Meet Amy Rauch, Program Director, Education
We’re excited to welcome Amy Rauch to the Community Foundation’s Program team as Program Director, Education. Rauch is a Mishawaka High School graduate with more than two decades of experience in education. She holds a doctorate in educational studies/educational administration from Purdue University and has her Superintendents license.
What is your background in education?
I was a High School English teacher for 10 years and then went into K-12 educational administration for another 10 years. I’ve been a middle school principal, curriculum director, assistant superintendent, and a superintendent. From there, I went to work for Project Lead the Way, which focuses on STEM education, in Michigan and Illinois. After that, I worked for the Indiana Department of Education where I was the Director of STEM and was part of the STEM Council team that wrote the six-year Indiana strategic STEM Plan. Most recently, I worked for Codelicious which is a computer science curriculum.
Talk a bit more about Codelicious:
When I was director of STEM, a big push was computer science in the state of Indiana. I came across this curriculum and I knew it was important to get computer science in the hands of kids here in Indiana and across the United States.
What interested you in the position at the Community Foundation?
I saw that 21st Century Scholars was a big initiative for the Foundation. When I was a former middle school principal, that was a passion for me. I wanted to make sure that my students who were eligible for the program utilized the opportunity to get a college education for free. I thought, “What a great way to come back to my roots growing up in Mishawaka—helping the students in St. Joe County.”
What do you hope to accomplish working at the Community Foundation?
It’s just near and dear to my heart to make sure that education is at the forefront for students and that they all are successful. I think the programs here really fit those goals. Hopefully, I can use my 25 years of experience working in the education and STEM world here in St. Joe County to help enhance students’ opportunities and get them to be college- and career-ready. It’s great just making the whole big circle. I’ve had a wonderful career and now I’m coming back home to finish it.