Fort Wayne Community Schools students are once again cooking up a Thanksgiving feast for those in need this holiday season. The 5^th annual Give Back Thanksgiving is Monday, Nov. 20, in the FWCS Career Academy Cafeteria, 1200 S. Barr St. 

The meal prepared and served by Culinary Arts students includes: 

·       Roasted Turkey Breast 

·       Mashed potatoes and gravy 

·       Green beans 

·       Apple crisp 
 
Dinner will be served from 4-6 p.m. while supplies last. There is a limit of two dinners per guest. Please enter the main entrance. 

Amp Lab at Electric Works has officially launched a $25,000 fund to support high school entrepreneurial ventures. This fund will be used as a catalyst for businesses developed by Amp Lab students to build, test and validate their ideas. 

A core pillar of the Amp Lab experience is fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in Fort Wayne Community Schools’ high school juniors and seniors. In the first two years of the program, Amp Lab students have launched more than 100 business concepts from lifestyle brands to scalable ventures. The Venture Fund will support students in accessing resources and infrastructure for their business models. 

Amp Lab students are currently launching more than 200 businesses. Senior Jalen Goncalves is developing fitness and wellness content that he hopes to monetize on social media platforms and through partnerships. “Access to resources as a young entrepreneur levels the playing field and creates new opportunities. It makes me hungry to chase my dreams and make an impact on my community,” said Goncalves.  

“Our goal with the Amp Lab Venture Fund is to increase the capital resources available to the most promising ideas. By giving students a seat at the table now, we can remove many barriers that exist to bringing a concept to market,” said Riley Johnson, Director of Amp Lab at Electric Works. 

The Amp Lab Student Venture Fund will provide a valuable resource to inspire new business creation in our community. Leslee Hill, Director of the Women’s Entrepreneurial Opportunity Center added, “finding innovative ways to support teenage entrepreneurs is vital to the success of a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.” 

Money for the fund is made possible through the Indiana Department of Education’s Educational Excellence Award, which was awarded to Amp Lab in September for the program’s outstanding work in collaborating with local industry and providing high-quality learning experiences for students. Businesses or organizations interested in supporting the Amp Lab Venture Fund can reach out to Riley Johnson at Riley.johnson@fwcs.k12.in.us or 260-467-7360. 

 
About Amp Lab at Electric Works: 

 Amp Lab at Electric Works is a half-day program for Fort Wayne Community Schools juniors and seniors that focuses on entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and design across industry sectors. Amp Lab is the flagship tenant of the mixed-use redevelopment Electric Works project. 

Fort Wayne Community Schools will honor and celebrate Veterans Day with activities and events throughout the District. Students will honor veterans in their families, perform patriotic music and learn the proper way to fold a flag.    

Friday, Nov. 10  

• At Adams Elementary, students and staff will wear red, white and blue. 

• Arlington Elementary will host a Veterans Day program at 1:30 p.m. The Air National Guard will hold a ceremony demonstrating to students the proper way to fold a flag. Students will sing and present veterans with a handmade card. 

• Bloomingdale Elementary will present facts about Veterans Day during the announcements. The theme in the library is Veterans Day. There will be books and activities about what it means to be a veteran. 

• Croninger Elementary will host a Veterans Day assembly at 2:15 p.m. 

• Franke Park Elementary is hosting a ceremony for veterans who are family members of Franke Park students at 9:30 a.m. Following the ceremony, there will be an honor walk through the school to allow students and staff to show appreciation for the veterans.   

• Glenwood Park Elementary will honor veterans with a student led assembly at 10 a.m. Veterans who have personal connections to Glenwood Park have been invited to attend. Students will sing songs, share poems and read short letters they have written.  

• Haley Elementary will honor veterans with music performances during a school assembly at 1 p.m. Military members of Haley families and staff have been invited.    

• Holland Elementary will present donations to the Honor Flight at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Students collected the money last week during Spirit Week. 

• At Indian Village Elementary, students will lead a ceremony honoring veterans at 9:30 a.m. The event includes singing and presentations made by students. There will also be military vehicles on display.  

• Irwin STEM Elementary will honor veterans in a program at 10:30 a.m. Veterans in attendance will also be recognized and presented gifts. Prior to the program, veterans will receive breakfast beginning at 9:30 a.m.  

• Maplewood Elementary will host a Veterans Day ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. The Wayne High School JROTC Honor Guard will present the Colors and lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Students will sing patriotic songs, read poems and play Taps. Military vehicles will also be at the school for students to explore at 1 p.m. 

• South Wayne Elementary will host a Veterans Day program at 2 p.m.  

• Washington Center Elementary is holding two assemblies to honor veterans. The first assembly is at 1 p.m. with students from pre-K-2. The second assembly will begin at 1:45 p.m. with grades 3-5. During each assembly veterans will be honored by the singing of patriotic songs and student presentations.   

• Weisser Park Arts Magnet Elementary is hosting a celebration at 9:30 a.m. The Veterans Day program will honor Weisser Park loved ones who have served or are currently serving with a musical performance. 

Saturday, Nov. 11  

• At Northop High School, the girls’ varsity basketball team will recognize veterans in attendance before the game at 2:30 p.m. Each player is inviting a veteran to attend the game. Northrop staff members who have served will also be honored.  

Monday, Nov. 13  

• Snider High School will host veterans from the community to share their “Story of Service” with students Monday, Nov. 13. Military uniforms and artifacts will be on display along with pictures of student family members and Snider staff who have served. 

As part of the USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, Nutrition Services at Fort Wayne Community Schools will serve Dragon Fruit to students at 22 elementary schools on Wednesday, Nov 8. This is the first time FWCS students will get to try this fruit at school.  
 
Dragon Fruit is a funny looking fruit that comes from a cactus plant.  It is colorful and has a unique, sweet taste. FWCS chose to provide the Dragon Fruit not only to introduce students to an unusual fruit, but also to celebrate student diversity and encourage them to try new things. 

 
It is a real treat for FWCS to provide a truly exotic fruit to our students.