One Ball State Day 2026 has ended!
One Ball State Day 2026
Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies
One Ball State Day 2026 has ended!
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Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies
Step Up to the Plate and Swing for the Fences!
The Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies promotes the development, education, and well-being of children from birth through adolescence and healthy family functioning. Our impactful programs provide students with valuable training for real-world application, be it in the classroom, community, or the home.
⚾ Help our students "play to their strengths" ⚾
How your gift makes a difference...
Just like baseball, success depends on teamwork, preparation, and showing up when it matters most. Your gift removes small financial barriers so our students can step confidently into careers serving children and families.
One Ball State Day gifts support initiatives like our Microgrant Program — offering mini-grants of $100 or less to help students cover common academic expenses.
Step up to the plate and swing for the fences!
⚾ $25 — Single
A $25 gift is a base hit for student success.
It can cover a lab requirement, background check fee, or small practicum materials that keep a student in the game.
⚾ $50 — Double
A $50 gift moves students into scoring position.
It can help purchase essential textbooks or internship supplies for a future professional serving children and families.
⚾ $75 — Triple
A $75 gift puts students within reach of home plate.
It can support specialized practicum materials or help cover conference registration costs.
⚾ $100 — Home Run
A $100 gift knocks it out of the park.
It can fully fund textbooks, certification expenses, or a professional conference experience that shapes a student’s future.
Thank you! - ECYFS Faculty and Staff
Share your Cardinal pride using #OneBallState
Morning Leaderboard
The four departments/units/teams with the most donors by 10 a.m. receives $3,000, $2,000, $1,000, and $500 in challenge funds.
| Rank | Prize | Department/Unit/Team | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,000 | Theatre & Dance | 131 |
| 2 | $2,000 | Indiana Academy | 86 |
| 3 | $1,000 | Field Hockey | 70 |
| 4 | $500 | Communication Studies | 56 |
| 5 | Football | 48 | |
| 6 | Student Emergency Aid Fund | 33 | |
| 7 | Soccer | 31 | |
| 8 | Accounting | 27 | |
| 9 | Gymnastics | 24 | |
| 10 | Rinker Center for Global Affairs | 24 | |
| 11 | School of Music | 23 | |
| 12 | Men's Golf | 21 | |
| 13 | Men's Basketball | 21 | |
| 14 | Men's Tennis | 19 | |
| 15 | Men's Volleyball | 17 |
Ended
College Donor Leaderboard
The college that has the most donors by midnight will receive $5,000 in challenge funds.
| Rank | Prize | Department | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 | College of Fine Arts | 723 |
| 2 | Teachers College | 670 | |
| 3 | College of Communication, Information, and Media | 512 | |
| 4 | Miller College of Business | 429 | |
| 5 | College of Sciences and Humanities | 399 | |
| 6 | College of Health | 286 | |
| 7 | Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning | 190 |
Ended
Academic Department Gift Leaderboard
The three academic departments with the most gifts by midnight receive $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 in challenge funds.
| Rank | Prize | Department | Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $5,000 | Theatre & Dance | 699 |
| 2 | $3,000 | Communication Studies | 290 |
| 3 | $1,000 | School of Music | 204 |
| 4 | Accounting | 158 | |
| 5 | Center for Information & Communication Sciences | 112 | |
| 6 | Special Education | 108 | |
| 7 | Department of Media | 87 | |
| 8 | Department of Marketing | 67 | |
| 9 | Nutrition & Health Science | 64 | |
| 10 | Urban Planning | 63 | |
| 11 | School of Nursing | 59 | |
| 12 | School of Journalism and Strategic Communication | 58 | |
| 13 | Educational Leadership | 55 | |
| 14 | History | 52 | |
| 15 | School of Kinesiology | 50 |
Ended
Who is giving?
Which part of the Ball State family is making the biggest impact on One Ball State Day?
| Rank | Answer | Donors |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alumni | 2,210 |
| 2 | Friend | 911 |
| 3 | Employee | 828 |
| 4 | Parent | 712 |
| 5 | Student | 441 |
| 6 | Young Alumni (2016-2026) | 242 |
| 7 | Indiana Academy Alum | 112 |
| 8 | Emeritus/Retired | 71 |
| 9 | Burris Alum | 15 |
Ended
Dash & Splash Leaderboard
Dash & Splash participant who has the most gifts between 12–1 p.m. will win $1,000 for the fund they’re racing for.
| Rank | Prize | Fund | Gifts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | Registrar General | 44 |
| 2 | Online Student Support Fund | 21 | |
| 3 | Indiana Academy General Fund | 11 | |
| 4 | Elementary Education General | 9 | |
| 5 | Learning Center Fund | 9 | |
| 6 | Burris General Fund | 8 | |
| 7 | Department of Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies | 6 | |
| 8 | Speech Pathology and Audiology | 4 | |
| 9 | Dr. Paul W. Parkison Fund for Accounting Excellence | 3 | |
| 10 | Michael Bauer Debate Fund | 3 | |
| 11 | Psychological Science General | 3 | |
| 12 | CCIM Dean's Fund | 3 | |
| 13 | Graduate Student Research Support Fund | 2 | |
| 14 | University College General | 2 | |
| 15 | Aquatics Program Development Fund | 2 |
Ended
College Leaderboard
The four colleges with the biggest percentage of money raised from OBSD 2025 will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 and $500.
| Rank | Prize | College | % +/- | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,000 | Teachers College | +260.28% |
$165,078.10
goal: $45,819.00
|
| 2 | $2,000 | College of Health | +56.82% |
$94,393.86
goal: $60,194.00
|
| 3 | $1,000 | College of Sciences and Humanities | +14.83% |
$69,831.79
goal: $60,811.00
|
| 4 | $500 | College of Fine Arts | +14.02% |
$160,177.42
goal: $140,480.00
|
| 5 | Miller College of Business | +7.52% |
$133,851.87
goal: $124,491.00
|
|
| 6 | College of Communication, Information, and Media | -4.03% |
$65,099.42
goal: $67,835.00
|
|
| 7 | Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning | -13.84% |
$32,120.46
goal: $37,280.00
|
Ended
Student Donor Challenge
5 randomly selected student donors will receive $250 to designate to the fund of their choice.
Completed
The First Four Challenge
The first student, employee, parent, and alumni donor will each receive $250 given to the fund their gift went to.
Completed
First 5 Academic Departments
The first 5 academic departments to receive a gift will each receive $500 in challenge funds.
Completed
First International Alum Challenge
The first international alum to make a gift from abroad on One Ball State Day will get $500 in challenge funds designated to the fund their gift went to.
Completed
10AM—Noon Leaderboard
The five units/areas/teams that raise the most money from 10 a.m. — Noon each receive $1,000 in challenge funds.
| Rank | Prize | Unit/Area/Department | Raised |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | Men's Golf | $16,157.00 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Gymnastics | $5,392.34 |
| 3 | $1,000 | Field Hockey | $5,165.00 |
| 4 | $1,000 | Theatre & Dance | $4,556.64 |
| 5 | $1,000 | Indiana Academy | $4,537.08 |
| 6 | Men's Tennis | $3,825.52 | |
| 7 | Women's Volleyball | $3,191.76 | |
| 8 | Communication Studies | $3,185.30 | |
| 9 | Soccer | $3,105.00 | |
| 10 | Football | $2,760.78 | |
| 11 | Accounting | $2,286.04 | |
| 12 | Men's Swimming & Diving | $2,075.26 | |
| 13 | Nutrition & Health Science | $2,045.52 | |
| 14 | Men's Volleyball | $2,041.04 | |
| 15 | Miller College of Business | $1,880.26 |
Ended
Afternoon Leaderboard
The five departments/areas/programs with the most donors between 3-5 p.m. will each receive $1,000 in challenge dollars.
| Rank | Prize | Department | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | Theatre & Dance | 59 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Field Hockey | 59 |
| 3 | $1,000 | Indiana Academy | 53 |
| 4 | $1,000 | Communication Studies | 38 |
| 5 | $1,000 | Soccer | 36 |
| 6 | Gymnastics | 26 | |
| 7 | Men's Volleyball | 21 | |
| 8 | Accounting | 17 | |
| 9 | Football | 17 | |
| 10 | Men's Tennis | 16 | |
| 11 | Burris Laboratory School | 16 | |
| 12 | Spectrum | 15 | |
| 13 | Ball State University Police Department | 14 | |
| 14 | Cross Country/Track & Field | 13 | |
| 15 | Men's Golf | 12 |
Ended
Most Donors - Unit Leaderboard
The five departments/areas/programs with the most donors by midnight will each receive $1,000
| Rank | Prize | Department | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,000 | Theatre & Dance | 517 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Indiana Academy | 310 |
| 3 | $1,000 | Field Hockey | 232 |
| 4 | $1,000 | Gymnastics | 190 |
| 5 | $1,000 | Communication Studies | 183 |
| 6 | Football | 143 | |
| 7 | Accounting | 130 | |
| 8 | Soccer | 125 | |
| 9 | School of Music | 121 | |
| 10 | Men's Tennis | 108 | |
| 11 | Cross Country/Track & Field | 95 | |
| 12 | Men's Volleyball | 93 | |
| 13 | Burris Laboratory School | 91 | |
| 14 | Men's Golf | 84 | |
| 15 | Department of Media | 78 |
Ended
Ball State Employee Social Media Challenge
Faculty and staff social media challenge! Share a photo of your 'Because of Ball State' postcard to share how Ball State has shaped who you are today—or what you and your area have been able to accomplish because of Ball State. Be sure to stamp your post with #OneBallState and #BecauseOfBallState. Two random participants will get to donate $500 in challenge funds toward their favorite area.
Completed
Social Media Video Share Challenge
Share any of the One Ball State Day videos on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram Stories, or TikTok using #OneBallState for a chance to earn extra challenge dollars. Two participants will get to donate $500 to their favorite area. Tag @BSUFoundation or @BallStateAlumni ❤️
Completed
LinkedIn Challenge
Share a One Ball State Day post on LinkedIn on April 1st for a chance to designate $1,000 to your favorite Ball State area! Use #OneBallState and tag the Ball State Foundation!
Completed
Paint the U.S. Cardinal Red
Paint the U.S. Cardinal Red. Gifts from all 50 states will unlock $5,000 from the Alumni Council to Ball States greatest needs.
Completed
Because of Ball State Video Challenge
Share your “Because of Ball State” video with #OneBallState for a chance to win $1,000 in challenge dollars to support the area of your choice. We’ll select three winners!
Completed
Teachers College Unit Leaderboard
The Teachers College unit with the most improved number of gifts from OBSD 2025 will receive $500 for first place, $350 for second place, and $150 for third place from Dean Katrina Bulkley.
| Rank | Prize | Unit | % +/- | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $500 | Elementary Education | +38.89% |
50
goal: 36
|
| 2 | $350 | Educational Leadership | +30.95% |
55
goal: 42
|
| 3 | $150 | Special Education | +22.73% |
108
goal: 88
|
| 4 | Burris Laboratory School | +14.29% |
96
goal: 84
|
|
| 5 | Indiana Academy | +8.70% |
350
goal: 322
|
|
| 6 | Educational Psychology | +8.00% |
27
goal: 25
|
|
| 7 | Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies | -14.63% |
35
goal: 41
|
|
| 8 | Educational Studies | -31.03% |
20
goal: 29
|
Ended
2
Match
The Taylor Match: Investing in Future Professionals
In honor of Dr. Taylor's passion for early childhood education and lifelong service to children and families, she will match the first $1,000 in gifts to support academic expenses for ECYFC students.
$1,000 MATCHED
Completed
Charlene Alexander Chief Strategy Office Challenge
Dr. Charlene Alexander, Chief Strategy Officer, will give $600 to the Chief Strategy Office Unit that generates $600 in gifts on One Ball State Day.
Completed
Provost Marri College Challenge
Top 3 colleges in number of donors will unlock $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd place from Provost Marri.
| Rank | Prize | Department | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $250 | College of Fine Arts | 723 |
| 2 | $150 | Teachers College | 670 |
| 3 | $100 | College of Communication, Information, and Media | 512 |
| 4 | Miller College of Business | 429 | |
| 5 | College of Sciences and Humanities | 399 | |
| 6 | College of Health | 286 | |
| 7 | Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning | 190 |
Ended
Registrar Staff Challenge
April Hay, University Registrar, will match up to $250 of her staff’s donations during OBSD.
Completed
