Carrollton, Ky. — September 18, 2017 — At the center of Carroll County Middle School, where the original building meets the new addition, sits Michelle Hawkins’s Project Lead the Way classroom.

From the hallway, anyone can see inside, through a row of chest-high windows or through the classroom’s sliding glass doors.

When students are not in the room, it looks like a workshop in a high-end manufacturing facility. Stools sit by sturdy worktables, complete with industrial power supplies hanging from the ceiling.

When students are in the room, it looks even more like a workshop in a high-end manufacturing facility — think safety goggles, schematic drawings and machine prototypes.

“One thing I never hear is ‘When are we going to use this?’” Hawkins said.

Carrollton, Ky. — August 23, 2017 — The Carrollton branch of German American Bank donated $5,000 to the Carroll County School District’s Youth Services Center program.

By providing school supplies and other resources to students in need, YSC removes barriers to learning at the high school and middle school levels. YSC’s counterpart, Family Resources, does the same at the elementary level.

“We help in any way that we can,” said YSC director Tracey Reynolds. “If a kid needs shoes, we find them. If someone needs glasses, we make that happen. But all of this takes money, and our budget has been slashed at the state level in recent years. This donation from German American Bank will do a lot of good for our students.”

With headquarters in Jasper, Indiana, German American Bank has 50 offices in 20 counties in the region.  

“This is a way for us to give back to the Carroll County community,” said Veronica Chitwood, branch manager of the Carrollton German American branch bank. “We know that there is a lot of need here, so we are happy to help in any way that we can.”

The branch opened as River Valley Financial Bank in March of 2004. In March of 2016, it merged with German American Bank.