Ball State Received $2.7 Million Federal Grant

The university launched a three-year civic education initiative called FORGE across Indiana.

Updated on Oct. 9, 2026 in Financial Aid

Classic brick university building facade with stone arches under a bright blue morning sky in Muncie, Indiana. — Ball State University has been awarded a $2.7 million federal grant to launch the FORGE initiative, a three-year program designed to improve civic and history instruction across Indiana. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Ball State University has secured a $2.7 million federal grant from the American History and Civics-National Activities program. The funding will support a three-year initiative named FORGE aimed at enhancing civics and history instruction.

Why it matters

The initiative seeks to strengthen the teaching of American history, government, geography, and constitutional literacy. By providing professional development, the program aims to build a more robust network of educators and resources statewide.

The FORGE initiative is backed by a $2.7 million federal grant and will span three years. It is designed to serve 150 practicing educators, 60 teacher candidates, 45 school leaders, and 2,000 students via evaluation efforts.

The players

Ball State University

A public research university based in Muncie that is the lead institution for the FORGE initiative.

Indiana Bar Foundation

A non-profit organization that serves as an implementation partner for the regional Civic Learning Hubs.

The details

The project will operate through components including Civic Humanities Institutes and Constitutional Literacy and Applied History Labs. Six regional Civic Learning Hubs will be established across Indiana in partnership with the Indiana Bar Foundation.

The FORGE initiative is scheduled to run over a three-year period.

Roadmap

The FORGE initiative operates under the national framework established by the American History and Civics-National Activities program. This project mirrors the broader trend of university-led regional partnerships intended to improve standardized core subject literacy.

Local educators and teacher candidates in the Muncie area will have direct access to professional development through the new Civic Learning Hubs. This initiative aims to provide teachers with practical classroom resources and enhanced training in constitutional literacy.

The takeaway

This initiative provides a structured roadmap for educators to integrate applied history into their daily curriculum. Participating teachers can expect to gain access to a statewide support network and research-backed instructional methods.