Health Education Center Merges With Marian University

A local resource center that has been providing health education to young Hoosiers for 25 years is relocating.  

The Ruth Lilly Health Education Center opened its doors in 1989 with a mission to provide an interactive and stimulating health learning experience. Since then, student field trips to the center’s downtown location on Senate Avenue have been filled with high-tech audio and visual aids, unique exhibits and engaging presentations, providing innovative health education to more than 2 million people. 

At the end of the year it will relocate to Marian University. Joyce Hertko, president and CEO of RLHEC says it’s a good thing.

"We know that fewer schools can afford the time and cost for field trips and so by changing our model, we can better provide health education programs to serve the community," says Hertko.

Since the '90s the center has provided an outreach program.  Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener says the new model will combine school visits, on campus lessons and electronic classes for kids in grades K-12. 

"We have a lot of experience with this," says Elsener. "Thousands of young people interact with Marian here and in 15 other states in science education. Now, with modern technology you can deliver standards based education from a university in a lot of places."

Elsener says university is the perfect place to provide a hands-on learning experience with resources like an on campus nature preserve and outdoor classroom as well as health and education schools that will allow Marian student to gain experience working with kids.

A Lilly Endowment grant of $942,000 will help facilitate the merger.  Schools that have field trips scheduled at the center can move the programs to their classrooms.