Erskine Green Training Institute Transforms Lives & Builds Community Through Inclusive Employment
Photographer / Chris Carroll
October 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month, an annual recognition of the positive impact of people with disabilities in the American workforce.
“Celebrating America means celebrating the value and talent that all Americans — including people with disabilities — add to our nation’s workplaces and communities,” says Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer in a press release.
Muncie is the first city in the nation to launch a postsecondary vocational training program with a live-in component for people with disabilities.
The Erskine Green Training Institute (EGTI), founded by The Arc of Indiana in 2016, is located at the Courtyard by Marriott at Horizon Convention Center. More than 20% of the employees at Courtyard Muncie have a disability. The hotel was purchased by the Arc Foundation to house EGTI’s training and residential program.
Many EGTI students live at the hotel while training at Courtyard Muncie, 1925 Pubhouse or IU Ball Memorial Health.
“The Horizon Convention Center proudly showcases what sets both our venue and the city of Muncie apart from other cities in Indiana,” says LaShanta Vaughn, CEO and president of Horizon Convention Center. “Our host hotel, the Courtyard by Marriott, is a pioneering training hotel designed specifically for individuals with disabilities, making it truly one of a kind. When you stay at this remarkable hotel, you’re not just enjoying a unique experience — you’re also making a meaningful impact on the community.”
During the program, EGTI students are immersed in Munsonian life. A total of 345 students have completed the training program in Muncie. The current group of students will use their meal cards to spend $17,000 at local restaurants and grocery stores. Zach Arland, 31, works at the front desk at Courtyard Muncie. A 2016 EGTI alum, Arland has cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair. He said he was more independent in the first week of the program than ever before.
“EGTI has empowered me with my own life,” Arland says. “Because of EGTI, I got the job and I’ve been doing very well at it. I can make my own money, build my own connections and relationships here in town, pursue my own interests and develop my identity as an individual.”
An avid Batman fan, Arland is covered in DC Comics tattoos. He is a regular customer at Fox & Sparrow Tattoo and Casa Del Sol in downtown Muncie. He is also an actor in the upcoming production of The Da Vinci Code, presented Oct. 3–12 at Muncie Civic Theatre.
“My life would look nothing like it does today if I hadn’t done EGTI,” Arland adds.
This year, Arland celebrates his eighth work anniversary at Courtyard Muncie. The EGTI program has an 80% employment rate.
“Being able to access the community independently is something many people take for granted, but for our students, this opens the door to living a more fulfilled life and builds tremendous confidence that bleeds into other areas of their life,” says Megan Stevenson, director of EGTI.
Stevenson says 10 students have permanently relocated to Muncie after the program.
Alex Nunez also works the front desk at Courtyard Muncie. Nunez has cerebral palsy and is physically limited on his right side. He says the EGTI program helped him tap into his full potential and improve his math and communication skills.
Nunez adds that he enjoys meeting people from all over the world at his job.
“If they seem to need assistance, I’ll help them any way I can,” Nunez says.
Nunez enjoys drinking a Chuck Berry brew, eating buffalo wings and smoking a cigar on the patio at Savage’s Ale House. He volunteers at the Cowan Fire Department and participates in 5Ks.
“Work brings stability, happiness, friendship — it brings sustaining life. Work is a key component of living their best life,” says Daniel Gurule, manager of community outreach at EGTI. “Parents are in Muncie looking at EGTI as a place where their children are going to be transformed.”
Per its mission, The Arc of Indiana is committed to all people with intellectual and developmental disabilities realizing their goals of living, learning, working and fully participating in the community. The Arc of Indiana is the largest chapter of The Arc in the nation.
Courtyard Muncie is managed by General Hotels Corp.
“The program at Courtyard Muncie isn’t just about training — it’s about transforming lives,” says Jim Dora Jr., president and CEO of General Hotels Corp. “These students and their families have made a meaningful investment in themselves, working to improve both their own futures and local communities. Supporting Erskine Green Training Institute and its students has truly been an honor for us.”
EGTI programs offer training in hospitality, food service, health care and inventory distribution. Its new Indianapolis commuter program provides training opportunities at Riley Hospital for Children and Allison Transmission.
EGTI’s administrative office is located at 601 S. High St. in Muncie. For more information, visit erskinegreeninstitute.org or call 317-268-0250.
