FORT WAYNE, IND. (04/12/2023) With construction already well underway, Trine University has received another major pledge toward its new academic facility in Fort Wayne.

Trine University Fort Wayne will house programs in Trine's College of Health Professions and provide opportunities for collaborative youth and high school programming in health sciences.

The Dekko Foundation has pledged $650,000 toward the 110,000-square-foot academic and training facility in Fort Wayne, located near Parkview Regional Medical Center.

Trine already had raised more half of the project's estimated $40 million cost by the end of 2022.

"We continue to be grateful for many who have provided generous gifts toward Trine University Fort Wayne, and to the Dekko Foundation for their continued support as we partner together to equip young people with the tools to support themselves economically and contribute to society as a whole," said Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University president.

"This facility and its programs can spark collaboration with area high schools so that young people in Northeast Indiana have opportunities to explore their interests, build highly valued skills, and identify potential careers. We know that bodes well for their future success and ultimately their economic freedom," said Thomas Leedy, president of the Dekko Foundation.

The Dekko Foundation previously provided generous support for Trine University's Center for Montessori Education, which launched in 2020, and for the Thunder Ice Arena, which opened in 2017.

The Trine University Fort Wayne campus, developed in close partnership with Parkview Health, will employ 100 faculty and staff and serve nearly 700 students in Trine's College of Health Professions (CHP), which currently includes its physical therapy, physician assistant, nursing and surgical technology programs. The new space will allow CHP to add new programs including occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, medical science and emergency medical sciences.

In addition, the facility will allow Trine and Parkview to collaborate on programming that will allow youth and high school students to explore and build skills and knowledge in health sciences and related careers.

The new facility will offer state-of-the-art classrooms and laboratories and feature, in partnership with the Parkview Mirro Center, an innovative Simulated Patient Care Center (SimCenter) including mock surgery and Emergency Room suites and exam and patient rooms. The building also will contain ample resources for student support, including a library, bookstore, gathering area, academic support and counseling services.

Based in Kendallville, the Dekko Foundation was established in 1981 by Chester E. (Chet) Dekko, using proceeds from his manufacturing business. The mission for the foundation is to foster economic freedom through education. The foundation supports projects that help young people from birth through age 18 gain skills, knowledge and character that can help them be self-sufficient so they have the maximum opportunity as adults for personal independence and choice. For more information, go to dekkofoundation.org.