It Takes A Village: Student Learning Resilience Project

It Takes A Village: Student Learning Resilience Project is a collection of associated projects and initiatives to support the students, schools, and communities of the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. The project is designed to address the deepening of educational inequalities by race, social class, and zipcode crystallized by the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote the voices of intersectionally-marginalized families and communities in the educational process. As sub-projects become more involved and further funding is obtained, It Takes A Village will divide into distinct projects.

The Math Studio

The Math Studio is a four day a week full time support class in a Near Eastside elementary school based on a supportive and scaffolded approach to learning mathematics focusing on specific math practices and knowledge through a culturally responsive frame. All approaches are grounded in trauma-informed practices, focusing on the whole child, and building on the strengths of the child and their community.

The STEM Studio

Similarly, the STEM Studio is a STEAM makerspace afterschool program at a Near Eastside elementary school. The STEM Studio is orientated towards helping students recognize science and mathematics in their everyday lives and to develop a sense of place in their community through the use of photography and other media.

Teacher Professional Development

Professional development is provided for teachers in two elementary schools in the Near Eastside. The professional development is designed to help teachers develop a culturally responsive and universally designed approach to teaching, specifically with technology. Professional development seminars are held monthly with all teachers in the school.

Educational Software Development

Two educational software packages are being developed to support equitable and inclusive learning. The first is a web-based application that provides a scaffolded tool for developing and keeping track of SMART goals for learning. The second is a culturally responsive math game.

Neighborhood Caucus and Capital Building

As a crucial part of our work, we are working with a Neighborhood Caucus to better understand the lives and needs of the families who live in the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. The Caucus meets once a month and provides us with critical feedback on our work and our approaches. We also facilitate “Capital Building Sessions” to help build upon cultural capital and wealth and to promote community voice in the educational process.

Family as Faculty as an Infrastructure

This is the integration of Family as Faculty-approach with existing CEISL-project infrastructures, extending FAF opportunities to pre-admissions teacher education students through STEM learning. The purpose is to develop infrastructures for engaging educator candidates in community and family-based experiences in partnership with our Near Eastside partner school, the John Boner Neighborhood Center, and Down Syndrome Indiana.