Press Releases | January 27, 2021

The Mind Trust expands Community Learning Sites in Indianapolis townships and extends initiative for 32 locations through end of school year

INDIANAPOLIS — (January 27, 2021) — The Mind Trust today announced it is extending operations for existing Community Learning Sites and expanding the initiative to locations in four Indianapolis townships. A total of 32 Community Learning Site locations will open with the capacity to provide 603 Indianapolis students with e-learning, academic, and social-emotional support at no cost to their families through June 4, 2021. The Mind Trust has partnered with At Your School, Inc. (AYS) to expand Community Learning Sites in Decatur Township, IPS, Speedway, and Washington Township.

“As hybrid learning continues for Indianapolis schools, The Mind Trust is proud to offer Community Learning Sites as a resource for students to receive academic and social-emotional support at no cost to their families,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “We know this critical need exists in all areas of our city, and are thrilled to partner with At Your School and the Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center to serve more students and families in townships. We are grateful for funding from the Lilly Endowment that has made this expansion possible.”

The expansion is being made possible through a $500,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, the grant will enable The Mind Trust to be flexible in the coming months as it seeks to support the learning needs of families and schools in Indianapolis during the pandemic.

AYS specializes in providing high-quality, educational, and safe before-and-after-school programs and whole-day programs for K-6 students during summertime and during fall and spring breaks. Community Learning Sites managed by AYS will operate their traditional before- and after-school care hours while in-person instruction remains an option. As a Community Learning Site partner, sites managed by AYS may expand service to include support during the school day in the event schools return to all virtual learning for extended periods of time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Out-of-school-time support at Community Learning Sites managed by AYS will run from 6:30 a.m. until the school day begins, and then from the last bell until 6:00 p.m. AYS offers limited financial assistance awards on a first-come, first-served basis for out-of-school time support. Learn more about these sites and information on how to enroll at CommunityLearningSites.org/locations.

“We are extremely thankful for the additional support The Mind Trust and the Lilly Endowment are providing for our families,” said AYS President and CEO Chrystal Struben. “This funding will allow us to provide our high quality before- and after-school programming for nearly 400 students across our 23 Community Learning Sites during a time in which our families need us the most. We applaud The Mind Trust for consistently stepping up and helping working Hoosiers.”

Community Learning Site locations that will operate through June 4, 2021 are:

Center Township

  • AYS at Center for Inquiry School 27
  • AYS at Center for Inquiry School 70
  • AYS at Center for Inquiry School 84
  • AYS at Clarence Farrington School 61
  • AYS at Butler Lab School 55
  • AYS at Butler Lab School 60
  • AYS at Meredith Nicholson School 96
  • AYS at Robert Lee Frost School 106
  • AYS at Rousseau McClellan School 91
  • AYS at Sidener Academy School 59
  • Brookside Community Development Corporation
  • Christamore House
  • Crossroads AME Church
  • New Direction Church
  • Nikki Blaine Learning Center
  • The ReSET Center
  • Shepherd Community Center
  • Westside Missionary Baptist Church

Decatur Township

  • AYS at Blue Academy
  • AYS at Gold Academy
  • AYS at Liberty Early Elementary
  • AYS at Stephen Decatur Elementary
  • AYS at Valley Mills Elementary
  • AYS at West Newton Elementary

Speedway

  • AYS at Newby Elementary (also serves Fisher Elementary students)
  • AYS at Wheeler Elementary (also serves Allison Elementary students)

Washington Township

  • AYS at Allisonville Elementary
  • AYS at Clearwater Elementary
  • AYS at Crooked Creek Elementary (also serves Fox Hill and Willow Lake Elementary students)
  • AYS at Greenbriar Elementary (also serves Spring Mill Elementary students)
  • AYS at Nora Elementary
  • Witherspoon Presbyterian Church

Community Learning Sites are open on weekdays, with varying hours at each location. Sites operated by AYS will serve morning and afternoon snacks. All other sites will serve breakfast and lunch. All Community Learning Sites provide WiFi connectivity and have staff who can support students with eLearning, academic, and social-emotional needs. Sites must follow local health orders, including social distancing and mask wearing.

Please visit CommunityLearningSites.org/locations for important information on enrollment requirements, site locations, and hours of operation.

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About The Mind Trust

The Mind Trust is an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit that works to build a system of schools that gives every student in Indianapolis, no exceptions, access to a high-quality education. The Mind Trust does this by building a supportive environment for schools through policy and community engagement, empowering talented, diverse educators to launch new schools, and providing existing schools with the support they need to hire world-class talent and achieve excellence. Since 2006, The Mind Trust has supported the launch of 38 schools, 14 education nonprofit organizations, and has helped place more than 1,600 teachers and school leaders in Indianapolis classrooms. More information can be found at themindtrust.org.

About At Your School

At Your School, Inc. (AYS) is a nonprofit, leading out-of-school time provider in central Indiana. For 40 years, AYS has served working families in the community, providing parents with the freedom to focus on their careers while their kids receive the academic and social-emotional support they need when school is not in session. AYS partners with school districts to operate high-quality before- and after-school programs, whole day programs, break camps, summer camps, emergency pop-up programs, and e-learning programs within school buildings. At AYS, kids get help with their e-learning and homework, time with their friends, plenty of physical activity, and healthy snacks.

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