programs, and more.
• Terre Haute North Vigo High School received a grant to purchase clothes for students “who lack adequate, appropriate attire due to financial hardship or challenging circumstances.”
• At Terre Town Elementary, students and their families will join school staff at the Terre Haute Children’s Museum for a “Night at the Museum.”
• Woodrow Wilson Middle School will use its grant to digitize and create a display of the school’s nearly 100-year history, mixed with current student work, achievement and activities.
• Rio Grande Elementary’s grant provides funding for a program that encourages students “to be the best they can be by demonstrating positive character traits.” Several other schools received grants for similar programs.
Superintendent Chris Himsel said the grants are “developing the talent and nurturing the creativity of our kids. That’s what we’re all about. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
The projects awarded funding lay the foundation for learning and extend it beyond the classroom, he said. Learning is ignited and students “get excited to go back to the classroom and apply what they are learning in different ways.”
Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected]. Follow Sue on X at @TribStarSue.

Big feelings.
We all have them. In fact, it could be argued big feelings can either have calming, positive effects or disastrous ones.
That’s why teaching children social and emotional skills at a young age can lay a strong foundation for their futures.
Thanks to a grant from the Vigo County Education Foundation, kindergarteners at Deming Early Learning Center are learning about emotions and how to manage their feelings.
In fact, thanks to $34,856 committed to 16 schools, grants will support a variety of activities ranging from a school musical, educational field trips, programs that encourage good attendance and behavior, STEM initiatives, family involvement programs, and more, reported the Tribune-Star’s Sue Loughlin.
The newest awards — between $1,000 and $3,000 each — were announced last Friday.
The students at Deming are able to participate in “Little Spots of Emotions,” programming that thanks to a grant sponsored by Alternatives for Living and Learning, the center will be able to expand to pre-kindergarten classes, said principal Chrissy Jarvis, who received the award last year as well to start the program at Deming.
Jarvis hears positive feedback. Because of the program she says students are better able to process emotions and stay in a classroom. Deming transition kindergarten teacher Katrina Thompson said she sees a big difference in how children handle situations. Initially, whereas they may be extremely frustrated by a difficult task, later on, they learn perseverance and to keep trying, Loughlin reported.
“Our hope is by addressing this critical need at a young age, we are implementing necessary early intervention allowing for greater future academic success and healthier social interactions with peers,” Jarvis said. “They can’t learn until they learn how to self regulate and manage their emotions. With this age group, that’s the most critical thing we can teach them.”
Indeed, teaching social and emotional skills can mean the difference between peace and war as these children become the future leaders of our communities, states and country.
Grants awarded this cycle also ignite a passion in students to give back. At Terre Haute North, students in need are being clothed. A project at Woodrow Wilson Middle School will expose students to a love of history and at Rio Grande Elementary, students are encouraged “to be the best they can be by demonstrating positive character traits.”
Many more programs funded by these grants follow the same themes.
Vigo County School Corp. Superintendent Chris Himsel told Loughlin the grants are “developing the talent and nurturing the creativity of our kids.”
Communities of the Wabash Valley are true philanthropic stars. When a need presents itself, individual citizens and organizations step up — and quickly. The Vigo County Education Foundation is just one of many leading the charge. Those who give money to entities like the Foundation should understand their investment is paying off and will for years to come.

TERRE HAUTE, IN. – (October 8, 2025) – The Terre Haute community came together to support local students and teachers while enjoying their McDonald’s favorites on Tuesday, September 23. All six Terre Haute McDonald’s locations, owned and operated by Nick and Jami Kasprzyk, participated in a community-wide fundraiser benefiting the Vigo County Education Foundation (VCEF), raising $5,000 during the event.

A check presentation celebrating the $5,000 donation took place on October 8th.This marks the third consecutive year the Kasprzyks have partnered with VCEF to strengthen education in Vigo County. To date, their collaboration has raised more than $13,000, directly benefiting 12,500 students and over 1,000 teachers across 23 schools. A portion of proceeds from every order placed in-restaurant or through the McDonald’s app on September 23 supported teacher-initiated projects not funded by local, state, or federal resources. The Vigo County Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to providing excellent public education for children across Vigo County.
“The Vigo County Education Foundation is immensely grateful to Nick and Jami Kasprsyk and all their McDonald’s patrons for their continued investment in the education of Vigo County students. This generous donation will provide funding for teachers wishing to infuse their classrooms with creativity, innovation, and hands-on learning opportunities,” stated Jane Nichols, Executive Director of the Vigo County Education Foundation.

​“We’re incredibly proud to see the community show up year after year to support our local schools,” said Jami Kasprzyk, local McDonald’s Owner/Operator. “Giving back to the educators and students who shape our future is something that means a great deal to us, and we’re honored to play a small part in the great work the Vigo County Education Foundation does.”

By Sue Loughlin | Tribune-Star Dec 4, 2025
Eve Reid became emotional as she described her experience using EnChroma glasses, which enabled her to see vibrant colors in a way she’s never before experienced.
“It’s so cool,” the Terre Haute South Vigo High School senior exclaimed. “I can’t believe other people see the world that way.”
Reid is color blind, and the glasses use technology to selectively filter light in a way that increases contrast between the red and green color signals.
“It’s just astounding,” Reid said in an interview after her experience in Emilee Vicars’ art classroom, where the new high-tech glasses were unveiled during a celebration.
“You don’t often get a shift in your fundamental perception of the world,” Reid said. “It’s pretty significant.”
Thanks to a $750 grant from the Vigo County Education Foundation, South now has four pairs of EnChroma glasses. Vicars is the grant recipient.
She sought the grant with the hopes of encouraging students to take art who may be reluctant because they are color blind. But other teachers also will be able to check the glasses out to benefit students in their classes.
Thursday’s celebration took place during Student Resource Time, where color blind students could bring a friend and experience the technology.
The event included an art exercise involving “pour painting,” use of the glasses and pizza.
Students used the glasses to look at their art work and to see a slideshow of famous paintings; those who are color blind saw the paintings in an entirely different way.
Vicars was happy with the outcome. “It was amazing they were moved so deeply by it,” she said. “It just really opens their eyes to what the world looks like to everyone else.”
She got the idea after seeing online videos of people trying on the EnChroma glasses for the first time and seeing their responses.
“I thought that was something that could really be life-changing for a student — to see through someone else’s eyes and see what they are missing,” Vicars said.
She added, “I think it reaches a demographic that is often left behind. I think they are often just expected to live with this … I felt it was a population important to reach.”
The EnChroma glasses have a lens that helps filter the light better, she explained. “We don’t see color. We perceive it because of the way the light bounces off of our eyes. The lens makes is so light comes through correctly so students can really see the color.”
Sophomore Nicholas McGill, who also is color blind, was elated at how the glasses changed how he sees color.
“The colors are so much brighter and stand out more,” he said. “I really think the glasses can help people” in many situations, both in and out of school.
He’s struggled with some school assignments, including in art or other subjects. He might use the wrong color because “I don’t know what color I’m looking at. I’m just taking a guess.”
In English classes, he might have to highlight things a certain color and “that can kind of throw me off, too, because I’m not certain what color I’m supposed to be using.”

​By Sue Loughlin | Tribune-Star Aug 20, 2025

On the first day of school at Franklin Elementary, some students couldn’t wait to tell media specialist Amber Wigington what they would be doing for the year-end talent show. Some sing, others dance. A few have demonstrated their skills for magic tricks or gymnastics-type activities.
The show has a big opening number and finale; last year, 53 kids participated.
“I make a big deal out of the talent show,” Wigington said, just hours before she was to receive a $400 mini-grant from the Vigo County Education Foundation for the project.
“Our kids for the most part don’t get to participate in extracurricular activities. They’re not taking dance lessons. They’re not doing sports,” she said. “They still deserve a moment to shine.”
The Franklin Falcon Talent Show, along with a Community Theatre field trip and a combined art/literacy program — the Caldecott Art Show — are among the Franklin projects being supported this year through Vigo County Education Foundation mini-grants.
Franklin will benefit from $7,816 in mini grant funding that also supports family involvement programs and science and math projects. Some of the activities involve multiple teachers and classes or even other schools.

“The Great Monster Exchange” is an art project that will involve both Franklin and Sugar Creek Consolidated. Jana Weeks is an art teacher at Franklin, while her daughter, Jennifer, is an art teacher at Consolidated. The project also will involve fifth grade teachers.
The grants “mean a lot. They are very important,” Jana Weeks said. “They open the door to more creativity because we’re able to get supplies that we would not be able to afford” otherwise.
On Wednesday, the education foundation awarded 169 grants and a record $105,774 to teachers across the Vigo County School Corp., impacting education for learners in Pre-K through high school and enriching every curriculum content area.

The mini-grant check awards presentation took place at the VCSC administration building.
“All of these mini-grants are made for $750 or less, and it is amazing to see what great teachers are able to accomplish with that amount of money,” says Jane Nichols, executive director of the Vigo County Education Foundation.
Since 1984, the Foundation has granted over $3 million to VCSC schools and programs.
Superintendent Chris Himsel said the grants “are about going beyond the typical, normal stuff we would do in the classroom to engage students in ways that aren’t possible without the additional resources.”
He told the award recipients, “We look forward to seeing these projects come to life.”
Alex Allen-Hodge, VCEF board president, thanked those who support the foundation as well as teachers “for your creativity and passion that bring learning to life for our students.”
​
At Franklin, Wigington and Weeks will collaborate in another project, The Caldecott Art Show, which gives third-graders the chance to read and explore award-winning books to inspire their own art pieces; the children then display their work in an art show.
In the Community Theatre experience, students will attend a performance of the holiday play, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” Children will also receive a copy of the book for their personal library.
The Foundation mini-grants “give these kids the opportunity to have experiences they would not get otherwise,” Wigington said.
Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected]. Follow Sue on X at @TribStarSue.

By David Kronke, Tribune-Star   February 28, 2025
It’s no exaggeration to say that fifth graders at Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School immersed themselves in hyperbole Friday afternoon. They presented their program “Tall Tales Wax Museum” for parents and visitors.
Students lined the walls of the gymnasium in costumes, a plethora of Zorros, Calamity Janes, Johnny Appleseeds, John Henrys and Slue-Foot Sues (a character from the 1948 film “Melody Time” who rode a giant catfish on land and married Pecos Bill).
While many presenters had props, fifth-grader Jilly Bosley had her own, too: a tornado in a bottle for her Tall Tales Wax Museum presentation Friday on Pecos Bill at Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School in West Terre Haute.
The tellers of tales stood before posters they had made of their flamboyant characters.When a visitor would press a red button on their posters, the kids would recite a 45-second speech about the larger-than-life personae they portrayed.
Students selected the characters they would depict for a variety of reasons. Rylan Hunter, 12, chose keel boatman/brawler Mike Fink because he wrestled alligators, which is something Hunter would like to do (his prop was a large stuffed alligator).
Molly Stahly, 10, chose the Unsinkable Molly Brown not because she loved the move “Titanic” (she hasn’t even seen it), but because they shared the same first name.
Wyatt Stevens, 11, chose to be a plastic-sword-wielding Zorro, he said, because “I originally was going to pick John Henry, but he already got picked (a lot) so I got Zorro. He seemed really cool.”
Landen Guiton, 11, chose the prolific gardener Johnny Appleseed — who as a child would weep if he hadn’t munched on an apple for several hours — because, he said, “I think I can really relate to him. I really like apples myself. He just kind of fit my personality.”
Fifth-grader Samuel Parsons talks about the life of Hiawatha during his presentation for the Tall Tales Wax Museum on Friday at Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School in West Terre Haute
Karen Adkins, 12, opted for Calamity Jane because “She just seemed really nice and I liked her.”
Cole Dillard, 11, seemed determined to bring his performance of John Henry to life. While most participants simply recited their lines, Dillard spoke in a deeper register as John Henry, enthusiastically interpreting lines like “The pants I put on in the morning were too small by night.” His poster was vividly colorful, and he had created a giant black prop hammer for his steel-driving man.
“I like how he works hard, and I like the prop that he uses, and I also like to wear jeans,” Dillard explained.
“Tall Tales Wax Museum” was made possible through a grant from the Vigo County Education Foundation that paid for art supplies, poster boards and the materials to make props.
Foundation Executive Director Jane Nichols said that tall tales were standard in the school’s language arts curriculum.
“And how much more fun to actually become Mike Fink or Annie Oakley or some of these characters and learn about them and be able to present facts?” she said. “They are talking to adults. They are expressing their creativity through their illustrations and how they dress up and have their props as their characters. You can tell the kids are having a ball.”
Nichols acknowledges that Sugar Creek fifth-graders seem to get a lot of grants — another paid for a Colonial Days event in November.
“They have amazing teachers and this is for the whole grade level so it means that the teachers work together and they plan what activities will enhance the curriculum and bring it to life for the kids,” she said. “They do a great job. They really are [good grant applicants]. They work hard to get the most bang for the buck.”
The foundation in August 2024 distributed 139 mini-grants ($750 or less) totaling more than $86,206 for classroom enrichment opportunities benefiting all Vigo County School Corp. schools.
Nichols called the role-playing exercise “a good family activity — I know a lot of people have taken off work to see their kids’ characters come to life.”
One of those was Austin Wolfe, parent of Abigail, who portrayed Hiawatha, the cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy.
“She makes a great Hiawatha even though she’s a female and Hiawatha was a male,” Wolfe enthused. “She’s really worked hard and has been preparing for weeks now. She’s studied and learned a lot about Hiawatha and she’s done a good job.”
But Abigail wasn’t the only student who Wolfe thought performed admirably.
“We’ve listened to a few of them — they’ve done really well,” he said. “You do learn a little bit about history from these kids and they’ve worked so hard and done really well with their outfits. It’s great. I’m really proud of them.”
David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at [email protected].

​Six Terre Haute North Vigo High School students, participating in school-sponsored travel abroad experiences, are the recipients of travel grants, thanks to a restricted fund created at the Vigo County Education Foundation. The fund was endowed by the family and friends of the late Martha Layton to honor her memory and legacy. The Martha Layton Memorial Fund was will help defray the expenses incurred by students wishing to participate in a school-sponsored trip outside the United States.
Layton was a Vigo County School educator for over 30 years. She began her teaching career in 1985 at Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, teaching French and Spanish.  In 1993, she moved to Terre Haute North High School and continued teaching French and Spanish.  Even after her retirement, she continued to substitute teach until the pandemic. Layton spent many summers in France chaperoning American exchange students. She also organized and chaperoned numerous other summer trips to Europe for Terre Haute North students. Layton believed that by experiencing different cultures you learn more about your own, enabling you to see what makes your own culture unique
The Vigo County Education Foundation held a recognition breakfast for the recipients of the grants. Receiving the grants were Ava Bautista, Camryn Cheesman, Mylee Douglas, Madilynn Hartwell, Hally Justice, and Aidan Watson. Attending the event to honor the students were members of the Layton family, the Terre Haute North foreign language teachers, North High School administrators, members of the Vigo County Education Foundation Board of Directors, as well as family and friends of the students.
Layton loved her students more than anything. She believed that traveling to another country was wonderful for students to supplement their classroom study, learn about the culture, and broaden their horizons. 

The Vigo County Education Foundation on Thursday received $4,000 from a fundraiser conducted by Terre Haute McDonald's restaurants.
In September, all five Terre Haute McDonald’s restaurants hosted a city-wide fundraiser for VCEF.
A percentage of purchases in the restaurant and on the McDonald’s app were calculated for the donation to support the Education Foundation’s mission of enriching education of Vigo County School Corp. students.
The funds will be used to help teachers infuse their classrooms with creativity, innovation and hands-on learning opportunities, through classroom and school wide grants and district wide programs.
All of these local McDonald’s are owned by Nick and Jami Kasprzyk, who are continuing supporters of local schools and teachers.
“The Vigo County Education Foundation is immensely grateful to the Kasprzyks and their McDonald’s patrons for their generosity and kindness," said Jane Nichols, executive director of the Education Foundation. "This gift is truly an investment — an investment in our community’s most valuable resource, the education of our children."
Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected]. Follow Sue on X at @TribStarSue.

Sugar Creek Consolidated Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Kathryn Rademacher-Smith’s classroom is the rare one that boasts a kitchen with a fridge and oven adjacent to the desks, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that on this Friday its air is aromatic with the scent of cinnamon.

​Students have baked themselves apple turnovers and created butter by shaking buttermilk in little jars. It’s all for a little snack they’ll enjoy later in the afternoon.
Welcome to Colonial Day, which has become an annual Consolidated tradition allowing students to set aside their textbooks for a day and make not just pastries but candles, ink, Native American rattles and write with old-fashioned quill pens.
The event comes courtesy of a $750 grant from the Vigo County Education Foundation.
Foundation Executive Director Jane Nichols explained, “We raise funds to empower teachers to bring more creative, hands-on learning to their classrooms. These are the things kids remember. This is what’s important — the experiences, the extra things. Are they going to remember the tests they take? No. But they’re going to remember making butter.”
Principal Suzanne Marrs agreed.
“It’s just a way to connect with the past and really bring the history of Thanksgiving to life for our kids,” she said. “They’re really starting to learn what life was like at that time. It gives them real-world experience.
“Any time in education when you can actually use your hands and have real-life experiences helps you to connect to what you’re really learning,” she added, noting that the turnover aroma was wafting up to the classroom above them, no doubt making students there pretty jealous. “They’re getting an authentic experience that they wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.”


In Kelsie Rhoads’ classroom, students are making candles, as well as ink from blueberries. Pupils melted wax in slow cookers and added essential oils like eucalyptus and lemon. They dipped a wick into the melted wax and then doused them in water repeatedly, then hung their creations to dry.
“When they get home, they can light it like a real candle,” she said.
Sarah Pigg and her husband Daniel, owners of Sycamore Winery, are in Rhoads’ classroom helping the students there — including their son Elliot — create the candles. If winemaking and candle dipping were to appear in a Venn diagram, their circles would overlap at no point whatsoever.
“I just learned how to make candles this morning,” Sarah said, adding wryly, “I consider myself definitely an expert after about an hour. We didn’t know what we were doing, but it’s fun just to help.”
Upstairs in Jennifer Price’s classroom, students created Native American rattles — at a powwow earlier in the day, they learned what the rattles were used for, and now they were making them themselves. Price said Colonial Day is quite the departure from an average day in the classroom.
“Typically, we’re learning our math or reading at our seats, not a whole lot of movement,” she said. “And this is learning the typical day in the life of someone from Colonial times, so they get to move around and get to do a lot of hands-on [work] which is really important for learning. Having fun in a different classroom environment — they physically get to make apple [turnovers] and butter.”
Fifth grader Connor Trout proudly showed off his rattle, a stick wrapped in yarn and accented with beads. He called Colonial Day “mostly excitement and fun” and said he learned about “the games they played, like marble rolling. They wrote with a feather, which was really cool.”
Almost as cool as doing the exact same thing 400 to 500 years later.
David Kronke can be reached at 812-231-4232 or at [email protected].

​Tribune-Star staff report Nov 25, 2024

The Vigo County Education Foundation awarded $40,061 in school-wide grants to 17 schools Friday during its semiannual Business and Bagels event.
Sponsored by Labor Link, the event celebrated educational excellence and highlighted VCEF’s commitment to enriching educational opportunities for Vigo County students
The grants will fund a range of initiatives, including author visits, theater productions, literacy programs, enriching field trips, and academic and attendance incentives.
Each program is designed to enhance learning experiences and foster a love of education among students across the district, according to a VCEF news release.
During the event, the Leadership Giving Award was presented to Indiana State University President Mike Godard on behalf of the university. Godard spoke about the meaningful collaborations between ISU, the Vigo County School Corp. and the foundation.
“ISU’s unwavering commitment to the growth and development of our educational community is a shining example of what it means to be a true leader in giving and service,” said Alex Allen-Hodge, VCEF board president.
Several notable projects received special recognition during the event: