Play is learning. That's the approach taken through a program known as Tinkergarten. Here, children are brought together to learn in a natural setting. The kids are able to learn and develop a variety of skills like problem solving, collaboration and creativity. This is a national movement, but we head to our own Tinkergarten in Elkhart to learn.

Being nice. It seems like it should be one of the easiest things in the world to do, but often times people forget how to do it. That's why a program called Be Nice was created. The program provides the tools for schools and communities to stamp out bullying. We head up to Dowagiac to see how they're using this program throughout their entire school system.

The old saying goes..."You're never too old to learn a new trick!" The Forever Learning Institute has been in the business of providing seniors in our community with the opportunity to continue to expand their knowledge and serve their community. The courses are taught by an all-volunteer faculty and cover topics such as dance, music, foreign languages, creative arts, literature, spirituality, health and wellness, technology and computers, and business. The Institute believes that programs like theirs fill a much-needed void in senior adult life, providing intellectual stimulation, social interaction and physical activities for a largely ignored population. Education and participation in intellectual pursuits should not end at high school or college, but continue throughout our lives.

Vocational training offers students the chance to gain hands on training as well as experience in the workforce. The Impact Institute was formed by a joint service agreement between ten school corporations in June 1969, with the goal of providing vocational programs, administering adult education and coordinating communications with the Indiana Department of Education and other state agencies. The thirteen currently school corporations currently served are located in the five northeast Indiana counties of Noble, DeKalb, LaGrange, Steuben, and Whitley. The Impact Institute's vocational and adult education programs use a competency-based curriculum approach and rely on student data and industry driven standards for continuous improvement. Through the support of consortium members, Impact Institute is also the vehicle used in the implementation of other change initiatives, such as School-to-Work, Tech Prep and the Technical Education Initiative.