Twelve Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets are set to present on ways to improve Kosciusko County during “Project Proud” on Tuesday, April 12. The public is welcome to attend the event at 7:30 a.m. at Ivy Tech Community College, 2545 Silveus Crossing, Warsaw. Graphic provided.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko Leadership Academy cadets have spent all year learning more about Kosciusko County.

And on Tuesday, April 12, they will get to share their plans for helping improve the community.

“Project Proud” is set for that date at 7:30 a.m. at Ivy Tech Community College, 2545 Silveus Crossing, Warsaw.

Participants, known as cadets, will share their so-called “white papers” regarding ways to help Kosciusko County. The presentations follow the cadets learning about important issues in the county through a number of sessions held from fall 2021 to spring 2022.

Cadets this year include: Alyx Bates; Chris Fancil; Cindy Brady; Jason Branham; Kim Strawbridge; Lois Borkholder; Ryan Coble; Tim Williams; Miriel McFarland; Mitch Hall; Orville Haney; and Dustin Dillon.

Heather Lardino and Allyn Decker, who both serve on KLA’s Board of Directors, said topics for the papers “are vetted through community contacts” with cadets choosing which ones they want to be part of.

“Topics should meet three criteria: The issue has a countywide impact; the project is sustainable beyond the KLA academy year; and the project is doable within the academy year,” said Lardino and Decker.

KLA cadets also may win money to implement what they discuss in the papers.

“A panel of three community judges hears all project presentations, studies the corresponding report and collectively decides on a winning project,” said Lardino and Decker. “The winning project is the one that best meets the three criteria. … The winning team receives the ‘Northenor Award,’ a $1,000 check to use as seed money for the project.”

The award is named after Jean Northenor, who helped found KLA in the early 1980s. It will be given out at the cadets’ graduation ceremony.

Lardino and Decker noted working on white papers for “Project Proud” allows cadets to “make a positive impact on the development of our county.”

They mentioned the former KLA white paper projects that have come to or are coming to fruition, including greenways in the area, a splash pad at Winona Lake Limitless Park and the upcoming ice rink in Winona Lake.

The two said they had hoped cadets learned “being a community leader means seeing where opportunities and needs exist for improving the lives of others and then doing something to help meet those needs.”

Along with giving out the Northenor Award, other graduation activities include a keynote address, handing out diplomas and recognizing an alumnus of the year. Graduation will be held at a private banquet.

Looking forward

To keep the program going, funds are being raised through the Kosciusko County Community Foundation.

The fundraising drive is called 40 for 40 and aims to raise $40,000 to mark the 40 years KLA has existed.

“Half of the funds will go toward operational costs and white paper mini-grants issued during the academy year,” said Lardino and Decker. “The other half will go into the Northenor Award endowment fund.”

People can learn more about donating by clicking here.

Program leaders are also seeking the next group of cadets.

Application forms for the 2022-23 year may be found at www.kosciuskoleadership.org. People also can contact KLA’s Recruitment Director Jason Zaugg at [email protected].

“Nearly 1,000 people have graduated from KLA over its 40-year history and represent an extremely broad spectrum of industries and organizations in our county,” said Lardino and Decker. “Many of our alumni have gone on to hold positions of great authority and importance and have made outstanding contributions to our community.”