INDIANAPOLIS — Families on the east side of Indianapolis are getting a big financial boost with a $30 million grant to help fund education and support services.
It will focus on the IndyEast Promise Neighborhood, which includes Martindale-Brightwood and the near east side.
“Near east side, Martindale-Brightwood, these neighborhoods specifically face a lot of challenges. We know that there is deep poverty. We know that there is increased crime that we are seeing happen in the community. We know that our schools are not yet performing where we want them to be performing,” said IPS Superintendent Dr. Aleesia Johnson.
That’s why for years, Indianapolis Public Schools and east side community groups have looked for ways to build a better relationship between schools and families.
“Schools are core to stabilizing neighborhoods,” said James Taylor, CEO of John Boner Neighborhood Centers. “While the funding is important, the real goal here is a systemic change to ensure children and families are more effectively and seamlessly cared for by both the schools and community from birth to adulthood.”
The new project will address generational poverty, create more educational opportunities, and add support services for families addressing mental health and trauma.
Six of the seven participating schools are part of IPS.
“We know if we have strong children that are attending strong schools, that makes for a strong neighborhood. It’s a symbiotic relationship. They all go together,” Johnson said.
Over the next six months, IPS and community groups will develop a plan for the project. The grant will last through 2026. Indianapolis is one of seven cities chosen for the grant out of 50 applicants.
“We know that families flourish when they have access to exceptional educational opportunities, strong economic supports, and deep networks of social capital that build resiliency. We are especially excited to see how our students will benefit from the wide range of wrap-around supports provided through the program,” Johnson said.
Partners in the project include the John Boner Neighborhood Centers, the City of Indianapolis, Children’s Bureau/Families First of Indiana, Edna Martin Christian Center, EmployIndy. Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis, The Mind Trust and the United Way of Central Indiana.
Schools participating in the project are:
- Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School
- James Russell Lowell School 51
- Brookside School 54
- Paramount School of Excellence
- KIPP Indy College Prep Middle School
- Harshman Middle School
- Arsenal Technical High School