Cardinal Services: Where Curiosity and Learning Come Alive

Thanks in part to an $8,500 grant from the Community Foundation, Cardinal Services, Inc. of Indiana enhanced six Head Start classrooms with innovative STEM materials, flexible seating, and sensory-supportive learning tools that are helping how 102 young children learn and grow.

From engineering walls and K’Nex builders to coding activities and hydroponics, these new resources have brought creativity and problem-solving to the forefront of early childhood education. Teachers have seen children engage more deeply, sustain focus longer, and approach challenges with greater confidence. For many students, especially the nearly 40% with identified disabilities or individualized learning needs, the impact has been life-changing.

One student who previously struggled to remain engaged during circle time was able to fully participate using a flexible floor seating cushion designed to reduce sensory overstimulation. With this simple support, the child stayed focused, connected, and included in classroom learning.

The project has also opened doors to new experiences, including a partnership with Warsaw Community Schools that introduced foundational coding concepts to Head Start students through interactive STEM activities. Teachers observed immediate growth in creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration as students explored increasingly complex designs and solutions.

More than new equipment, this investment has created spaces where children can explore, discover, and build confidence.

Community Funds are started by people who care about our community and want to make a difference. Donations to the fund are invested, and each year the Community Foundation Grant Committee and Board use the funds to award grants to local nonprofits to support key community needs as they arise.