On Wednesday morning, 20 Northwest Indiana schools and their nearly 6,000 students took part in Big Shoulders Fund’s Lend a Shoulder Day. The annual event invites some of the fund’s biggest supporters out to the schools, aided by Big Shoulders Fund, to see the results of their support in action.
Big Shoulders Fund of Northwest Indiana’s mission is fairly simple – work to provide as many children as possible with a quality, values-based education. That means scholarships, leadership programs for school leaders, operational improvements to school facilities, academic and professional development for educators, and more. Bishop Noll Institute, which started working with Big Shoulders Fund just before the COVID-19 pandemic, was thrilled to take their Lend a Shoulder Day visitors on a student-led tour through the campus.
“It’s been a beautiful partnership,” said Lorenza Jara Pastrick, principal of Bishop Noll Institute. “It’s really catered to our students, most importantly, but also to our staff to help improve what we do. Because of our partnership with Big Shoulders, we’re able to provide Northwest Indiana students, especially those that might not have had the option to go to college, more resources to make sure they get there and are successful once they do.”
Bishop Noll’s students showcased some of those resources during their tour, including the state-of-the-art STREAM Lab. Fully equipped with computers, engineering tools, 3D Printers, and much more, the STREAM Lab affords students opportunities to get hands-on with science and engineering principles – even building their own miniature solar-powered cars.
“We really wanted to give folks a taste of what their support has made possible,” said Laura Nalley, senior director of people and leadership for Big Shoulders Fund. “Bishop Noll is doing phenomenal work every day to make sure students in the community have access to a high quality, values-based, Catholic education. They’re providing a really embracing community that students feel a part of as a family. Our work is to do everything we can to support that and make it accessible.”
Eric Copeland, a senior at Bishop Noll Institute, was one of the student ambassadors for Lend a Shoulder Day. He walked visitors through an active biology classroom as students investigated photosynthesis under microscopes and conducted investigations and analyses into plant and animal DNA.
“Bishop Noll is opportunity,” Copeland said. “They’ve brought me more opportunities than I could ever imagine. I try to put myself out there and make sure I’m not missing anything, and Bishop Noll makes it so easy to grasp them, that’s what I love about it here the most. You’re presented with so many things, so many choices, and you can’t find that everywhere.”
Copeland explained his hope that Big Shoulders Fund’s work will allow even more students to experience the opportunities provided by Bishop Noll.
“It’s very important to put what they do here out there,” he said. “I really appreciate Big Shoulders Fund for supporting us in everything we do. This experience has been very important to me, so I think it’s important for everyone to see the work they do here at Bishop Noll.”
To learn more about Big Shoulders Fund, visit bigshouldersfund.org.
