We have a big opportunity in front of us. With $100,000 from Lilly Endowment Inc. and guidance from Ball State, we’ve been asking you what could we do together to make a positive change for Rush County. Your answers are well-thought out and truly intriguing – both serious and whimsical, but always full of love for this community.

The most often cited response to date is the need for more activities for youth and teens. To be transparent, we reached out to high school students for their opinions and have had good engagement from them. But they’re not the only ones who think this is important. We received several answers in favor of youth activities before the teens began submitting theirs. Specific suggestions include a skating rink, putt putt, a go kart track and an arcade. RCHS students are also in favor of air-conditioning the gyms.

Education and literacy objectives are also on the community’s minds. One person suggested a program to provide two years of free college education in exchange for agreeing to work in the county for a period of time. From basic adult education to life skills classes on parenting, budgeting, resume writing and nutrition to courses on the arts, literature and different ethnic cuisines, all kinds of educational opportunities were noted. Free tutoring and library access for all are a few more of your suggestions. Be sure to check out The Open Resource for a variety of free classes. While Hope Center in Connersville is known mainly for pregnancy and STI testing and support, they also offer parenting and other life skills classes.

The pandemic has made us even more aware of the necessity of reliable and affordable high-speed internet access throughout the county. As of this writing, broadband is the third most-requested project. Did you know that Rush County has an all-volunteer led Broadband Connect Task Force working on this initiative?

Revitalization of downtowns, neighborhoods and small communities has been a common theme. A little paint would go a long way in some cases, you’ve noted. Another suggestion included a competition between blocks to clean up neighborhoods. Someone else would like to see restoration of old porches. Why not repaint the people in downtown Rushville above Elizabeth’s?

Amenities of all kinds continue to be important. A community center/YMCA/indoor pool (in the works), trails, natural areas, parks, playgrounds, retail businesses and restaurants have been mentioned in equal numbers. What about a rails to trails experience connecting communities throughout the county? Should we plant 200 trees throughout the county in honor of next year’s bicentennial? Interested in conservation and native flora? Get connected with Monarchs and More for free educational workshops and outings.

Several pointed out the need for better county-wide communication of events. In the spring we added a community events calendar to our website, including a form to submit an event. We could use your help in making it better and more complete.

High-quality childcare, health and fitness and family activities completed the list with at least four responses each. Follow RCCF’s First5 Rush County’s Early Learning Coalition to keep up to date on early learning and childcare developments.

Want to be more involved in the planning process? Let us know by email, info@rushcountyfoundation.org, or by phone, (765)938-1177. Also, if you have a local resource for any of these topics, please share them.