enFocus Promotes Lifelong Learning in Marshall County

Sponsor Spotlight: Marshall County, Executive Director of Marshall County Community Foundation and United Way of Marshall County, Linda Yoder

Interview by Faith Stull, enFocus Innovation Fellow and project leader

How did you hear about enFocus?
I first learned about enFocus through conversations with regional partners about community development projects. My first opportunity to see enFocus in action was through Project HOPE, a collaboration of community health partners to address substance use disorders.

Why did you choose to collaborate with enFocus?
We were really intrigued by the enFocus business model to attract and retain young talented professionals in the community and were impressed with the positive reputation for supporting a variety of community development projects.

What has your experience been like working with enFocus?
It has been everything we expected and more. Our first contract with enFocus began just three months before the pandemic. The partnership enabled us to navigate a very challenging environment and continue to move forward with future-focused projects that would have otherwise been delayed indefinitely.

Can you describe the activities performed by enFocus?
enFocus helped us guide the Lifelong Learning Network (LLN) through a reorganization of the board and a strategic planning process that expanded the mission of the organization to address education from early childhood through adult learning and workforce development. The enFocus fellows also assisted in the exploration and evaluation of Blue Zones as an inclusive, systems approach to improving community health and well-being.

What impact has been brought about from this partnership?
enFocus was engaged to support the Marshall County Crossroads Regional Planning Team with a focus on education and health and wellness. The Lifelong Learning Network hired an executive director to carry out the vision of the re-invigorated volunteer board. The Crossroads Health and Wellness Committee completed two years of exploration and a Community Development and Readiness Assessment process with Blue Zones and is actively fundraising to pursue a Blue Zones designation over the next four years. As a result, two READI grant proposals totaling over $15  million were prepared for first-round submissions to the region.

Marshall County community leaders, recognizing the potential, are now engaging enFocus teams on additional projects across the county.

LLN applied to READI for a career innovation center which will serve as a central location to provide enhanced, sustainable skill development capacity, and incumbent worker training. The Marshall County Crossroads Regional Planning Team applied to READI to pursue a Marshall County Blue Zones designation, becoming the 62nd community in the US to adopt a proactive systems approach to health.

Why should others consider working with enFocus?
We talk all the time about talent attraction and retention in the region. enFocus is the epitome of that goal. I’ve talked with colleagues across the state. I know they appreciate the model and impact it could have in every community in Indiana.

Learn more about enFocus' work with regional organizations in our next Sponsor Spotlight.