Legacy Taste of the Garden to host Black Loam Conference events
The Indiana Black Loam Conference, a pilot project by Legacy Taste of the Garden, will host workshops on Saturday in Evansville, on Feb. 26 in Fort Wayne, on March 12 in Gary and on March 19 in Bloomington. This series of workshops will be followed by a convention-style event in Indianapolis. These events focus on the needs of the underserved Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) farmers, producers and communities. The Black Loam team is dedicated to building agricultural relationships, providing support to gain access to conservation information and offering training opportunities. These workshops will provide introductions to USDA programs and resources available to BIPOC and socially disadvantaged rural, urban and community producers that will assist and increase participation of USDA programs, loans, grants and scholarships, sustainable agriculture practices, business planning and community development. More information is with Denise Jamerson at legacytasteofthegarden@gmail.com.
IU Northwest to host Science Olympiad Regional Tournament
Middle school and high school students from 14 schools in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties and surrounding communities will demonstrate their science and engineering talents at the 2022 Science Olympiad Regional Tournament at 8 a.m. on Saturday in various rooms of Marram Hall, Hawthorn Hall and sections of the Savannah Gymnasium at Indiana University Northwest, 3400 Broadway, Gary. The event is open to the public. The competing middle schools are: Griffith; Grimmer; Lowell; Scott; Thomas Jefferson; and Westchester. The competing high schools are: Chesterton; Crown Point; Highland; Marian; Merrillville; North Judson San Pierre Senior High School; Portage; and Whiting. Following the competitions, an awards ceremony will highlight results and will be live streamed via Zoom to participants. The top five middle schools and the top six high school teams will advance to the state competition on March 12 at Purdue University in West Lafayette. From there, the top teams will advance to the national tournament, which is being held virtually this year, in partnership with Cal Tech, from May 9 to 14. More information is at iun.edu/science-olympiad.com, or contact Harold Olivey at 219-980-6724 or at holivey@iun.edu.
IU Northwest offers free workshop for Latinx parents
Indiana University Northwest is offering a free workshop for parents titled “Your Child’s Journey to College” from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Bergland Auditorium on campus, 3400 Broadway, Gary. Designed for Latinx parents and families, the workshop will cover applying for college, securing scholarships and financial aid and supporting your child throughout this process. Participants can choose to attend either an English- or Spanish-language workshop. Register for the workshop at iun.edu/journey. More information is with Brenda Peña-Martinez at bpenamar@iun.edu or 219-980-6984.
Free COVID-19 vaccine and booster clinics
Indiana University Northwest, in collaboration with the Indiana State Department of Health, will host a series of follow-up COVID-19 vaccine and booster clinics from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 23, 24 and 25 in Room 205 of the Savannah Center on campus, 3400 Broadway, Gary. The following services will be available: single dose Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccine; second dose of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those age 12 and older who received their first dose at the Jan. 25 to 28 clinics; first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine for those age 5 to 11; Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson Janssen boosters for individuals meeting criteria established by the ISDH and CDC. The clinics are free and open to the public, but appointments are recommended. Proof of age and residency are required. To schedule an appointment, register online at ourshot.in.gov and select the IU Northwest vaccine site or call 211.
