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Cultivate a nurturing, democratic learning environment where Black young men can discover their voices, develop emotional intelligence, and heal to become architects of their own upwardly mobile destinies.

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We envision a future where Black men, empowered by a foundation of healing and self-discovery, reach their full potential and become agents of positive change within their communities.

We cultivate a nurturing environment where Black high school boys from Indianapolis can heal from systemic challenges and discover and amplify their voices to carve their own pathways to upward mobility.

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In LEA

-special education are IPS, but the rest are your employees

-IPS can claim and own that data from those schools

Out LEA

-more autonomy

-each has individual contracts with the school district, based on what the needs are

There are a buffet of choices that you want to pick from IPS that you would like to have as a part of your contract

-IPS is then able to utilize enrollment data, test data, etc to become a part of the district

The numbers are trickier to find, especially for the non LEA schools.

-innovation one pager on the website: Josie will try to find one

The main difference was the financial component. In LEA allowed for SPED to be covered and not put into the budget.

Look at OEI website.

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Empowering Black male leaders to build strong families and communities in Indianapolis.

We envision a future where Indianapolis thrives because empowered Black male leaders, nurtured by strong families and a supportive community, become the architects of positive change.

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Get a Jump Start on College or Career

Taking Ivy Tech classes while you're in high school is a great way to get a jumpstart on your future. Our Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment programs for high schoolers enable students to begin earning college credit while in high school.

You can earn a certificate that allows you to head straight into a high-wage, high-demand career right after graduation, or continue on to college to wrap up an associate degree or even start at a four-year college as a sophomore. Both programs can be free for high school students depending on your goals.

Taking college classes in high school can help students:

Get a better understanding of what is expected in college

Build increased confidence in their ability to handle college

Improve skills in time management, study habits, and handling responsibility

Provide access to Ivy Tech resources such as the library and tutoring

Make connections with employers

Compare our high school programs below to see which might be best for you.

Which Ivy Tech High School Program Is Right For You?

Who It's For

Any student in grades 9-12 who meets course prerequisites

High school students whose high school doesn't offer Dual Credit classes

Homeschooled students ready for the challenge of college courses

What It Is

High school students take Ivy Tech classes at their high school

Get both high school and college credit for a single course

High School students take college courses directly with Ivy Tech while still in high school

Student is enrolled both in high school and Ivy Tech and takes courses separately

Get college credit only for Ivy Tech courses

Where You Take Ivy Tech Classes

At your high school during the regular school day

At Ivy Tech-in person at a campus, online, or a variety of options in between

Cost

$170.07 per credit hour (or $2,455.76 per semester for a full-time, in-state student)

A Good Fit If...

You are looking for training to start a high-wage, high-demand career right after high school

Or, you want to get a head start on college and complete up to your freshman year of college credits through the Indiana College Core, also known as our Start As a Sophomore program

You are looking for training to start a high-wage, high-demand career right after high school

Or, you want to get a head start on college and complete up to your freshman year of college credits through the Indiana College Core, also known as our Start As a Sophomore program

You want to gain an understanding of college culture

Benefits

Save money-earn college credit up to your first full year for free!

Save time-earn college credits in high school and graduate quicker

Save time-earn college credits in high school and graduate quicker

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Get a head start on college education. Enrich your high school experience, earn college credits, and set a path towards academic success. Explore our programs.

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More opportunities for partnering. Very clear pathways.

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J. Everett Light Career Center is dedicated to providing programs that allow local high school students to explore their passion in an innovative, hands-on, and real-world environment. JELCC provides over 20 different, career-focused classes for high school students, using a hands-on, holistic approach. This allows students to create, explore, and solve problems, all while preparing them for post-secondary college and future careers. Each program's curriculum is driven by rigorous career and college-ready standards in combination with state-of-the-art equipment and is delivered through best practices in methodology and technology.

All of our JELCC programs offer college dual credit and/or certifications that serve as valuable resources to help high school students pursue their next steps. JELCC programs can also assist high school students in meeting Indiana Graduation Pathway requirements as well as help students help meet requirements for an Academic Honors Diploma or Academic Technical Honors Diploma. Click on the links to see more about Dual Credits & Certifications.

Check out the: IN CTE Career Guide

Our Mission, Goals, & Vision

Philosophy
The main purpose of the J. Everett Light Career Center is to provide the education and training needed by students to succeed in a chosen career and to bridge the gap between the school and the work force. Career-Technical Education (CTE) provides students options that combine the theory of a particular career with hands-on practice.

We are dedicated to preparing students for economic independence, personal fulfillment, and the ability to make a contribution within a global society. By building upon the interests and capabilities of our students, we create a culture of competency that is inclusive and defined.

Our curriculum is driven by both current industry practices as well as best practice methodology. Technology is a strong component of each and every career cluster. We are dedicated to the principle that Career-Technical Education complements the student's total curriculum and expands opportunities and choices upon completion of the Career-Technical program. It is dedicated to those students who need, want, and can profit from this type of educational opportunity.

JEL Mission Statement

The J. Everett Light Career Center, with the commitment of its staff, parents, advisory committees, and business community, prepares students with skills training for success in college and the workplace.

MSDWT Mission Statement

The mission of Washington Township Schools is to develop lifelong learners and globally-minded citizens by fostering the academic, creative, and social skills needed to achieve excellence in a multicultural environment.

Who We Serve

Please allow us to introduce the high schools that partner with JEL.

If you are interested and do not see your school below, please contact us for more information. (Click here)

Principal/Director

J. Everett Light Career Center

PH 317-259-5265 x44049

FAX 317-259-5298

Marion High School (Marion, Indiana) Class of 1983Butler University (Indianapolis, Indiana) Class of 1994
Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana) Class of 1988

Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana), Vocational Director's License

I have been the proud Director of J. Everett Light Career Center since 2006. I am so excited about being a leader in Career-Technical Education. It is an exciting time, as J. Everett Light Career Center continues to improve, modernize and expand programs to best meet t he needs of an expanding workforce.

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J. Everett Light Career Center is dedicated to providing programs that allow local high school students to explore their passion in an innovative, hands-on, and real-world environment. JELCC provides over 20 different, career-focused classes for high school students, using a hands-on, holistic approach.

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Offers more options, but students will need to part-time enroll in another school district to fulfill this.

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Central Nine Career Center – Careers for 50 Years

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Students and/or parents must report an absence to Central Nine within a 24-hour period to report the absence so that the student is not marked as truant.

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Provides information about what parents in Indianapolis would like in their schools.

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Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis

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-All boys

-Indianapolis, Indiana

-Boarding?

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Offer a variety of experiences to reveal and nourish interests to become productive roles models of the community. Create CEOs or finishing school.

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Providing young men with the tools through democratic education and real-world experiences to carve out their own pathways to upward mobility and stability.

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-stability, safety, security (sense of belonging)

-Mental Health and Physical Wellbeing

-Student Achievement: Aiming for Indiana GPS Plus

-Upward Mobility

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Providing young men with the tools to carve out their own pathways to upward mobility and stability.

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Questions and answers

What are Federal holidays?

The following Federal holidays are established by law (5 U.S.C. 6103):

New Year's Day (January 1).

Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Third Monday in January).

Washington's Birthday (Third Monday in February).

Memorial Day (Last Monday in May).

Juneteenth National Independence Day (June 19).

Independence Day (July 4).

Labor Day (First Monday in September).

Columbus Day (Second Monday in October).

Veterans Day (November 11).

Thanksgiving Day (Fourth Thursday in November).

Christmas Day (December 25).

For information on the observation of these holidays within Federal employee work schedules, please see the Federal holidays fact sheet at http://www.opm.gov/oca/WORKSCH/HTML/HOLIDAY.asp.

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The SEED School of Miami South Florida's only public, college-preparatory boarding school.

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Empowering Young People to Self-Sufficiency

Foster Success is the only Indiana nonprofit organization that supports young adults transitioning out of the state's foster care system.

Our programs and our people empower each young person to create their own journey to self-sufficiency and stability. Foster Success provides support through programs and resources that allow young adults to be educated, housed, financially stable, employed, and connected to a support system by their 26th birthday. Through our inclusive work, young adults can thrive and be active participants within their community.

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Foster Success | Supporting Foster Youth | Indiana

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We believe every young person transitioning out of Indiana's foster care system should feel empowered, supported, and represented at all levels.

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Possible School Model- Gardner's Intelligence

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Possible School Model- Gardner's Intelligence

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This website uses cookies as well as similar tools and technologies to understand visitors’ experiences. By continuing to use this website, you consent to Columbia University’s usage of cookies and similar technologies, in accordance with the Columbia University Website Cookie Notice.

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Indiana GPS dashboard to look up neighboring schools

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Indiana GPS dashboard to look up neighboring schools

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We know that students are so much more than a single test score. Extensive feedback from educators, families, communities, and employers has consistently shown that there are a number of key characteristics critical to a student's lifelong success. Whether their next steps include enrollment, employment, or enlistment leading to service, we all share a commitment to preparing Indiana's students for a dynamic future.

Together, our mission is to empower Indiana's educators, families, communities, and employers with a learner-centered, future-focused dashboard that displays how our students are building the necessary knowledge and skills-in all grades and in all schools- through the Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard, or Indiana GPS.

The Indiana GPS dashboard seeks to:

Empower educators by providing a variety of essential data points to support continuous improvement of student learning across the K-12 continuum,

Support families and community stakeholders by providing meaningful, relevant, and transparent information about school progress and performance, and

Elevate the highest-performing schools as models of excellence, and identify other schools for additional support.

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Indiana Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS)

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We know that students are so much more than a single test score. Extensive feedback from educators, families, communities, and employers has consistently shown that there are a number of key characteristics critical to a student's lifelong success.

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Did it pass?

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The argument in the video was simple.

Two fictional students, Andy and Anna, both go to a public school - but Andy's school receives less state funding because it is a charter school. The ad from the Indiana Student Funding Alliance prompted viewers to ask: Shouldn't Indiana lawmakers close this unfair funding gap between charters and traditional public schools?

The message reached voters throughout Indiana just as state lawmakers convened for this year's legislative session. The roughly $500,000 ad campaign was the latest in a years-long push to direct more state and local funding to charters with the help of the alliance, an influential group of charter backers and nonprofits.

As the session began, charter schools and their backers had particularly pressing reasons to step up their lobbying and marketing efforts. Indianapolis Public Schools, the state's largest district, planned on seeking roughly $413 million in new property taxes through a 2023 ballot measure. And charter schools were frustrated with the prospect of getting a relatively small slice of that money; some charters wouldn't get any of it. Additionally, property values in general were rising, sending extra funding to some local school districts but not to charters.

Although the alliance had existed informally for a few years, last year its members organized the group under a formal name. It got support for its marketing campaign from groups like the Hoosiers for Quality Education nonprofit - which also has a political action committee that has donated nearly $1 million to lawmakers in the last three years alone and supports school choice of various kinds.

The Indiana Student Funding Alliance's campaign paid off. After lawmakers enacted several changes this year, charter schools scored one of their biggest wins since they started in Indiana over 20 years ago: a modified state funding system that gives them more money. The changes, combined with a nearly universal voucher system lawmakers passed this year, mark a critical milestone for an Indiana education landscape that favors school choice now more than ever.

Education interest groups and PACs have long lobbied state lawmakers and tried to sway public opinion. The Indiana Political Action Committee for Education, for example, is the political arm of the Indiana State Teachers Association that consistently gives money to lawmakers' campaigns.

But the changes this year represent a critical juncture for school funding in Indiana. In addition to increasing the state's per-student charter funding, school districts in Marion County and three other counties now must not only share referendum funds for operating expenses with charters, but also future property tax increases as well.

Even with the Republican supermajority's strong support for school choice in general, it was important for advocates like the Indiana Student Funding Alliance to highlight charter schools' funding challenges, said Scott Bess, the executive director of Purdue Polytechnic High School, an Indianapolis charter that is part of the alliance. The group had existed loosely for years, he noted, but the IPS referendum - and charters' inability in general to tap local property tax revenue - elicited a more organized response.

"Those two things happening at the same time really sent home the message that if we don't do something and do something more aggressively, these gaps are going to get to a point where it's not financially sustainable," Bess said.

Rep. Ed Delaney, a Democrat on the House education committee who has consistently opposed charter schools and vouchers, sees lobbying by the alliance and similar efforts as the work of an "education industrial complex."

"I think they've reached a point of excessive power," he said. "And what comes with that is greed and a lack of judgment."

Charter school backers turn to Facebook ads

How these changes will affect traditional public schools' budgets is unknown, given fluctuating property values among other factors.

The Mind Trust, a powerful Indianapolis nonprofit that advocates for charter-friendly policies and which joined the Indiana Student Funding Alliance, estimates those changes will ultimately provide an additional $2,259 per student for charter schools within IPS.

Members of the alliance are celebrating these changes as wins.

The alliance is made up of partners such as the Indiana Charter School Network and the Walton Education Coalition, an education advocacy group, said Betsy Wiley, president of the Hoosiers for Quality Education nonprofit that helped fund the alliance's campaign. (The Walton Family Foundation, which is legally separate from the Walton Education Coalition, is a funder of Chalkbeat.)

Hoosiers for Quality Education also has a political action committee that has received funding from wealthy donors and groups frequently associated with education reform efforts such as charter schools and vouchers.

Together, the Hoosiers for Quality Education nonprofit and the related Institute for Quality Education nonprofit - which distributes private school tuition support as a scholarship granting organization - paid for at least $49,000 in Facebook ads, such as the one featuring Andy and Anna that promoted more funding for charters, according to Facebook's Ad Library. Those ads ran from September 2022 to the end of the session in April.

"This year was different in that a group of folks who strongly believe that public charter school students deserve the same funding as their traditional district student peers came together in a more coordinated fashion," Wiley said in an email.

Rep. Bob Behning, the IndianapolisRepublican who was chairman of the House education committee in the 2023 session, had previously pushed for school districts to share referendum revenues with charters. But this year, he said, the IPS referendum elevated the issue's importance in his mind. ( IPS ultimately nixed its plan to put the referendum on the May primary ballot, although the district may revive the proposal in some form.)

The advertisements by charter backers indicated a general motivation to push for "some level of parity" for charter school funding, he said.

Lawmakers did also approve a $312 million increase for traditional public schools right before the end of this year's legislative session. But critics such as Delaney argue the push to increase funding for charters is just part of a bigger agenda to dismantle the traditional public school system.

"The fundamental truth is they are not interested in traditional public education," he said. "They do not support it, they do not believe in it, but they don't have the courage to stand up and say" that traditional public schools should close.

What increased funding means to charters

Anna and Andy used in the Indiana Student Funding Alliance ads may be fictional, but Dwayne Sullivan and his mother, Susan Sargeant, are very much real.

Dwayne is in the first class due to graduate next year from the Rooted School, an Indianapolis charter school with grades 7-12 that opened in 2020.

Even though her son will graduate soon, Sargeant is hopeful the additional funding enabled by the changes to state law will support higher teacher salaries to attract high-quality teachers to Rooted.

"That's a big, big, big deal, especially for a charter school that's starting out," she said.

At Purdue Polytechnic High School, which has two campuses in Indianapolis, extra operating revenue will also help cover the cost of materials needed for the experiential learning that the school emphasizes through robotics, woodshop, and even a coffee shop that students recently opened at the Englewood campus of Broad Ripple High School.

Both charter school and traditional public school advocates see the referendum sharing requirement as an opportunity to collaborate to convince voters to pass future property tax increases for schools.

Still, some school district officials are worried about the net effect of sharing incremental property tax revenues with charters.

Rafi Nolan-Abrahamian, chief of staff for South Bend Community Schools, said the district is grateful for the $2.1 million in additional yearly revenue it's getting due to the last-minute change made by lawmakers. And he said each funding change favoring charters on its own is probably manageable.

"But we are concerned in particular about the precedent that some of these are setting, and the sort of underlying motivations and rationales behind them," he said.

Meanwhile, pro-charter groups are stressing that this year's policy changes don't meet all their long-term goals.

"Our goal remains the same, the same that it's been for many, many years, which is parity in funding for public charter school students," Wiley said. "And we're not there yet."
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

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Charter schools are celebrating big funding wins in Indiana. Who helped them out?

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Motivated in part by Indianapolis Public Schools' plans to seek hundreds of millions in new tax revenue that wouldn't benefit many charters, charter supporters used videos and other lobbying efforts this year in a bid to change the state education funding system. They succeeded in several ways.

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100 Black Men of America, Inc. | What They See Is What They'll Be

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Education | 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

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Igniting Young Minds, Creating A Better Future Education is the most potent weapon you can use to change the world.

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Look at 3E grant funding

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Indiana Becomes First State to Significantly Redesign Diplomas

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We invite you to take the first step today!
This course is tailor-made for children and teenagers between the ages of 12-18. Parents recognise the vital importance of their children’s manners. Polite children stand out from the crowd. Your child’s character, acceptance, even intelligence are judged by how he or she is perceived and liked

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Innovation Network Schools - The Mind Trust

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Innovation Network Schools combine the successes of autonomous schools with the financial support and services of Indianapolis public schools.

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Thinking about what is going on?

-98% are able to define self-worth in their own words and can tell you why they are important.

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On Friday, June 9, 2023, there were three separate accidental shooting incidents across Indianapolis. Two out of the three were boys.

Police confirmed that they were 8, 11 and 13 years old.

That following weekend a 12-year-old boy was shot in the early morning hours at an Airbnb house party.

Riley Children's Health say they have seen an uptick of accidental and intentional child gunshot victims over the last five years.

When you look at reports on education for all children according through Indiana's Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN), they show that Hoosier students in grades three to eighth are still largely falling behind in English and mathematics.

Compared to 2022 ILEARN data, Black students improved overall in each category. However, the growth was small, ranging from as little as 0.6% to as high as 1.8%. The 1.8% gain was in math.

Compared to other students, Black children are significantly behind academically.

It's imperative to recognize that the challenges faced by Black boys in particular extend far beyond the classroom. They encompass a range of critical issues, from early childhood development, education and health disparities.

When you take the average Black male child born a little above or below the poverty line in Indianapolis, the outcomes for his future appear limited.

By focusing on one predominately Black neighborhood in Indianapolis - Martindale-Brightwood - I want to report on the current state of our Black boys based on all of these factors.

This focused reporting can then be compared to the rest of the Hoosier state.

In 2020, the maternal mortality ratio for Black Hoosier women was 208 per 100,000 live births, compared to 108 for white women and 71 for Latino women.

Historically underserved communities are exposed to overlapping inequalities in medical care. They also lack access to other opportunities - such as employment and education - that are linked to higher risks of maternal mortality.

According to Indiana Schools Bullying, Safety Staffing and Arrests Report for 2022, there were 1,291 total arrests off of school grounds reported for the 2021-2022 school year.

Of the overall student arrests, 68% were male. Of those arrested, 26% percent were Black, second behind white students.

It is important to remember that 84% of Hoosiers are white, compared 10% who are Black, according to the 2022 Census.

The Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood has been known to be a hot spot for crime.

For 2023, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department received 1,288 calls from January to mid-July, with 46218 the second highest ZIP code in Marion County for domestic violence calls.

There are so many stories to tell here. My project for the 2023 Impact Fund for Reporting on Health Equity and Health Systems will focus on the current state of our Black boys in this neighborhood.

The truth of the matter is Black boys are severely behind.

My hope is that this reporting can be used as a reference for city leaders to implement policies for change. I also hope it can be used by community leaders making a difference in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood to create better outcomes for our Black boys.

The Indianapolis Recorder, the fourth oldest Black newspaper in the country, is in the heart of the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood.

Hearing police sirens every day as a reporter is not the same as it for the young Black boys seen running around the community, because this is their home.

There are established organizations in the neighborhood whose mission is to improve the outcomes for these boys.

Often times though, you have a divide between the people meant to serve and the people who are being served. I plan to highlight a deeper reality of why people being served also struggle with those services.

The bigger picture is showcasing the influences that sway our boys to negative outcomes and what can be done to change their trajectory.

The state of our Black boys is also the state of our future Black men.

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New report will look at challenges facing Black boys in one Indianapolis neighborhood

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Exploring the challenges faced by Black boys in one Indianapolis neighborhood struggling with chronic disparities and racism.

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Student Based Allocation (SBA) is a funding formula that distributes resources to schools according to student needs and characteristics. School leaders then decide how to use those resources to best support their students. As of the 2017-18 school year, IPS uses SBA to develop budgets for all schools.
Goals of SBA:

Equity: Equitably fund each student at each school based on his or her educational needs.

Flexibility: Provide principals more flexibility to make budgetary and academic decisions that meet the needs of their individual school.

Transparency: Clearly show exactly how much funding each school receives and why.

SBA is about spending limited dollars wisely
The shift to SBA allows IPS to more efficiently direct resources to where students need them most; but it does not replace the need to make tough decisions about the way money is spent. SBA allows IPS to focus on investing in programs that work, protect the progress made, and put the interests of students first in every decision.

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Student Based Allocation (SBA) is a funding formula that distributes resources to schools according to student needs and characteristics. School leaders then decide how to use those resources to best support their students. As of the 2017-18 school year, IPS uses SBA to develop budgets for all schools.

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Established in 2015 with support from the Marion County Public Health Department, the Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition represents nearly 60 organizations with a shared interest in preventing youth violence in Indianapolis, IN. Today, the Coalition remains focused on its mission to "convene community stakeholders, conduct research, provide leadership, and empower people to create opportunities that build more peaceful homes, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces."

Download the 2020-2023 Strategic Plan.

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Established in 2015 with support from the Marion County Public Health Department, the Marion County Youth Violence Prevention Coalition represents nearly 60 organizations with a shared interest in preventing youth violence in Indianapolis, IN. Today, the Coalition remains focused on its mission to "convene community stakeholders, conduct research, provide leadership, and empower people to create opportunities that build more peaceful homes, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces."

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Professional Development

Black Male Conference- could be staff benefit

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TOGETHER, WE ARE REBUILDING THE NATIONAL BLACK TEACHING PIPELINE TO ACHIEVE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE

Research shows when Black students have Black teachers who reflect their experiences and worldviews, they perform better in school. But most go through 13 years of public education without one.

As a result, Black students continue to fall short of their academic potential.

We built the Center to address this national educational crisis by increasing the number of Black teachers in public district and charter schools and promoting anti-discriminatory, culturally-responsive educational practices.

All so Black students can reap the full benefits of a quality public education.

SCHOOL AND DISTRICT LEADERS:

WE WANT TO INVEST IN YOUR STUDENTS.

Partner with us to set up a Teaching Academy so your high school students can explore a career in education. Our Le Count-Catto Curriculum based in Black pedagogy helps students make the connection between teaching and activism.

All Teaching Academy students are eligible for the Center's Black Teacher Pipeline Fellowship that provides academic support, professional coaching, college scholarships and retention bonuses.

Don't let your scholars miss out. Do your part to liberate education for generations to come.
CONTACT US

Thank

A Black teacher who made a difference in someone's life

A Black teacher who made you want to become a teacher

#WeNeedBlackTeachers

Our Reach & Impact

2019-2023 PROGRESS REPORT

SIGNIFICANT OUTCOMES

TEACHER APPRENTICES

Interest in Teaching Black Children

Social Justice Orientation

Educator Activism

YOUNG SCHOLARS

Reading Skills

Positive Racial Identity

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS

Professional Development

E-Learning

Affinity Groups, including BMEC

Learn More

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TOGETHER, WE ARE REBUILDING THE NATIONAL BLACK TEACHING PIPELINE TO ACHIEVE EDUCATIONAL EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE Research shows when Black students have Black teachers who reflect their experiences and worldviews, they perform better in school. But most go through 13 years of public education without one.

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Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana's free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County's township districts, and statewide education news.
The Indianapolis Public Schools board approved an operating budget for next school year that will prioritize staff pay raises, literacy programming, support for English language learners, and the district's Rebuilding Stronger reorganization plan.

The projected $456 million spending plan adopted by the IPS board Thursday is $10 million more than projected spending for this school year. The figure excludes any debt that the district pays annually for capital expenses.

The board approved the budget for the 2024-25 school year by a unanimous vote.

Here are four main takeaways from the budget:

Budget priorities include teacher pay, literacy

Raises outlined in new teacher and support staff contracts approved this school year are one of the district's funding priorities. Teachers received an average 3% increase in pay in the two-year contract approved in 2023, plus stipends for hard-to-fill positions such as special education and English as a New Language teachers. Support staff received an average increase of 7.4%, boosting starting pay from $11.01 per hour to $16.01.

The district's Rebuilding Stronger plan is also a top priority. The plan will expand specialized academic programming like STEM, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia learning models into schools throughout the district. It also requires training for staff in these academic models.

It has also required financial incentives for staff and marketing for families to entice both parties to stay in the district, as the plan calls for the break up of K-8 schools that will send students and staff to new locations next year.

Other budget priorities include funding early literacy efforts as lawmakers have required districts to adopt curriculum based on the science of reading. Starting next year, third-grade students who do not pass the state's IREAD test must also be held back in accordance with a new law.

The district this year launched training for staff on UFLI, a new reading skills curriculum, and LETRS, which also trains staff on the science of reading.

IPS also hopes to reorganize its English as a New Language program, a plan that calls for $2,000 stipends for teachers who lead these efforts in their school buildings.

Millions in property taxes will go to charter schools

The district will lose out on a projected $4 million in property taxes to charter schools in fiscal year 2025.

That's due to a statute lawmakers passed last year dealing with charters and taxes. The 2023 law requires school districts in Marion County and three other counties to share increases in property tax revenues proportionally with charter schools in the county that enroll students living in the district.

And under a new law passed this year, IPS is limited in how much it may charge autonomous schools in its Innovation Network, the majority of which are charter schools. The district can't charge more than the charter school receives in property tax revenues.

Chief Financial Officer Weston Young said in a statement that the district is still evaluating what the law passed this year will mean for IPS.

Enrollment and per-pupil funding projected to increase

IPS predicts a slight increase in the number of students in its non-charter schools, from 21,128 this school year to 21,420 next school year. Innovation charters are estimated to grow from 10,285 to 10,335 students.

Enrollment figures are critical for school districts, which receive funding based on student enrollment.

Per-pupil funding from the state includes a baseline amount plus more funding, known as "complexity" funding, for students from low-income backgrounds or those in foster care. Per-pupil funding for IPS stood at $8,060 this school year and is projected to be $8,170 next year, an increase of roughly 1.4%.

But IPS has seen a smaller proportion of its state support come from complexity funding in recent years, as the state has increased base funding for all districts.

The result, according to the district's analysis, is that IPS has seen a smaller increase in per-pupil amounts from the state than its surrounding suburban districts.

IPS predicts financial crunch in a few years

Officials anticipate ending the fiscal year in June with $120 million in cash on hand.
Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.
The district still predicts a deficit in the cash balance for its education and operations fund around 2027, after federal COVID relief funds expire in September 2024 and money from a tax increase approved by voters in 2018 expires in 2026.

Officials have stressed that the district must make important decisions to alleviate the predicted deficit. The Rebuilding Stronger plan closed six schools operating under capacity and moved students into other schools in order to operate more efficiently.

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These are the big takeaways from the $456 million budget just adopted by IPS

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Funding for teacher and other staff pay raises, as well as changes to early literacy programs and specialized academic offerings, are prioritized in the budget for 2024-25. IPS predicts a slight increase in enrollment next year, but there are long-term fiscal concerns.

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Men of Distinction Academy

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Dr. Maynard Jackson Jr., the first Black mayor of Indianapolis- Maynard Cadence Academy

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Thrive's residential life is what sets us apart from the rest. Our part-time boarding program provides students with a safe living environment built specifically for them. Thrive is designed so that students learn and engage in a holistic, family environment.

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We cultivate a nurturing environment where Black high school boys from Indianapolis can heal from the effects of systemic challenges specific to our city, like limited educational resources and mass incarceration. We foster open dialogue, cultural affirmation, social-emotional learning, and mentorship programs. Through these initiatives, we help them discover and amplify their unique voices, develop the skills and confidence to carve their own pathways to upward mobility and become future leaders and positive changemakers who contribute to a more just and vibrant Indianapolis.

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For those individuals who suffer from acute symptoms of mental illness, Meridian Health Services' Community Support program can provide six areas of support:

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Learn more about Meridian School Clinics

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For those individuals who suffer from acute symptoms of mental illness, Meridian Health Services' Community Support program can provide six areas of support: Identifying and working toward reducing symptoms Functioning and living more productively in the community Developing skills to manage illness Achieving the level of independence that is possible

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The Indianapolis Public Schools Board approved reuse plans for school buildings that will close this summer and formally shuttered facilities no longer providing academic instruction to students. The decision comes after multiple charter school organizations sought to acquire some buildings under a law that would allow a $1 purchase.

Officials said they sought to balance a community's interest, geographic benefits of a building location and the cost to maintain a building in their approach to finding partners or new uses for the empty schools.

According to an IPS facilities study released last year, 15 of 67 IPS school buildings are in poor or worse condition. Voters recently approved a $410 million capital referendum to fund improvements on nearly two dozen buildings.

The closures are part of the district's Rebuilding Stronger plan, which aims to provide more academic and extracurricular offerings through limiting elementary schools to grades K-5 and opening middle schools for students in grades 6-8. The plan also includes closing and merging six schools.

The so-called "$1 law" requires public school districts to sell or lease unused buildings to charter schools for one dollar. IPS has previously avoided the law by housing administrative departments in unused facilities.

Lawmakers just altered the law by carving out an exception to it for school corporations that share property-tax referenda revenue with nearby charter schools.

Earlier this year, leaders at Victory College Prep, a K-12 charter school on the southeast side of Indianapolis, announced their intent to acquire Paul Miller Elementary School 114 once it closes at the end of the school year.

But Tuesday the board approved the school building to become the new home of its Facility Maintenance Division teams, and an adult education program through the Goodwill Excel Center. Last month the Indianapolis Charter School Board granted a charter school reapplication for Goodwill Education Initiatives to open its seventh local center in School 114.

VCP declined to comment on School 114, but continues efforts to acquire other properties.

Johnson said there are multiple ways using School 114 could be beneficial for the district and the community.

"[I'm] incredibly excited about having both our FMD teams and the Excel in that building, because we believe that there is the opportunity to build some partnerships so that students who are in the Excel Center, upon completion, could be able to explore opportunities in our FMD team," Johnson said.

Floro Torrence School 83 and George Buck School 94 will provide temporary, multi-year use to some students and staff with the Indiana school of the Blind and Visually Impaired as their facilities undergo renovations.

Susan Leach School 68, which hasn't been used for student instruction since 2019, will be used for warehousing, as well as shipping, receiving and distribution. Those duties are currently performed at locations such as Broad Ripple High School and the shuttered Thomas Carr Howe families, but those buildings will reopen in fall 2024 as middle schools. In recent years, School 68 has been used to distribute care packages to people experiencing homelessness, and house people exposed to COVID-19.

Under the initial draft of the Rebuilding Stronger plan, IPS proposed demolishing Francis Parker School 56 on the northeast side so the district could construct a new building. The facility was rated as "poor" condition. The building will now remain in place.

Johnson said they have not determined how to use the building in the future, but wants to use it in the future for instructional purposes while maintaining the facility's historical significance, despite its condition.

KIPP Indy is one of the education groups interested in School 56, said Bill Murphy, IPS chief operations officer. The charter organizer operates two nearby schools.

IPS said they will work with the community over the next few months to decide what to do with two other buildings - Raymond Brandes School 65 and Francis Bellamy School 102.

Adelante Schools, a charter school who already partners with IPS in a district facility, is interested in School 65.

Before the board vote, commissioner Will Pritchard said it makes sense for charter schools to use the buildings of School 56 and School 65.

"Thought I know it is complicated. There's lot to work through," Pritchard said. "My encouragement on that piece is to move as quickly as we can to both find something to do with these buildings that meets the needs of the community but also builds faith in the current partnerships that we have with the schools that are interested in those buildings."

Reuse plans for these buildings are expected to be announced in the next few months, district officials said.

Contact WFYI education reporter Elizabeth Gabriel at egabriel@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @_elizabethgabs.

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Here's how IPS will reuse closed school buildings and who moves in

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The Indianapolis Public Schools Board approved reuse plans for school buildings that will close this summer and formally shuttered facilities no longer providing academic instruction to students. The decision comes after multiple charter school organizations sought to acquire some buildings under a law that would allow a $1 purchase.

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All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs

Abstract

Background

Community-based youth mentoring programs are popular interventions that serve a large number of Black youths throughout the country. Interestingly, the majority of mentors who volunteer their time for mentoring organizations identify as non-Hispanic White. This study examines how White mentors address topics acknowledging ethnic/racial identity and issues centered around social justice and recognize their own privileges when mentoring Black youth in community-based youth mentoring programs.

Objective

The aims of the current study were to examine: (a) whether and how White volunteer mentors address ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) how White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege impacted how they addressed ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship with Black youth.

Method

Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 current and former mentors from six different Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring programs across the United States.

Results

Findings reveal that some mentors felt uncomfortable discussing issues centered around race and others do not think it is relevant at all. Further, findings demonstrated that mentoring Black youth significantly impacts mentors' perceived awareness of social issues and acknowledgment of privileges they hold.

Conclusions

Current findings highlight the need for youth mentoring programs to provide training and resources to help White mentors discuss implications of race and broader social justice issues with the Black youth they mentor.

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Introduction

Community-based mentoring programs have been a popular intervention for marginalized youth in urban areas in the United States since the early 1900's (Baker & Maguire, 2005; Schwartz & Rhodes, 2016). Despite their positive impacts (DuBois et al., 2002, 2011; Raposa et al., 2019), traditional approaches to community-based youth mentoring are limited in that selected mentors are often disconnected from the communities and backgrounds of their mentees (Albright et al., 2017; Schwartz & Rhodes, 2016). This is an especially important consideration for Black youth as they make up the largest racial demographic of youth in mentoring programs in the United States (Albright et al., 2017; Garringer et al., 2017). Interestingly, non-Hispanic White mentors make up the largest demographic of volunteer mentors in community-based programs. Further, consideration of race, ethnicity, and culture in cross-racial youth mentoring relationships are especially important for Black youth as they have unique contexts and cultural strengths that influence their developmental trajectory (Alexander, 2011; Delgado et al., 2017; García Coll et al., 1996; Gaylord-Harden et al., 2018; Sánchez et al., 2014; Spencer et al., 1997). Thus, many questions remain regarding how White mentors address culturally relevant issues that occur in the lives of Black youth, especially those from economically disenfranchised communities (Albright et al., 2017; Sánchez et al., 2018; Travis & Leech, 2014).

Importance of Considering Race, Ethnicity and Culture in Mentoring Programs for Black Youth

Although Black youth contend with a variety of different environmental and systemic hurdles, they can draw upon unique cultural resources for motivation, strength, and joy (Clonan-Roy et al., 2016; Gaylord-Harden et al., 2018; Jones & Neblett, 2017; Okeke-Adeyanju et al., 2014). Specifically, research has highlighted that ethnic/racial identity (e.g., private regard/pride) has been shown to buffer against the deleterious effects of racial discrimination and promote positive developmental outcomes for Black youth (e.g., academic achievement; Rivas-Drake et al., 2014; Seaton & Iida, 2019; Seaton et al., 2009; Sellers et al., 2006). Further, the families and communities of Black youth are a strong protective factor by providing social support (e.g., religious support) and positive racial socialization messages (Brown, 2008; Brown & Tylka, 2011; Cooper et al., 2013; Taylor et al., 2001). Additionally, researchers have found that focusing on the cultural strengths and values of Black youth can also prevent detrimental outcomes and promote positive youth development (Grills et al., 2016; Jones & Neblett, 2016; Neblett et al., 2010). Specifically, capitalizing on assets already present in a youth's social network and broader community can combat against structural oppression and discrimination against youth (Yosso, 2005).

To date, limited research has examined how White mentors cultivate the racial identity of Black youth and utilize the youth's cultural assets in a cross-racial mentoring relationship. The consideration of how culture, racial, and ethnic issues is important in youth mentoring research because many of the existing youth mentoring frameworks do not explicitly highlight the potential implications of these constructs on the mentoring relationship (Sánchez et al., 2018; Weiston-Serdan, 2017). For example, the ways in which racism and racial identity impact rapport building between youth and their mentors is not explicitly mentioned in the most influential youth mentoring frameworks (see Rhodes, 2005; Spencer, 2006). An emerging body of literature has called for research that considers the role of race, culture, racism, and social justice in youth mentoring relationships (Sánchez et al., 2018, 2021; Schwartz et al., 2016; Weiston-Serdan, 2017).

Interracial Interactions Outside of the Youth Mentoring Context

Although there are gaps in the youth mentoring literature regarding how race, ethnicity, and culture impact the interactions between White mentors and Black youth, other research areas and disciplines have examined the implications of cross-racial/ethnic interactions. Specifically, intergroup contact theory proposes individuals who engage in some type of contact with people with different identities than their own (i.e., becoming friends with someone of a different racial/ethnic group membership) are less likely to be prejudiced towards individuals that do not share their group status (Al Ramiah & Hewstone, 2013; Davies et al., 2011; Dovidio et al., 2003). In order to achieve successful intergroup contact several conditions have to be established: common goals between the individuals in different groups, relatively equal status, cooperative interdependence, the development of intergroup friendships, opportunity for personal acquittance, and official endorsement of the contact (Dovidio et al., 2003; Kerssen-Griep & Eifler, 2008; Pettigrew & Tropp, 2000). Research indicates that successful intergroup contact between non-Black people and Black people can have a variety of different benefits for non-Black individuals including increased empathy, respect, tolerance, and overall reduction of racial bias (Kerssen-Griep & Eifler, 2008; Onyeador et al., 2020). Intergroup contact theory highlights the importance of examining the interactions in cross-racial mentoring relationships, particularly among Black youth and White mentors. Specifically, more research is needed to examine how interactions within cross-racial mentoring relationships impact the discussion of certain topics (e.g., social justice or cultural activities), communications between mentors and mentees, and how these interactions have lasting impacts on mentors.

The Current Study

The current study is part of a larger investigation that examined non-Black mentors' perceptions of potential precursors of change to promote positive youth development among Black youth in community-based mentoring programs. The current study focuses on: (a) whether and how White volunteer mentors address ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) how White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege impacted how they addressed ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship with Black youth. Based on the previous youth mentoring literature we could expect to find: (a) Some White mentors may not address or be uncomfortable addressing ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege will impact how they address ethnic/racial identity and racial socialization in the mentoring relationship. Nevertheless, this study highlights an understudied area in youth mentoring literature and a priori expectations and assumptions were considered through utilizing the constructivist grounded theory approach.

Method

Participants

The target research participants for this investigation were former and current volunteer Big Brother Big Sister (BBBS) mentors who have worked with Black youth in a mentoring capacity. The reasoning for selecting these participants refers to the fact that they are highly qualified informants, capable of providing a unique understanding their interactions with Black youth in community-based mentoring programs. BBBS was the target agency of this study due its current and historical impact, and the demographics of the youth served (Porzig, 2021). Participants were mentors from the following agencies: BBBS Central Texas, BBBS of Alaska, BBBS in Winston Salem, BBBS of Flint and Genesee County, BBBS of Greater Chattanooga and BBBS of Southwestern Illinois. All mentors were at least 18 years of age at the time of the study and served at least 6 months as BBBS mentors, after completion of their initial mentorship training. Given the conditions of the global COVID-19 pandemic during the duration of the data collection (Rothan & Byrareddy, 2020), all data collection was conducted exclusively via video calling (i.e., Zoom) and phone calls.

To participate in this study, prospective mentors had to fulfill the following criteria: (a) being a former or current BBBS mentor, (b) being 18 years of age or older at the time of the study, (c) having served as BBBS mentor for at least one successful mentoring experience as defined by BBBS standards for at least one Black youth, (d) having served as mentor for a minimum of 6 months, and (e) expressing willingness to consent to participate in the study, as well as completion of one in-depth, semi-structured individual interview regarding their experiences and insights on mentoring Black youth.

Prospective mentors were excluded if any of the following criteria applied: (a) failure to meet all inclusion criteria, (b) involuntary termination by BBBS, or (c) mentors identify as Black or African American. These criteria were applied for several reasons. First, according to empirical studies, youth mentoring relationships that last 3 months or less or are terminated before the expected time commitment, are not as effective for producing positive youth outcomes and can even be harmful for the youth (Grossman & Rhodes, 2002; Grossman et al., 2012). Second, mentors who were involuntarily released from their mentoring duties were not recruited because their perceptions of the mentoring process may be negatively influenced due to biases associated with the cause that led to their forced removal from the mentoring program. The authors had no competing interests with any of the participating BBBS agencies and mentors.

Demographic information was collected for each participant (see Table 1). There were 26 participants in this study. While all participants identified as White, two of the participants also identified as Hispanic, and one participant also identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native. There were slightly more male participants (53.8%) compared to female participants (46.1%). Participants between the ages of 45 and 54 comprised the largest age group (38.4%). The majority of mentors in this study reported graduating from a 4 years college (71.4%). Sixteen mentors reported being married at the time of the study, while 10 mentors reported being single, never married and two mentors reported being divorced. All but four mentors reported having more than 2 years of experience of mentoring a Black youth as a volunteer for BBBS in their respective agency. Seventeen of the participants were current or former mentors in BBBS of Central Texas. Of the remaining mentors four were from BBBS of Alaska, three were volunteers of BBBS in Winston Salem, two volunteered for BBBS of Flint and Genesee County, one volunteered for BBBS of Greater Chattanooga and one BBBS of Southwestern Illinois respectively. Twenty-four out of 26 mentors reported having more than 2 years of experience of mentoring a Black youth as a volunteer for BBBS in their respective agency. Thirteen of the mentors were not currently engaged in BBBS mentoring relationships with a Black youth and three of those mentors had relationships that ended over 10 years ago.

Table 1 Participant demographics

Procedure and Measures

Based on the nature of this study, community stakeholders were critical in the implementation of all research procedures. Initial study participants were recruited with the help of BBBS of Central Texas administrative staff during 2020 and the beginning of 2021. Specifically, the first author met with the program administrators of BBBS of Central Texas during the spring of 2020 to discuss their study idea and their desire to interview BBBS mentors. After gaining the program administrator's approval of the study, the first author submitted the study IRB. Once the IRB was approved, the BBBS of Central Texas staff then helped distribute a recruitment flyer to current and past mentors who identify as White and mentored Black youth in BBBS.

To increase regional diversity of the research participants, the first author then utilized a youth mentoring listserv to branch out to find more BBBS mentors across the country by distributing a recruitment flyer via email. In this listserv, the first author connected with White mentors who have mentored Black youth with BBBS. Further, the first author also connected with BBBS staff in the listserv who passed along the recruitment flyer to White mentors in their respective chapters as well. In total, 17 mentors were recruited via the assistance of BBBS of Central Texas administrative staff and 9 were recruited via BBBS staff and BBBS mentors contacted through the youth mentoring research listserv.

The primary method of data collection consisted of in-depth, individual semi-structured interviews conducted with research participants. A semi-structured interview guide was developed based on the study aims of a larger investigation focused on the potential precursors of change for Black youth in community-based mentoring programs. The guide began with a series of questions focused on the mentor's background. Specifically, their motivations to become a mentor, their first experiences with their mentee, and their exposure to racially diverse populations, particularly Black youth, before becoming a volunteer mentor. After establishing focusing on the mentor's background, questions were asked about how race and culture were addressed in the mentoring relationship. Once race and culture were addressed, questions then focused on oppression, and racial socialization. The questions then shifted to asking about privilege and color blindness awareness. These questions explored how mentors addressed issues related to white privilege, color blindness, and what the mentors potentially learned about their own biases while mentoring a Black youth. The final category of questions focused on how mentors interacted with their mentee's social networks. The interview ended with reflective questions about significant takeaways from the mentoring experience and suggestions on how to improve the mentoring experience with BBBS.

The first author engaged in key activities to enhance credibility which included close engagement with study participants such as: (a) debriefing with mentors and mentoring experts about emerging findings, (b) writing reflective journaling and engaging in analytic memoing, and (c) conducting a round of member checks prior to writing the final research findings (Connelly, 2016; Shenton, 2004). Thus, research participants had a key role in establishing trustworthiness of the data and ensuring the accuracy of findings. Further, a unique action to increase credibility in this study was to review the interview guide with the administrative staff of BBBS of Central Texas. Reviewing the study guide with BBBS administration allowed for certain questions to be refined and non-essential questions to be removed from the interview guide.

All participants were offered the opportunity for phone interviews instead of video calls. Each individual interview lasted between 60 and 120 min and all participants were compensated $20 for their participation and were allowed to withdraw from the interview at any time without penalty. The authors received no external funding to provide financial support for the study. Interviews commenced only once IRB approval was granted and verbal consent was provided by the study participants. Once the data was collected and analyzed, twelve mentors and two BBBS mentoring program administrators participated in member checking meetings. The member checking meetings included having a follow up meeting with the first author to have the major themes and framework created from the study presented to them to provide feedback and suggestions. The final interview transcripts were not returned to participants for correction.

Data Analysis

Positionality Statement

Considering this study utilized CGT, the first author's intersecting identities and the time period the study took place had a profound impact on the data collection and data analysis of the study. As a Black man raised in the southern geographic region of the United States, with extensive experience working with youth as a mentor and mental health clinician, this qualitative investigation originated from the desire to learn more about how non-Black mentors were serving Black youth. Further, this study occurred after the racial justice protests that occurred after the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, the United States Presidential election in 2020 also impacted the data collection and data analysis. Specifically, many participants shared how these events impacted their mentees and sparked reflection on their mentoring experiences with Black youth. Thus, memo writing was essential throughout data collection and data analysis and helped the interviewer to keep track of their initial reactions and to practice reflexivity throughout the entire research process. These memos were then integrated into the final framework created from the data (Charmaz, 2006; Glaser, 2014; Timonen et al., 2018).

Results

The current study resulted in three major themes and seven minor themes related to White mentors' experiences addressing their mentee's racial identity, discussing social justice related topics within the mentoring relationship, and perceived importance of their positionality. Quotes from the participants are provided for each theme.

Acknowledging the Youth's Ethnic/Racial Identity

Eighteen mentors reported conversations focused on addressing the Black ethnic/racial identity of the mentee. Most of these conversations focused on ethno-racial aspects of the mentee's life, such as popular culture events, interactions with family members, and less than half focused on coping with racial discrimination. Three mentors reported engaging in activities (e.g., going to an African American museum exhibit) with their mentees with the expectation of helping youth to strengthen their identities as Black youth. It is noticeable, however, that there were some mentors who did not acknowledge the youth's Black identity as an important aspect of the mentoring relationship. Furthermore, most of the mentors did not attempt to engage youth in activities that nurtured their Black ethnic/racial identity for a variety of reasons as discussed in the sections below.

Engaging in Conversations Based on the Youth's Ethnic/Racial Identity

Eighteen mentors engaged in conversations centered on their mentee's ethnic/racial identity for various reasons. Some mentors discussed the youth's Black racial identity in relation to having a White mentor and perceived racial differences. For example, Felicity reported a time when she had a conversation with her mentee focused on the mentee's family members expressing negative statements about being mentored by a White person, "She said she was getting a lot of grief from extended family, not her immediate family, extended family, saying that she was matched with me, so she was trying to be White." The same mentor further detailed how her mentee explained that she talked differently with the mentor than she did at home:

My mentee said, 'Well, I don't talk with you, like I do at home.' And I said, 'What do you mean?' She gave me examples and that same day, I had to take her home to an aunt's house. We knocked on the door. And I heard what she was talking about. And I was just flabbergasted. It brought on a big conversation between us.

Five additional mentors noticed a difference in the youth's dialect whenever the mentees interacted with their family members and peers, in contrast to the way they communicated with their mentors. Helen detailed how she noticed her mentee would use different terminology when speaking to her compared to conversations she had with her family:

I later learned that its code switching. But before I had a term for it, I noticed that she talked differently to me than she did to her family. And even when she was relaying a story to me, when she was talking about a conversation with her mom or her sister, she used the language that they used with each other, instead of how she talked to me.

A few mentors discussed times discussed their mentee's racial identity as a result of their mentees experiencing racial discrimination. For example, Micah reflected about having to console his mentee after being called a racial slur by a classmate:

One day we were at the park shooting hoops and just talking about life. And he was telling me at school, one of the kids was calling him a n word, and it fucking broke my heart. Here's a White kid who's calling him awful things just because of who he is.

Engaging in Activities Based on the Youth's Racial Identity

Only three mentors mentioned being intentional about utilizing activities to talk about topics related to racism and broader experiences associated with being a Black person in the United States. Spencer talked extensively about exposing his mentee to different movies to help him talk with his mentee about racial issues, "It was interesting because one of the things I made a point of doing was watching a movie with him that was all about racism with a Black hero."

Another mentor, Kooper, explained how he was always conscious about his mentee's racial identity in selecting activities throughout the mentoring relationship:

Oh, if there was an exhibit in town of African Americans in Austin. I would make it a point to get into that. If there were two books, I wanted to give him as a gift and maybe one was by African American author, I'd probably give him that one.

Many of the mentors explained that they did not explicitly address racial topics in the relationship because race was not a motivating factor for becoming a mentor at BBBS. For example, Evan explained that they were interested in just mentoring a youth that needed guidance and was not interested in focusing on race and culture, "We didn't address...[race] at all. And that was probably conscious on my part, because to me why I was interested in being a big brother and a mentor, it had nothing to do with race and culture."

Norah identified her mentee's family background as a reason why the Black aspect of the mentee's racial identity was not a topic of conversation in their relationship:

The mom is Hispanic, her parents are Mexican. The dad left the picture when (mentee's name) was a toddler. So, they have a house of Hispanic culture and Black culture. But the Hispanic culture is the dominant because they have no Black grandparents or father.

A few mentors, particularly mentors older than 34, explained that they would have approached the topic of race and racial identity differently when reflecting on their past mentoring relationships with Black youth. For example, Brooks expressed regret that he did not acknowledge his mentee's racial identity more often during their mentoring relationship:

I wish I would have handled it differently than I did. Now I feel smarter [about racial issues] but I feel like I could have handled it better then. Honestly, I think I probably tried to make it a non-issue. At the time and tried to make it like it didn't matter.

Addressing Social Justice Topics

With regard to addressing broader social justice topics and specific dynamics of oppression that impact the lives of Black youth, mentors differed in a variety of ways on their approach. Some mentors discussed how the current social climate surrounding racial issues, propelled them to address specific issues within the mentoring relationship. Others reported not discussing any racial issues in the mentoring relationship because the topics did not surface in their mentoring experiences with youth. Finally, a few mentors expressed not feeling prepared or equipped to discuss issues associated with race and racism with their mentees.

Acknowledging the Current Social Climate

Eighteen mentors acknowledged the current social climate associated with race and racism in the United States and openly addressed with their mentees key events such as the death of George Floyd or racial dynamics resulting from the 2020 presidential election. Wendy shared with her mentee that she attended a rally with her family after the tragic events of George Floyd's death:

Well (mentee's name), her mom and I had a conversation over zoom about the Black Lives Matter issue. I sent some pictures because our whole family participated in this parade that they had in our area. I felt like it was important for her to understand and to see that white people do feel that these are injustices, and we want to see them change.

Keagan discussed his reaction to his mentee telling him that his mother did not vote, prompting the mentor to discuss the importance of voting during the 2020 election:

What! Man, you got to vote. You've got to vote. And I explained to them, how few votes for Trump got him Michigan four years ago. And how a few votes he won in Wisconsin and how by only few votes he won in Pennsylvania.

Of interest, seven former mentors expressed that they would have addressed specific social issues around racial justice if they were mentoring their mentees during the protests that occurred in 2020. Brooks discussed his shortcomings addressing police interactions with his former mentee in their relationship and being curious of his former mentee's perspective of the current social climate in the United States, associated with the protests that occurred in 2020:

I don't think that I was savvy enough to really think about the police thing at that point. We just didn't talk about racism in that way. With all of the stuff that happened this summer. That was...stuff that I really wanted to learn from him. I was interested in asking him more about his experience.

Teaching Strategies to Deal with Oppression

Twelve mentors focused on topics associated with dealing with racial oppression and racism in the mentoring relationship. Of those mentors, nine focused on teaching youth strategies to deal with different forms of racism and discrimination. Specifically, seven mentors reported coaching youth on effective ways to interact with law enforcement. Keagan explained, "Well, I've talked to them about how to act if they're in a car and if they get pulled over by the cops, or if they're just out on the street and a cop stops them." Caitlin reflected on her strategies to help her mentee deal with interactions with the police, "I used to pop quiz him on the three things that he needs to do when, talking to the police officers, he quickly got the answers and learned those answers quick." The same mentor further explained a scenario where her mentee had to utilize those strategies in a real encounter with the police:

A huge success was a couple months ago, he told me that he was pulled over. I'm like, "Alright, dude what you do?" He's like, "I did the three things and they left me alone." I'm like, "Oh, thank goodness you know, it could have turned out much worse."

Of interest, all seven of the mentors who discussed interacting with law enforcement worked with Black boys and young men.

Hesitancy to Address Social Justice and Colorblindness

Ten mentors chose not to discuss racial issues with their mentees for a variety of reasons. Some mentors explained that their mentee's age played a role in not discussing more serious social topics. Brianna explained, "I don't think it ever came up between us, especially due to her age" (this mentor met her mentee at 8 years old).

Six mentors expressed that they did not feel well equipped to discuss issues of race and racism with their mentees. Faith elaborated on this self-perceived limitation, "I'm not super comfortable about talking about it, because I don't feel like I'm educated enough." Other mentors expressed wanting to address specific dynamics of racial oppression in the life of their mentees but often felt unable to do so due to their identities as a White person in the United States. Cameron elaborated on this issue and expressed fear of hurting the bond with his mentee by saying anything offensive:

And I'm afraid that the comment will hurt. Hurt people and hurt our relationship and limit our ability to work successfully together. I'm uncomfortable with where some of his decisions are heading for him. And I don't know what to do or say.

Knox discussed how his lack of exposure to racial issues while living in Alaska, impacted how he approached racial topics in the relationship with his mentee, "We just read about all the Black Lives Matter, and some of us don't get it, because we don't see it."

Gaining Awareness of Privileges

Twenty-three mentors reflected with great passion about the ways in which mentoring Black youth raised personal awareness of their own privileges, sparked introspection about their upbringing, and helped them become aware about critical issues related to race, as well as how these issues impact mentoring of Black youth. Thus, as much as youth benefited from the mentoring relationship, the large majority of the mentors expressed considerable personal growth as well.

With regard to how mentoring a Black youth heightened their self-awareness of privilege and biases in their life, Helen affirmed:

And so, especially with her, I was learning a lot. For example, when I learned it, I didn't know what to call it. But now I do, I was learning my internal biases, that I just grew up with and not knowing what they were.

Another mentor, Caitlin, further elaborated on increased awareness related to her many privileges, in contrast to the multiple adversities experienced by her mentee:

It's really opened my eyes to how easy I have it, as opposed to how not easy my mentee has it. Being able to get a job or being able to secure loans or being able to drive in my car without worry of being pulled over and killed, things like that.

Dean further reflected on issues of privilege, as a result of mentoring a Black youth from an impoverished background, "He taught me a lot about what it's like to be growing up without your parents, without much money. Not a very nice place to live near your neighborhood, that's tough. A lot of drugs were in that neighborhood." Another mentor, James, shared his insights related to his upbringing and privileges as a White person, reflections that were triggered by the mentoring relationship:

I recognized the benefit that I was given in my youth just to have raw capability of being born into a more privileged situation, as a White person, I do recognize that. And I think mentoring has given me an opportunity to be more present with that.

One mentor, Sebastian, reflected on a conversation he had with his mentee when his mentee turned 21 years old, which highlighted the differences between him and his mentee at that age:

When you're having a beer and someone tells you what they're grateful for, "Oh I'm grateful that I'm not in prison. I'm grateful that I graduated from high school." Those weren't the top things that I thought of when I turned 21.

Other mentors did not disclose any on increased awareness of any specific privilege they possess but instead shared sentiments related on how mentoring Black youth impacted the way they view society. Brooks stated, "I would say this, I would say the Big Brothers Big Sisters was a huge eye opener for me. I felt like I knew 10% of what that experience was like for African Americans of what I know now." When reflecting on the awareness he gained from the mentoring relationship, Kooper stated:

It's made me try to be more aware. To not turn a blind eye, to what different communities are going through. Because living in Austin, especially west of I-35. It's so easy to forget. Even in our own city, it's not like that there's neighborhoods where it's not like that.

Other mentors reflected on wanting to make a bigger difference in society as a result of the mentoring experience. Evan disclosed:

I'm probably wrestling with what to do with the awareness I have now that I didn't have before I got involved with him. I probably struggle every day with how can I make a difference? How...can we do better for everybody?

Expressing Colorblindness

According to current findings, it was clear that some of the study participants did not attempt to engage in ethnic/racial identity or racial-ethnic socialization experiences throughout the mentoring relationship. Specifically, ten mentors expressed views of not seeing or considering race as a significant factor when working with their Black mentees. When reflecting on the impact race had on the mentoring relationship, Norah explained:

I'm very happy to say that. In all the years that we were together as officially big brothers big sisters mentors. Race was never an issue. They never felt like, "Oh, but I'm Black (mentor's name) you're White. It's not the same."

Another mentor, Felicity, expressed similar sentiments when reflecting whether race had a role in the mentoring relationship, "It didn't matter what color we were just the relationship was important to us. And we look beneath and beyond our color of our skin. That didn't matter to us."

In one instance, a mentor Abigail shared a story of her mentee obtaining a Commercial Driver License and experiencing discrimination by the police. The mentor disregarded the role that race had in this experience:

She was driving this big rig truck. And then she was saying that the cop pulled her over because she was Black. And I was like, no, the cop pulled you over because you probably couldn't even see him because you were switching lanes illegally.

Twelve mentors expressed that mentoring a Black youth was similar to mentoring White youth. Norah adamantly expressed that the mentoring experience would have been the exact same experience even if her mentee was a White youth:

Oh, my goodness, I think they would have been the very same as (mentee's name). Because, again, I don't see color. I see a human being, the creation of God, who is in a program for a reason. Something is lacking in his or her life.

Cameron acknowledged that there may be differences in mentoring a White youth versus a Black youth; however much of the relationship would be similar:

I think a lot of the experience can be very similar. A lot of things I described could easily be a White kid. The economic issues, family issues. And so those can be very much the same. And that was 50% of it. And there were times it was 80% the same.

The same mentor further acknowledged that whereas there are similarities, there are distinct differences as well, "But, when it comes to somebody getting arrested, and we're having this conversation about what happened, it's unlikely that the White male is going to be profiled."

Being Mindful of Interracial Dynamics

The majority of research participants expressed being cognizant and mindful of how they were perceived by other people in the community as they engaged in mentoring activities. Specifically, many of the mentors in the study recalled receiving strange looks from people when they were in public settings with their mentees. Caitlin explained, "We always got those weird looks when we were out, and probably even now. This White girl with this 6-years-old young Black man, and now these 6 feet four 18-years-old, young Black man." Another mentor, Fiona, told a story about how she noticed her mentee was being followed at a store during a mentoring outing, "So her and I go in the store together. And somebody is helping me get something. Meanwhile, somebody is following her, because she went somewhere else, and I visibly noticed this."

Some expressed their concerns for being a White person working with a Black youth. Notably, five mentors voiced struggling with feelings of inadequacy as mentors for Black youth. Kooper openly expressed how he overcame feelings of inadequacy early in the relationship with his Black mentee because he is White:

In the beginning, I did feel very inadequate. I would always think like, ah poor (mentee's name). I wish he could have gotten like a Black brother, but he got me. And I think I was really insecure about it.... But as time wore on, I stopped worrying about it.

Cameron expressed similar worries about his effectiveness to provide adequate mentoring as a White person, "I often wonder, because the fact that I'm his White mentor that I'm not sure I ever had the ability to provide everything he really needed." There was one mentor, Micah, who was adamant that the reason he was able to become so close with his mentee was because of the racial differences:

I think what makes the bond very strong between us is bridging that gap between White culture and Black culture...I feel like if I would have had a white mentee, we would have been able to connect on a lot of things. But I think by seeing the struggles that my mentee was going through because he was Black and being open to letting him tell me about everything and showing him that things don't have to be that way brought us very close.

Discussion

This study examined how White mentors addressed topics related to ethnic/racial identity and social justice, while acknowledging their own privileges when mentoring Black youth in community-based youth mentoring programs. The majority of mentors had conversations with youth related to their Black identity. However, a small minority of mentors utilized culturally focused activities (e.g., visiting an African American museum exhibit) to help youth embrace their ethnic/racial identities. This is a significant finding, as empirical research indicates that mentoring programs can constitute an ideal avenue to promote ethnic/racial identity development among Black youth (Gordon et al., 2009; Sánchez et al., 2018). Thus, mentors and mentoring programs that fail to promote aspects of ethnic/racial identity miss a significant opportunity to cultivate identity development among Black youth.

Some of the mentors noticed differences in how their mentees spoke when spending time with them, in contrast to the language they used when interacting with family members and peers. This indicates the mentors' acknowledgement of the phenomenon known as code switching (i.e., altering speech between different speaking styles depending on one's context; Gaither et al., 2015). It is unclear how the perceived code switching impacted the relationship between the mentor and the mentee. It is possible the mentor's oversight of code switching could have been associated with missed opportunities for mentors to acknowledge and address racial differences in language and learn from their mentee (Baker-Bell, 2017). Applying what is known about how cross-cultural communicators continually negotiate respect for their identities (e.g., cultural identity theory, identity management theory, facework) can help mentors and mentoring programs promote more skilled, identity-alert communication among youth and mentors from differing cultural backgrounds (see Collier, 2005; Imahori & Cupach, 2005).

Although mentors did not uniformly acknowledge issues of privilege (e.g., White privilege) and racial oppression in the mentoring relationship, most study participants spoke passionately about how mentoring Black youth raised their awareness related to their own privileges, sparked introspection about their upbringings, and challenged them to become aware of social problems that they had overlooked in the past. This finding corroborates recent research that illustrates that mentors can gain awareness of dynamics of social injustice as a result of mentoring marginalized youth (Duron et al., 2020). This finding also aligns with intergroup contact theory's premise that interactions with individuals who share cultural differences can reduce one's prejudice towards different groups (Al Ramiah & Hewstone, 2013; Davies et al., 2011; Dovidio et al., 2003). This finding is of particular importance because it illustrates the substantial benefits that volunteer mentors can gain from the mentoring experience. Moreover, this finding illustrates mentors can gain exposure to different perspectives and the cultural wealth youth and their families have to offer (Rhodes, 2020; Yosso, 2005).

Limitations and Strengths

While this study has numerous strengths, it is not without its limitations. First, this study was conducted during the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented in-person interviews, and this could have possibly hindered the quality and depth of the interviews (Johnson et al., 2021). Additionally, due to the sample size and the demographic of the participants in this study, current findings may not be generalizable to other types of mentoring programs that utilize a different demographic of mentors (e.g., peer mentoring programs that pair youth to peers in their communities). Third, the study did not capture the perspectives of Black youth in these relationships with White mentors. Fourth, this study only utilized one coder of the transcripts and it is essential to consider the ways in which the first author's positionality impacted the analysis of the data (Jacobson & Mustafa, 2019). Finally, it is important to acknowledge that BBBS is a nationally recognized mentoring program in the United States. The findings in this study may have been different if the participants in this study volunteered for a different mentoring program.

Regarding strengths, this study addresses a critical gap in the youth mentoring literature, particularly as it refers to qualitative studies focused on mentoring programs serving Black youth. Further, the constructivist grounded theory approach provided a rigorous methodological approach that has been rarely reported in the evaluation of mentoring programs focused on Black youth. Therefore, the findings of this study are highly relevant for informing youth mentoring and youth development scholarship and programs serving Black youth that are engaged in a cross-racial mentoring relationship with a White mentor. Future research is needed to examine how mentors heightened social awareness affect how they discuss mentees' experiences, assertions, and actions beyond racial differences (Cohen et al., 1999). Further, research is needed to assess how community-based mentoring programs, such as BBBS, can cultivate ethnic/racial identity and socio-political awareness among the Black youth they serve. Considering the importance of ethnic/racial identity among Black adolescents (Cross et al., 2017; Neblett et al., 2012; Rivas-Drake et al., 2014), and the many social injustices impacting marginalized youth, it is essential that mentoring programs consider how their core strategies best address the unique needs of Black youth. Lack of cultural awareness and recognition of the specific needs and strengths of Black youth within youth mentoring agencies may indicate the widespread effects of White supremacy, which then can hinder the potential impact of mentoring programs in diverse communities (Ortega-Williams & Harden, 2021).

Conclusion

Considering the unique factors that impact youth development for Black youth in the United States (e.g., ethnic/racial identity, racial discrimination, cultural traditions), youth mentoring interventions that are culturally responsive are of the upmost importance. Current findings may be translated into specific actions for future research on youth mentoring, in addition to the implementation of youth mentoring programs for Black youth that utilize cross-racial mentoring matches. Although current findings are preliminary, this study can be used to start critical conversations focused on examining how White mentors addressing important issues that impact Black youth in their mentoring relationships. Ultimately, these efforts are essential to help youth mentoring programs provide the most effective mentoring for Black youth possible.

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Acknowledgements

This study would not have been possible without the current and former mentors taking their time to participate in this study. This study would also not be possible without the coordination and insight of BBBS of Central Texas and other staff members of BBBS across the country.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. School of Social Work, University of Washington, 4101 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA

Kristian Jones

2. Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin, 1925 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

Ruben Parra-Cardona, Shetal Vohra-Gupta & Cynthia Franklin

3. College of Education, University of Illinois Chicago, 1040 W Harrison St, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

Bernadette Sánchez

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristian Jones.

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Jones, K., Parra-Cardona, R., Sánchez, B. et al. All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs. Child Youth Care Forum 52, 997-1017 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-022-09720-x
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# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs - Child & Youth Care Forum

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Background Community-based youth mentoring programs are popular interventions that serve a large number of Black youths throughout the country. Interestingly, the majority of mentors who volunteer their time for mentoring organizations identify as non-Hispanic White.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Nationwide, research shows that minority youth are disproportionately involved with the juvenile justice system. To reduce the overrepresentation, ICJI carries out strategies and administers funding to address juvenile delinquency and support improvements to the juvenile justice system. The funding also helps Indiana address the four core requirements of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act - one of those being Racial and Ethnic Disparities (RED).

What are racial and ethnic disparities (RED)?

Racial and ethnic disparities exist if a specific minority group's rate of contact at a particular point in the juvenile justice system is different than the rate of contact for non-Hispanic whites or other minority groups. The different racial and ethnic groups are: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders, Hispanic or Latino (of any race), Mixed or Other, and White. Decision point/Contact refers to the different decision points along the juvenile justice system continuum: arrests, delinquent findings, diversion, petition filed, probation, referrals, secure confinement, secure detention, and waived to adult court.

Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative

JDAI is a national juvenile justice improvement initiative developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. The initiative has been replicated across the country, proving to be successful in minimizing detention over-crowding, reducing the need to build more expensive facilities, improving efficiencies in the juvenile justice system operations, and producing better outcomes for youth and their families. Most importantly, JDAI has achieved successful outcomes while protecting community safety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Nationwide, research shows that minority youth are disproportionately involved with the juvenile justice system. To reduce the overrepresentation, ICJI carries out strategies and administers funding to address juvenile delinquency and support improvements to the juvenile justice system.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Kids grow up so fast. Before you know it, they've moved from crawling across the living room floor to walking across the stage at high school graduation. Those years in between are spent providing them with the knowledge, skills, and experiences they need to go out into the world and live happy, successful lives. Unfortunately, one thing that's often overlooked in all of this is financial education and literacy.

It's easy to think that financial literacy should begin when a teenager gets their first job or goes away to college. But the truth is that starting financial education earlier can give your child the best opportunity for future successes. After all, youth financial literacy statistics show us that 93% of teens see these skills as critical to achieving their goals . Yet, at the same time, 87% of teenagers say that they don't really understand their personal finances, according to . In a world where food, housing, education, retirement, and so many other critical factors depend on personal finances, starting the learning process early just makes sense.

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What is financial literacy for young adults and children?

Why is financial literacy important for young adults and children?

What are the 5 topics of financial literacy you should cover with your children?

What resources show you how to teach financial literacy for youth?

What Is Basic Financial Education for Youth?

Basic financial education refers to gaining knowledge and various skills related to financial literacy. Financial education includes basic knowledge of money, budgeting, spending, debit and credit cards, why and how to save, purchasing a car or house, creating investments, managing retirement accounts, and feeling confident about your finances. In short, financial education is one of the building blocks of becoming an independent, successful adult-and it all starts with the basics.

Although the objectives of financial literacy and education vary based on the individual and their circumstances, the primary goals of financial education are to enable young people to manage their finances and make healthy financial decisions throughout their lives.

What are the financial life skills children can develop to meet these objectives? Here are a few financial literacy skills that can be introduced to children and teens:

Earning and Managing Income: Especially for teens, it can be tempting for them to spend their hard-earned income, but learning how to manage their earnings is a skill that they'll use throughout life. This is a lesson you can impart early, as soon as they receive birthday money, for example, or once they get a part-time job. With the IMCU SmartStart , you can access a tool in the IMCU app that helps with this process. You can reward children for completing chores, encourage savings, and even have the option to issue a loan to help teach about interest and loans.

Building and Using Credit: 18-year-olds are often the target of credit card offers. Teaching them how to appropriately use credit cards to build credit-and not large amounts of debt-will set them up for success. These topics often come into play when children are learning about more advanced topics, like interest rates, in middle and high school. IMCU offers a Jumpstart credit card for those 18-21, that rewards them for on-time payments.

As you can see, most of these skills can be introduced early in your child's life, with the applications growing as they grow. But at what age should financial literacy be taught? In truth, as soon as your child can understand counting and other basic concepts, you can begin talking about some of the more introductory skills. Typically, this occurs in one or more of the following ways:

Where does Indiana sit in all of this? During the 2023 legislative session, Indiana passed Senate Enrolled Act (SEA) 35 , which will require all high school students (beginning with the class of 2028) to take a personal finance course that covers topics like money and debt management, loans, credit, retirement plans, investments, taxes, and more. This is an exciting move that illustrates that Indiana recognizes the importance of financial education and literacy to our citizens. But we know that financial literacy is a lifelong effort, and introducing these concepts to your child before they reach high school will offer them better chances at financial success.

Children begin learning about finances by observing how finances are handled by the people around them. They're constantly watching and learning from their environment, and having open and honest conversations about money and saving can set the foundation for financial literacy. For example, you might talk about saving for a big purchase or a vacation, allow your child to make small financial decisions at the grocery store, or discuss how much time it takes to earn a certain amount of money.

Technology and Applications

Another way to supplement financial education is to take advantage of the wealth of technology programs and applications available. If your child has a phone or other device, chances are they spend a lot of time on it, so let that device be more beneficial!

What program teaches kids financial literacy? One is the IMCU SmartStart Program , which empowers kids and teenagers to learn about finances with a hands-on, interactive tool. With features and functionality for budgeting, lending, managing accounts, and responsibility, children can learn skills today that'll set them up for success tomorrow. We'll talk more about the features of the SmartStart Program and how to get started later in this article.

Of course, some youth may take it upon themselves to learn about personal finance. This typically happens with teenagers who are looking for more independence in their lives. For example, maybe one of their friends got a part-time job and they'd like one too. Or, maybe they want their own money to pay for a new game or buy their first car. This is a great sign that your child is starting to take some ownership of their financial future.

Just be sure you're checking in with them and continuing to have conversations about money. This way, you'll ensure that what they're learning and doing are financially healthy.

Why Is Financial Literacy Important For Youth?

At its most basic level, financial literacy is important because it impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. From making purchases to affording and paying for a home, preparing for the future, understanding debt, and paying taxes, finances are everywhere. For youth, financial literacy is essential to successfully navigating the world now and in the future.

Here are four additional reasons that underscore the importance of financial literacy for youth :

Financial literacy provides critical money-management skills. Our ability to survive and thrive in the world depends, in part, on whether or not we can manage money well enough to get by. Financial education teaches young people how to successfully save, work within a budget, and more. In this regard, the impact of financial literacy is clear: it sets young people up to manage their finances well into adulthood.

What Are the 5 Areas of Financial Literacy to Talk About With Your Child and How Do You Get Started?

Savings, budgets, financial planning, loans, and credit are perhaps some of the most essential concepts to teach children and young adults. If you're wondering where to start with financial education , this section will cover how to begin, important concepts to cover, and tools and resources to help you and your child navigate these topics. If you're feeling unsure about financial literacy and education yourself-that's ok! There are resources for adults as well.

1. Savings and SmartStart

What is the first step to financial education? For most families, it starts with basic concepts associated with saving money. Savings accounts provide people of all ages a place to keep their money safe and secure. Accounts held by members at credit unions like IMCU, for example, are insured by the National Credit Union Administration ( ), so you can rest assured that your money is safe.

What do your children need to know about savings? It can start with introductory topics like counting money, what we use money for, needs versus wants, and why we save money. From there, you can move into more advanced discussions about the different types of accounts (savings, checking, high-yield, etc.), why we need to set aside money for emergencies, and more.

With IMCU's Minor Accounts , you can create an account for your child with as little as $5. Once the account is created, you and your child will also have access to the IMCU SmartStart Tool . Located inside the IMCU app, this interactive tool is designed to help your child learn about saving and spending responsibly. With SmartStart, you can teach concepts about budgeting, loans, account management, responsibility, and more. It allows parents to reward their children financially for completing chores or tasks. And, it empowers children to request small loans from their parents, ask for spending money, and earn rewards for making smart financial choices.

2. Budgets and Debit Cards

Whether we use a pen and paper, an Excel spreadsheet, or simple mental math, most adults practice some form of budgeting regularly. Budgets help us control our saving, spending, and investing so we can meet our short and long-term financial goals. Children, too, can start to learn these skills early on to help them understand how to live within their means and why it matters.

So how do you get started? Begin by discussing the concept of budgeting and goals with your child. You might even show them your own budget, or a sample budget you've created for educational purposes. Within your budget, you can illustrate and talk about concepts like income, fixed expenses, discretionary and non-essential spending, and savings. After you've had these opportunities to chat, hands-on learning can begin. IMCU has a number of tools, like the Affinity Debit Card and SmartStart, that makes this easy.

SmartStart is a powerful tool in discussions about budgeting. With interactive features for saving, spending, investing, and tracking, your child will learn how to budget their own money and work toward their goals.

As an added bonus, our Affinity Debit Cards also give back to the community! Select from more than 30 different organizations, and they'll receive a donation with every signature transaction your child makes!

3. Plans and Educational Savings

Planning for the future is a key part of growing up. Whether your child plans to attend a four-year university, a two-year college, a trade school, or do something different, they will need money for the future. The idea of saving for education is synonymous with planning, and both are valuable components of financial literacy.

When your child is young, begin by introducing the idea of planning and goal setting. This might be planning for a family trip or planning how they'll save up for a new toy, for example. As they grow older, you can start to introduce the idea of saving for larger purchases, like education or a car.

Through investment services, you and your child-and anyone else in your family who may wish to help-can create educational savings accounts, including 529 Savings Plans, and Coverdell Educational Savings Accounts, to prepare for the future. As a parent, you may also be interested in IMCU's additional planning services, like retirement services, investment services, and financial management.

4. Loans and First Vehicles

You very likely remember your first vehicle and how exciting that taste of freedom was. For your child, their first car (or, the first car they take a loan out for) is an equally important milestone. Yet, vehicles can be expensive, and loans can feel complex and overwhelming. Fortunately, there are a number of topics related to loans that you can start talking about with your child-there are even resources available to help you out.

While your child is young, you can introduce the concept of borrowing and paying back money. In fact, with the SmartStart tool, you can even loan your child small amounts of money to provide a hands-on lesson. As they get older, you can introduce mathematical concepts like deposits and interest rates. In fact, they'll probably cover some of these topics in their math classes at school. As they get closer to seeking out a loan, you can use various online calculators to walk them through the entire process. IMCU, for example, has calculators available for situations like:

5. Credit Scores and Credit Cards

Credit scores follow us our entire lives, and although it's possible to improve them, starting with firm footing can set a person up for long-term success. So how do you begin?

Start by discussing why credit matters and how it impacts our ability to make larger purchases like a car or home. Then, you can introduce information about how to build credit, including what credit cards are for. It's critical here to talk about responsible credit use, like understanding terms and conditions and making regular payments. These conversations are particularly important when your child opens their first credit card.

How Do You Teach Financial Literacy in a Fun Way?

Talking about financial literacy might seem overwhelming. And, if you're thinking about ways to incorporate financial education into you and your child's day-to-day lives, it might not seem very fun, either. Fortunately, there are certainly engaging ways that you can incorporate financial literacy and discussions into your daily routine. Consider trying to:

Gamify the Experience: From sticker charts to tools like SmartStart to board games like "Monopoly," "The Game of Life," or "Pay Day," there are several ways you can introduce a game into financial literacy lessons.

What Resources Are Available to Help You Learn About and Teach Financial Literacy?

Before you teach your child about all of the concepts discussed above, you may need to learn more about these concepts yourself. Fortunately, there are a number of resources available to assist you in your own financial literacy journey.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau maintains a list of tools, worksheets, handouts, and audio recordings for topics ranging from credit cards to money management and more.

offers an 8-week course that covers the basics of financial literacy and investing. The course is delivered right to your email inbox.

The Higher Education Financial Wellness Alliance offers a program called CashCourse that provides free, online financial education geared toward college students and adults.

Setting financial goals

Creating a savings and investment plan

Protecting your net worth

Building income from assets

IMCU: Here for All the Financial Life Cycle Stages

At Indiana Members Credit Union, we support our members every step of the way. From setting up a savings account for your little one all the way through supporting your child as they save for retirement, IMCU is dedicated to helping our members thrive throughout their lives. As a credit union, our goal is to provide outstanding services paired with a range of low-cost financial services and products and convenient locations.

If you have questions or are interested in becoming an IMCU member, we encourage you to or visit your local branch .

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What kind of financial education should young people gain to lead happy, successful lives? Learn more about the most important financial literacy topics.

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Indiana Center for the Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide

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With over two decades of experience using evidence-based programming, we know that abuse and suicide can be prevented. We are providing curriculum to educate our communities to empower both youth and adults to recognize and prevent abuse before it starts. We have a vision of a world where every child is educated and empowered and every adult is trained to react responsibly to abuse and suicide.

The Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide was founded in 2001 with the sole focus to prevent abuse or suicide from ever happening to the youth in our communities. With almost two decades of experience, we provide evidence-based programming to educate youth and adults and empower them to recognize, react, and find the appropriate resources available for help. We offer five programs that support our mission and work towards a day when there will be no more abuse and lives are saved.

Our Programs

We provide evidence-based programming to educate youth and adults. Our abuse curriculum is focused on preventing, recognizing, and reacting appropriately to mental, physical and sexual abuse. Our suicide prevention programming helps identify youth at risk for suicide, providing immediate resources for those who need help, and saving lives.

Our Partners

Our community partners not only provide ongoing volunteer, financial, and event support, but have personally invested their time to the organization's mission. Find out more to get involved today.

Our Mission

The mission of the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide is clear - to prevent youth abuse and save lives. Our team is dedicated to creating awareness that 95% of abuse is preventable through education and providing critical resources necessary to give hope to those who have lost their way. We will work with our communities to make sure that evidence-based curriculum is in place, so both youth and adults, can be empowered to protect, prevent, and create a personal mission to end abuse, once and for all.

Give a Gift

The future of our communities depend on the bright minds, spirit, and character of our youth. Your support of the Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth & Suicide will go towards abuse and suicide prevention programming that will give those children the ability to live to their highest potential and succeed in becoming our next great generation of leaders.
Even the smallest amount can change a life.

Did you know...
Before age 18

1 out of every 4 girls is sexually abused

1 out of every 6 boys is sexually abused

1 in 5 children are solicited sexually while on the internet

Nearly 70% of all reported sexual assaults (including assaults on adults) occur to children ages 17 and under

The median age for reported child abuse is 9 years old

85% of child abuse victims never report their abuse

More than 90% of abusers are people children love, know and trust

30%-40% of victims are abused by a family member

50% are abused by someone outside of the family whom they know and trust

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Indiana Center for the Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide

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The Indiana Center for Prevention of Youth Abuse & Suicide was founded in 2001 with the sole focus to prevent abuse or suicide from ever happening to the youth in our communities. With almost two decades of experience, we provide evidence-based programming to educate youth and adults and empower

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Vitality Grant for Mental Health to pay for Nap Pods

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Vitality Grant for Mental Health to pay for Nap Pods

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New B.O.Y. (New Breed of Youth) was established during summer of 2006. This male empowerment program works with young men who are currently in crisis situations: on probation, kicked out of school, involved with gang activity, victims & witnesses of domestic abuse, drug abuse, etc. The NEW B.O.Y program's vision is to utilize a strength-based approach to foster a life-changing experience for young men living in underprivileged communities.

With Vitality Funding, New B.O.Y. plans to implement the New B.O.Y. Now You're a Man: Youth Sports, Community Service and Fellowship Initiative. In addition to integrating youth sports programs into community-based programing, New B.O.Y. has proposed adding youth sports leagues into juvenile detention centers as a means of promoting the well-being of youth's mind, spirit, and bodies. The New B.O.Y. YSCSF program will have a primary goal of empowering youth participants to build their self-confidence; and reinforce the importance of self-discipline, positive conflict resolution, and boundaries.

Within every aspect of this initiative, New B.O.Y. will keep an open line of communication with parents and guardians, with a goal of also motiving them to take an active role in the parental support of their child. Placing a premium on being culturally responsive and trauma informed; youth mentors in the YSCSF program will promote and encourage the importance of young people's mental health, as well as facilitate and cultivate the significance of living a drug-free lifestyle.

The delivery of services will be done through the New B.O.Y Clinical Mentoring program. This program was developed as a new hybrid service, to address the complexities and challenges youth are currently facing. This hybrid model combines traditional mentoring services and youth sports with therapeutic counseling services to offer an elevated youth mentoring experience with a capacity to address both the need for recreational engagement and challenges of trauma and emotional skill deficits in participating youth.

Learn more about the mission of New B.O.Y. by visiting their website: https://ibnbmentor.org/nb-our-story/

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New Breed of Youth Mentoring Program, Inc. : Mental Health America of Indiana

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New B.O.Y. (New Breed of Youth) was established during summer of 2006. This male empowerment program works with young men who are currently in crisis situations: on probation, kicked out of school, involved with gang activity, victims & witnesses of domestic abuse, drug abuse, etc.

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An Important Report for Your Information Unlike any other time in recent history, the opportunity now exists to educate all students in ways that increase and enhance their personal self-knowledge, their history, their requisite skills, and the knowledge and understanding essential for academic and life success. These imperatives are especially...

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Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color

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COSEBOC's growing menu of programs and services are rooted in our COSEBOC Standards for Educating Boys and Young Men of Color, a framework for what a school should offer and do if it intends for its male students of color to succeed.

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Created by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and Candid, this curated collection of more than 250 reports offers data, analysis, and recommendations to strengthen the field of Black male achievement.
More info

Clear all

Current philanthropic efforts to support Black male achievement follows the foundational work of past initiatives and tireless champions. This timeline highlights influential activities, publications, and initiatives focused on improving life outcomes for Black men and boys, from 1992 to 2020.

Building on the groundbreaking report Where Do We Go From Here? Philanthropic Support for Black Men and Boys, this companion piece explores the diverse, multidisciplinary, and cross-sector work to advance black male achievement. Based on interviews with 50 philanthropic, nonprofit, government, academic, and business leaders, the report also offers recommendations for what it will take to strengthen the field moving forward.

Boys and Men of Color; Civic Engagement and Advocacy; Philanthropy

Drawing on eight years of grants data and twenty years of history, this report describes important trends in foundation funding for black men and boys. It also describes innovative philanthropic efforts in the field. While disparities faced by black males remain staggering, new partnerships and initiatives based on an assets-based approach and institutional supports may be on the cusp of turning the tide.

Crime and Justice; Education; Media and the Arts; Neighborhoods and Communities; Philanthropy

In Spring 2020, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Center for Urban Families hosted a two-part roundtable with ten youth-serving organizations that conduct outreach and provide services, including job training, parenting, life skills and mental health support to young fathers. Participating organizations hail from both urban and rural communities, and range from mature, high-scale and well-known to small-scale and small-budget. Most are led by men of color and some are led by women of color. This brief illustrates the creative and exciting approaches the practitioners developed to serve young fathers of color. It also highlights opportunities to strengthen and improve services to young men who are parenting. These are best practices identified by the organizations who are actively involved in this work on a daily basis-and where they see opportunities to improve on this essential work.

CBMA's Health and Healing Strategies builds strategic engagement of educators, parents/ families, and community members who have various levels of direct engagement with African American male youth - those who make up the "village" or what Dr. Martin Luther King referred to as the "beloved community" who guide and shape the lives of Black boys. Recognizing that these individuals have an impactful role in the lives of youth, BMA HHS focuses on increasing knowledge and skillsets around strategies for improved physical and emotional health and overall wellness for this "beloved community." By building the capacity of those with daily direct interaction with Black men and boys, BMA HHS increases the likeliness that positive and healthy behaviors will be modeled with the young men, providing opportunities for them to build knowledge and tools toward health and healing as well. The approach toward this engagement of the "beloved community" is centered around four targeted areas:1. Provide caregivers of children with healingcentered engagement strategies.2. Recruit and train Black males to facilitate Wellness Mentoring Circles aimed at improving schooling and youth development outcomes of Black boys and young men of color.3. Implement culturally responsive teacher training and professional development designed to improve classroom management and reduce stress for school personnel and caregivers.4. Provide resources for strategic communication toward asset-based narrative change to guide members on how to increase healthy and healing lifestyles for themselves and the young men they serve.

Achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce within P-12 education is critical to ensure that students receive a robust, quality educational experience. However, overcoming the shortage of educators of color has been a major dilemma for our nation's schools for decades. And, despite students of color comprising over 50% of current classroom populations and the United States Census Bureau's prediction that people of color will become the "majority-minority" in the overall United States population by 2043, these trends fail to correlate with representations of educators of color in P-12 education, especially for new cohorts of Black male teachers. In fact, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), male educators comprise only 23% of the public school workforce and, more troubling, Black male teachers represent less than 2% of the total teacher population.

Boys and Men of Color; Education; Employment

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Created by the Campaign for Black Male Achievement and Candid, this curated collection of more than 250 reports offers data, analysis, and recommendations to strengthen the field of Black male achievement. More info

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High-Quality Curricular Materials Advisory Lists

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) conducted numerous committees to engage in an evaluation process to review and recommend vendor-submitted curriculum materials to comprise IDOE's high-quality curricular materials advisory lists. These advisory lists, aligned with the future-focused 2023 Indiana Academic Standards, aim to support schools in the implementation of literacy instruction aligned with science of reading and curricula for use with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. IDOE conducted the same process to identify integrated curricular materials supporting each domain of the 2023 Indiana Early Learning Standards.
Science of Reading
Pursuant to Indiana Code (IC) 20-26-12-24.5, beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, a superintendent, advisory committee, or governing body or the equivalent for a charter school, in adopting curriculum or supplemental materials for reading under section 24 of this chapter: (1) shall adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are aligned: (A) with the science of reading; and (B) to the student's reading proficiency; and may not adopt curriculum or supplemental materials for reading that are based on the three-cueing model. Pursuant to IC 20-31-3-2(b), IDOE "must publish an advisory list of science of reading curricula on the department's website.
Early Learning
Additionally, advisory lists are provided for early learning in the developmental domains of infant/toddler, preschool, and mixed age groups. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and early learning facilities have the autonomy to choose their own instructional materials. Indiana aims to support local decision-makers by providing the results of ongoing reviews that help identify high-quality curricular materials from participating vendors.
Review Process
Vendors submitted curriculum materials to be reviewed by stakeholder committees consisting of educators, content specialists, accessibility representatives, and more. Committees evaluated submissions to confirm alignment to the 2023 Indiana Academic Standards with criteria addressing instruction, assessment, and professional development considerations.
Advisory List
Vendors and their associated curricular materials that appear on the advisory lists and satisfied all required criteria are outlined in the following evaluation rubrics:

Cost sheets for approved vendors include all components evaluated on the rubric. LEAs and early learning facilities have the autonomy to select components that meet the needs of their educators and students. Vendors with approved materials will be valid for a period of six years (pending any updates to Indiana Academic Standards and Indiana Early Learning Standards, legislation, or rule). Vendors must confirm annually any specific changes to materials and related pricing. State reviews of new vendor submissions will take place annually.
Answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.
High-Quality Curricular Materials Advisory Lists Evaluation Process

High-quality curricular materials are a key component to effective and engaging learning experiences for students. Following the evaluation process outlined below, the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) will publish advisory lists of high-quality curricular materials to inform local adoption, instructional practices, and professional development.

Content providers of proprietary and open educational resources (OER) aligned to future-focused Indiana Academic Standards and Indiana Early Learning Standards are invited to submit the vendor application to be considered for inclusion on the advisory lists. The following subject areas are accepted for review with the 2023-2024 High-Quality Curricular Materials Vendor Application:

Early Learning Integrated Curriculum (Infant/toddler, preschool, and mixed age groups)

K-8 Science/Engineering

9-12 Science

K-8 Technology (Computer science)

K-12 Mathematics

K-5 Reading aligned with the 2023 future-focused Indiana Academic Standards aligned to the science of reading

The following steps outline the vendor submission process, which requires review by IDOE and committees of Indiana educators using the vendor evaluation tools. Vendors must submit the High-Quality Curricular Materials Vendor Application to IDOE via electronic form. The review considers three specific process steps:

1. Independent review by a credible third-party research entity;

2. Independent review by each educator reviewer; and

3. Consensus by IDOE's hosted review committee.

Please review the Vendor Guide for additional information and specific guidelines for submission and approval. In addition to reviewing all documentation, the first required major milestone is for prospective vendor applicants to submit a Jotform indicating intent to apply no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on Monday, August 21. Clarifying questions about the process should be submitted through the letter of intent form as well.

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High-Quality Curricular Materials Advisory Lists

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The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) conducted numerous committees to engage in an evaluation process to review and recommend vendor-submitted curriculum materials to comprise IDOE's high-quality curricular materials advisory lists. These advisory lists, aligned with the future-focused 2023 Indiana Academic Standards, aim to support schools in the implementation of literacy instruction aligned with science of reading and curricula for use with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

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Coalition of Schools Educating Boys of Color

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Announcement: Fall release of the 4th edition of COSEBOC Standards and Promising Practices for Schools Educating Boys of Color - COSEBOC

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COSEBOC is a national education organization of practitioners solely focused on promoting the educational success of boys and young men of color.

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Searching for a new job is frustrating under the best of circumstances, but constantly hitting barriers because you don't have the degree required to apply can take that frustration to a new level. Even applying for a new position at your own company is demoralizing if you feel like those jobs are always going to applicants with a university degree.

The good news is that there are ways to improve your career without a degree! Building certain relevant and transferrable skills will make you a better candidate with more opportunities. Better yet, you can work on developing these skills while you're working your current job or even before you get your first job!

Liberty Staffing Services is here to help connect you to great companies that are hiring across Southern Ontario. Contact us to find out how we can help you get your next job fast.

1. Communication Skills

No matter the industry you are in, communication skills are incredibly valuable! You can focus on developing strong communication skills at work, in any clubs or organizations that you are a part of, or anywhere else that you need to express yourself clearly and effectively!

Develop your written skills by practicing various formats, including emails, reports, and proposals. A writing class here or there can help, too, without needing to get an entire degree. There are even free online classes designed to help employees improve their written communication skills.

If the thought of speaking in front of a crowd makes you quake with fear, that's ok! You can hone your verbal skills by seeking out public speaking opportunities or leading meetings at your current job. The more you speak in front of others, the better you will get at communicating in a professional setting.

2. Technological Skills

These days, all workplaces are digital workplaces. Technical skills are a must-have for any job candidate.

If you invest your time in learning platforms like Excel, SQL, Salesforce, and industry-specific software, you will make yourself much more marketable-even without a degree in technology. Focus on building on skills that you already have. If you can build a simple spreadsheet, why not take an Excel class to take your skills to the next level?

Start by learning about the skills that are required for the industry in which you want to work. Then, seek out online courses, tutorials, and certifications, many of which are available for free or for a very low cost. Don't forget to add your new technological abilities to your resume!

3. Project Management

Project management is the work of overseeing multifaceted projects, managing budgets, producing work on a timeline, tracking progress, and adapting to changes as needed. This is a great skill to have if you want to advance into a leadership role, even without a degree.

When you're interviewing for any position, highlight your experience with any of these aspects of the project management process. Organization is an incredibly important skill in project management, and emphasizing your organizational skills is a great way to show that you have potential for future project management work.

Something simple you can do to give yourself an extra edge is learn to navigate a few different project management platforms. If you know your way around Asana or Teamwork, that could put you ahead of your competition!

4. Data Analysis

Conducting data analysis means gathering, interpreting, and visualizing data so that decision-makers can make informed choices on the best course of action for the company.

There are certifications in data analytics that will help you develop these skills. You can also seek advice from anyone in your current organization who works with data management to find out what they recommend.

If you are applying for a position that requires data analysis, emphasize on your resume and in your interview that you are great at crunching numbers, spotting trends, and communicating data-driven insights clearly and concisely.

This skill is ideal for job seekers who are looking for positions in marketing, operations, finance, or sales.

5. Foreign Language Skills

Canada is part of a global economy, and there are millions of multilingual Canadian families . Having strong foreign language skills gives you a huge advantage over other job seekers.

Choose a language to study based on your career goals and interests. Then, make use of language apps or local community courses to learn as much as possible. There are free, low-cost, and top tier programs. The more that you can immerse yourself in the language, the better!

Fluency in another language shows employers that you can communicate effectively with a lot of different people: customers, clients, coworkers, and more. It also demonstrates that you are dedicated to learning!

6. Leadership Skills

Work on developing your leadership skills, including decision-making, motivating others, developing talent, and managing conflict. These skills will help you advance in any industry!

In addition to leadership workshops and seminars, you can also read books on leadership styles and development-a great way to learn with minimal cost! Check with your current employer to see if they offer reimbursement for leadership training, as many employers see the value in fostering leadership skills in their current workforce.

7. Trade Skills

Trade skills can be learned through apprenticeships, degree or non-degree programs, and on-the-job training. This is one of the best ways to advance your career! It is so important to learn skills that will help you excel in plumbing, welding, electrical work, carpentry, HVAC servicing, and more.

As a skilled tradesperson, you can qualify for well-paying jobs with high job security. These skills can even enable you to launch your own business with flexibility and great pay.

Improve Your Career with Liberty Staffing

Are you a driven job seeker in Southern Ontario without a degree? At Liberty Staffing Services, we specialize in helping motivated candidates find fulfilling careers, and that includes people with and without university degrees. You can improve your career without investing in a degree right away.

Our experienced staffing team works closely with a diverse range of employers across the region to identify quality talent to fill open positions. We match applicants to roles based on their unique skills, experiences, and career aspirations. It is so rewarding witnessing our candidates thrive as they embark on rewarding career journeys with our guidance and support!

Liberty Staffing Services provides the coaching, training, and resources you need to excel at your next job. We want to see you succeed! Whether you are just starting out or you are ready to advance to the next level, let us help open the right doors for you.

Contact Liberty Staffing today to get your career in motion. Our team is here to offer personalized guidance to help you achieve your professional goals.

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7 Job Skills to Improve Your Career That Require No Degree

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You can improve your career without a degree by working on these 7 job skills!

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again in our UDL Rising to Equity initiative.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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Mindful Speech Therapy- Chicago Speech Therapy

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In order to get the most out of a lecture, you have to take notes. Even if you feel like you understand everything being said, it will be difficult to remember what was said the next day, let alone the next month, without notes.

Despite the importance of note-taking, many high school and college students struggle to take notes. When it comes time to write an essay or study for a test, they are at a significant disadvantage if they don't have notes.

Many high-school and even college students have never learned how to take notes, but thankfully speech-language therapy can help. I often work with high-schoolers and college students who struggle with not only reading and writing but also understanding lectures and staying focused. Learning how to take notes can help them practice summarizing information, organizing information, and developing self-awareness of whether they understand and are focused.

Students have to find the note-taking system that works best for them, something we work on in speech therapy, but I'll give you a little sneak peek into some popular note-taking methods to help you begin to imagine what might help your teen.

Note-taking methods that might help your teen

There is an endless number of ways to take notes but let's look at a few popular methods to get the juices flowing.

Freestyle

Melissa from the Reading and Writing Haven blog calls this style of note-taking "free style" and I love that term so I'm borrowing it here.

Freestyle might be the style of note-taking that you use because it essentially involves just jotting down whatever you think is important while listening to a lecture, without following a particular structure.

I think this style of note-taking can be very useful for students who don't have trouble knowing what is important and for classes that are less language heavy like a math class.

Freestyle notes are a great place to start for most students in order to get a feel for what might be most comfortable for them.

In speech-language therapy sessions, I often find that students get a good feel for their style when we start with freestyle notes.

Cornell Notes

Cornell notes are a popular style of note-taking taught at some middles schools and high schools. Cornell notes basically add some structure to freestyle notes after the fact.

For each page of Cornell notes, there are three different sections: one for your "freestyle"- type notes, another section directly to the left for key points, and a third section at the bottom for a summary of the main ideas.

Cornell Notes are a great way of structuring notes if you actually complete the second and third sections. If you complete all of the sections, you have a fantastic resource when it comes time to study for a test or write a research paper. This style of note-taking can be great for almost any kind of setting if you fill out each section.

When Cornell notes might not be a good option:

Cornell notes wouldn't be the best choice for students who:

have trouble pulling out main ideas and important facts,

have trouble staying focused in class, and

struggle with completing tasks all the way.

Outlining

Outlining can involve adding headings to notes as you go (often-times following headings the teacher/professor includes) or - my favorite- anticipating the topics that might be mentioned in a lecture, and writing a few down beforehand.

Why might it be useful to have a brief outline in mind before class even starts? Having an outline and expectations of what might happen during a lecture is a great way for many middle and high-school students to maintain focus ( are we still talking about A or have we moved on to B) and to provide a place to start for what to take notes on ( that info must be important because it gives detail on A, which matches what they said about B).

Outlining can be hard if you (1) don't know much about the topic beforehand and/or (2) have a professor/teachers who likes to go on long tangents.

Providing a brief outline of the main topics of a lecture can be a wonderful accommodation for students in middle school, high school, and college who struggle with language, literacy, or attention. Many lecturers already do this at the beginning of a presentation, saying something like "today we are going to talk about x, y, and z."

Mind Mapping / Web Notes

For lectures involving varied information on one topic, mind mapping or making a web can be a great way to take notes.

In this style of note-taking, a student writes the topic in the center of a page and then adds subheadings branching off from the center. A web or mind-map can be a great strategy for a history lecture in middle school, with some added structure of subheadings of "who, what, where, when, why, and how." Some students might find this structure frustrating if they run out of space on their page but mind-mapping can be great to synthesize notes from class or from a textbook into a readable format.

Sketch Noting

Sketch noting combines pictures, colors, and fun layouts with the text to make a beautiful end product. Though this style can be very visually appealing, I don't tend to use it much with my speech-language therapy clients. Why? Because, to make a satisfyingly nice-looking sketch note, you already have to have (1) a good grasp on the topic you are taking notes on and (2) excellent executive functioning skills to notice when you are getting distracted by drawing (self-awareness and attention) and stop the more "fun" task of making a drawing perfect to switch to paying attention to what the speaking is saying (inhibition).

However, I think that sketch-noting can be a wonderful way to start studying for a test or to plan out a project.

More specific note-taking structures

Question and Answer

The Question and Answer structure might be good for a review session before a test in college might be a good way to organize thoughts for an essay.

This can be particularly helpful for students who find that they "space out" in review sessions with friends because it helps them stay focused on the information they are most interested in getting.

Visually Organized by Space

Students might find it helpful to organize their notes visually for information that has a spatial element to them, like maps, the order of the planets in our solar system, etc.

Looking at the picture of the loose map of the United States, you can imagine how a student might find it useful to organize the states visually into areas. when studying different states and when they were founded. Organizing visually might help students organize the information in their minds.

Organized by Similarities + Differences

Venn Diagrams are very popular for a reason - they very efficiently display similarities and differences between two (or more) topics. This is a great note-taking structure to have in your toolbox.

There are so many ways to take notes so you have to find the style that works best for (1) you and (2) the task at hand.
If you or your child need help with taking notes, book your consultation today to discuss how I might help you and your family.

Hi, I'm Hollis, the owner of Mindful Speech.

I'm a speech-language pathologist licensed in Illinois and Colorado.

I specialize in providing speech therapy to help children, teens, and young adults to improve language, reading, writing, and executive functioning skills. Now offering in-person sessions in Chicago!

Learn more about me on my About Hollis page.

In order to get the most out of a lecture, you have to take notes. Even if you feel like you understand everything being said, it will be difficult to remember what was said the next day, let alone the next month, without notes.

Despite the importance of note-taking, many high school and college students struggle to take notes. When it comes time to write an essay or study for a test, they are at a significant disadvantage if they don't have notes.

Many high-school and even college students have never learned how to take notes, but thankfully speech-language therapy can help. I often work with high-schoolers and college students who struggle with not only reading and writing but also understanding lectures and staying focused. Learning how to take notes can help them practice summarizing information, organizing information, and developing self-awareness of whether they understand and are focused.

Students have to find the note-taking system that works best for them, something we work on in speech therapy, but I'll give you a little sneak peek into some popular note-taking methods to help you begin to imagine what might help your teen.

Note-taking methods that might help your teen

There is an endless number of ways to take notes but let's look at a few popular methods to get the juices flowing.

Freestyle

Melissa from the Reading and Writing Haven blog calls this style of note-taking "free style" and I love that term so I'm borrowing it here.

Freestyle might be the style of note-taking that you use because it essentially involves just jotting down whatever you think is important while listening to a lecture, without following a particular structure.

I think this style of note-taking can be very useful for students who don't have trouble knowing what is important and for classes that are less language heavy like a math class.

Freestyle notes are a great place to start for most students in order to get a feel for what might be most comfortable for them.

In speech-language therapy sessions, I often find that students get a good feel for their style when we start with freestyle notes.

Cornell Notes

Cornell notes are a popular style of note-taking taught at some middles schools and high schools. Cornell notes basically add some structure to freestyle notes after the fact.

For each page of Cornell notes, there are three different sections: one for your "freestyle"- type notes, another section directly to the left for key points, and a third section at the bottom for a summary of the main ideas.

Cornell Notes are a great way of structuring notes if you actually complete the second and third sections. If you complete all of the sections, you have a fantastic resource when it comes time to study for a test or write a research paper. This style of note-taking can be great for almost any kind of setting if you fill out each section.

When Cornell notes might not be a good option:

Cornell notes wouldn't be the best choice for students who:

have trouble pulling out main ideas and important facts,

have trouble staying focused in class, and

struggle with completing tasks all the way.

Outlining

Outlining can involve adding headings to notes as you go (often-times following headings the teacher/professor includes) or - my favorite- anticipating the topics that might be mentioned in a lecture, and writing a few down beforehand.

Why might it be useful to have a brief outline in mind before class even starts? Having an outline and expectations of what might happen during a lecture is a great way for many middle and high-school students to maintain focus ( are we still talking about A or have we moved on to B) and to provide a place to start for what to take notes on ( that info must be important because it gives detail on A, which matches what they said about B).

Outlining can be hard if you (1) don't know much about the topic beforehand and/or (2) have a professor/teachers who likes to go on long tangents.

Providing a brief outline of the main topics of a lecture can be a wonderful accommodation for students in middle school, high school, and college who struggle with language, literacy, or attention. Many lecturers already do this at the beginning of a presentation, saying something like "today we are going to talk about x, y, and z."

Mind Mapping / Web Notes

For lectures involving varied information on one topic, mind mapping or making a web can be a great way to take notes.

In this style of note-taking, a student writes the topic in the center of a page and then adds subheadings branching off from the center. A web or mind-map can be a great strategy for a history lecture in middle school, with some added structure of subheadings of "who, what, where, when, why, and how." Some students might find this structure frustrating if they run out of space on their page but mind-mapping can be great to synthesize notes from class or from a textbook into a readable format.

Sketch Noting

Sketch noting combines pictures, colors, and fun layouts with the text to make a beautiful end product. Though this style can be very visually appealing, I don't tend to use it much with my speech-language therapy clients. Why? Because, to make a satisfyingly nice-looking sketch note, you already have to have (1) a good grasp on the topic you are taking notes on and (2) excellent executive functioning skills to notice when you are getting distracted by drawing (self-awareness and attention) and stop the more "fun" task of making a drawing perfect to switch to paying attention to what the speaking is saying (inhibition).

However, I think that sketch-noting can be a wonderful way to start studying for a test or to plan out a project.

More specific note-taking structures

Question and Answer

The Question and Answer structure might be good for a review session before a test in college might be a good way to organize thoughts for an essay.

This can be particularly helpful for students who find that they "space out" in review sessions with friends because it helps them stay focused on the information they are most interested in getting.

Visually Organized by Space

Students might find it helpful to organize their notes visually for information that has a spatial element to them, like maps, the order of the planets in our solar system, etc.

Looking at the picture of the loose map of the United States, you can imagine how a student might find it useful to organize the states visually into areas. when studying different states and when they were founded. Organizing visually might help students organize the information in their minds.

Organized by Similarities + Differences

Venn Diagrams are very popular for a reason - they very efficiently display similarities and differences between two (or more) topics. This is a great note-taking structure to have in your toolbox.

There are so many ways to take notes so you have to find the style that works best for (1) you and (2) the task at hand.
If you or your child need help with taking notes, book your consultation today to discuss how I might help you and your family.

Hi, I'm Hollis, the owner of Mindful Speech.

I'm a speech-language pathologist licensed in Illinois and Colorado.

I specialize in providing speech therapy to help children, teens, and young adults to improve language, reading, writing, and executive functioning skills. Now offering in-person sessions in Chicago!

Learn more about me on my About Hollis page.

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Speech Therapy for Note-Taking - Mindful Speech Therapy- Chicago Speech Therapy

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In speech-language therapy sessions at Mindful Speech, high school and college students learn how to take notes in class. Many high-school and even college students have never learned how to take notes, but thankfully speech therapy can help. Students find the style of note-taking that works best f

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Career readiness is the process of preparing students of any age with the essential skills they need to find, acquire, maintain, and grow within a job, as by Applied Educational Skills.

Career readiness includes such important topics as

Preparing students for life after school also includes both in-class instruction and apprenticeships, internships, externships, and co-ops, which encourage students to put their newly acquired skills to practice and even pick up new real-world skills they can't necessarily acquire from inside a classroom.

Career readiness education is critical in schools because it prepares students for life after college as they begin their careers, equipping them with the skills necessary to navigate the workforce. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation , career readiness skills, or what they refer to as transferable or employability skills, "provide students with a competitive edge during interviews and internships for current and future careers" and "can differentiate a good employee from a great one." These critical skills, not often made a priority in schools, give students the edge they need to land jobs.

Current Career Readiness Standards

College- and career-ready standards are becoming more popular both at the national and state level. says that "students need to be prepared to compete in a world that demands more than just basic skills" - skills that students can use to think critically, solve problems, and be successful in the real world - and that starts with establishing nationwide academic standards and assessments that states can easily follow and implement. According to the Department of Education, many states have begun to develop their own standards in line with national standards in an effort to The U.S. Department of Education ensure college and career readiness in their students.

In 2009, the Common Core State Standards Initiative was established in an effort to outline standards for what students should know at the end of each grade and to ensure students are equipped with the skills necessary to succeed in college, work, and life. The standards were designed with college and career readiness in mind, emphasizing college and career expectations, higher-order thinking skills, and student success in the global economy and society.

What Is the Skills Gap and How Does Career Readiness Address It?

The skills gap refers to "a fundamental mismatch between the skills that employers rely upon in their employees, and the skills that job seekers possess," according to the Brookings Institution . This gap makes it difficult for both individuals to find jobs and employers to find skilled employees - employers are simply not interested in spending time and effort to teach employees the skills and knowledge that they should be bringing to the job themselves. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers , there are stark contrasts between how employers perceive students entering the job market and how students perceive themselves entering the workforce. For example, "employers often rate the proficiency of recent college graduates lower than do the students themselves," suggesting that employers see a major skills gap where college students don't.

The skills gap widens when schools fail to prioritize teaching students career readiness skills before they graduate. By incorporating career readiness education into their curriculum, schools can help to close this gap because teaching real-world skills to students prepares them for landing jobs after school.

What Should a Career Readiness Curriculum Cover?

Career readiness curriculum should cover various subjects and skills for the real world, including problem-solving, career exploration, career readiness assessment, and other soft skills. In addition to these higher-order thinking skills, career readiness should include STEM, focusing largely on critical math, science, and career concepts. Today, STEM skills are used in every industry, so all students benefit from learning STEM skills as a part of their career readiness education. That's why it's vital to incorporate both real-world and STEM skills into career readiness - that way students are prepared to enter the workforce and can avoid getting stuck in the skills gap.

Free Career Readiness Resources For Teachers

EVERFI has a variety of turnkey career readiness courses you can easily include in your curriculum. Our no cost resources are designed to equip educators with the tools necessary to help their students prepare for the future. If you have career readiness standards to comply with, we can help guide you toward a solution.

Career Readiness Courses

Career Readiness for High School Students

As students progress through their journey, they identify goals based on their interests and skills, learn what they can do now to achieve their goals, determine whether they will go to college (and how to pay for it) or go into the workforce as well as learn the soft skills needed to be successful regardless of the path chosen.

Career Readiness for Middle School Students

Half personal finance. Half college and careers. Middle school students act as a mayor helping constituents solve such issues as choosing a career, paying for college, and growing a business. Students also get to apply what they learned as they build their own blueprint to obtain their desired career.

STEM Career Exploration for Elementary & Middle School Students

With both a math and science edition, this course leverages highly interactive gameplay of hockey to expose students to foundational STEM concepts through real-life applications and careers.

Entrepreneurship for Middle & High School Students

Students get to feel the excitement and see the complexity of being their own boss as they build a food truck business. With the help of real-world case studies and personalized diagnostic activities, students build a business plan that leads to the successful launch of their company.

STEM Career Exploration for Middle School Students

Teachers will be able to excite even the most unenthusiastic middle schooler as they take fun self-assessments and explore possible STEM careers based on their interests and personality traits. Afterward, students design a custom sneaker, fix a "smart home" that's gone haywire, build a perfect playlist for their listeners, diagnose and care for patients, and develop video games.

Career Readiness for Elementary Students

Getting elementary students thinking about income and careers is easy when you have five friends and superheroes to help. In this program, students help friends make short and long term goals, choose careers and identify current money making opportunities. They then get to apply that knowledge to themselves through interactive self-assessments.

Career Readiness FAQs

What 3 major skill areas does career readiness involve?

Career readiness typically encompasses a broad range of skills. However, if we categorize them into three major skill areas, they would be:

1. Technical Skills: These are specific skills needed to perform a certain job or occupation. They often require training or experience in a particular field. For example, programming languages are technical skills necessary for many jobs in the tech industry.

2. Transferable (or Soft) Skills: These are skills that are applicable in various job roles and industries. Examples include communication skills, problem-solving skills, leadership abilities, teamwork, adaptability, and time management.

3. Career Management Skills: These skills are essential for navigating one's career path effectively. They include abilities like self-assessment, understanding the job market, networking, job search strategies (like resume writing, interviewing), and ongoing professional development.

These skill areas, in combination, help individuals to not only secure employment after their education but also to thrive and advance in their chosen careers. It's important for students to focus on developing skills in each of these areas to maximize their career readiness.

What skills are needed for career readiness?

Career readiness involves a variety of skills and competencies that enable an individual to successfully navigate the workplace. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), there are eight key career readiness competencies that employers often seek in college graduates. The eight key career readiness competencies are critical thinking and problem solving, oral and written communication, teamwork and collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism and work ethic, career management, and global and intercultural fluency.

These competencies can be acquired and developed through a combination of coursework, co-curricular activities, internships, work experience, and involvement in campus and community activities.

How does career readiness help college students?

Career readiness equips college students with a range of skills that are desirable in the workforce. This not only includes discipline-specific knowledge but also essential soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability.

By focusing on career readiness, colleges help students prepare for life after graduation, making sure they can apply their learning effectively in the professional world.

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What Is Career Readiness & Why Is It Important? | EVERFI

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Career readiness education is critical in schools because it prepares students for real life. Learn how to bring career readiness into your classroom today.

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Included for all schools receiving services from CIES

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Better to do Innovation because you have facilities to support

No information about the funding at all

Any general advice?

Be ready and have stamina, it is a daunting process, just don't give up and keep working on it.

Started two charters and the team started another one outside of the city.

Started when schools first came to Indy.

Started in 2005 under lighthouse academies, opened two individual schools. (Independent of IPS)

-innovative schools were not around at that time

-children from anywhere in Indianapolis could attend the school

-part of the facilities selection and upfit, higher staff, and professional development, evaluation

Right now she is a resource teacher and will be a department head for special education in Pike Township.

-First group of students to desegregate (stopped in 2016)

Worked in 3 school districts this past year, my husband died, and left in October of last year

-went to IPS and was told that she was going to get a bonus, but then they told her she did not qualify for it

-IPS is no longer a school district and is no longer connected to one another, use to be a good school district.

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Innovation Network Schools - The Mind Trust

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Innovation Network Schools combine the successes of autonomous schools with the financial support and services of Indianapolis public schools.

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SY 2023-24 School by School Worksheets.pdf

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With Graduation Pathways, students are able to individualize their graduation requirements to align to their postsecondary goal of Enrollment, Employment, or Enlistment leading to service. No longer must all students fit into the same academic mold, but rather, they can choose the high school options that best meet their postsecondary needs and aspirations.

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Indiana Becomes First State to Significantly Redesign Diplomas

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Student Based Allocation (SBA) is a funding formula that distributes resources to schools according to student needs and characteristics. School leaders then decide how to use those resources to best support their students. As of the 2017-18 school year, IPS uses SBA to develop budgets for all schools.
Goals of SBA:

Equity: Equitably fund each student at each school based on his or her educational needs.

Flexibility: Provide principals more flexibility to make budgetary and academic decisions that meet the needs of their individual school.

Transparency: Clearly show exactly how much funding each school receives and why.

SBA is about spending limited dollars wisely
The shift to SBA allows IPS to more efficiently direct resources to where students need them most; but it does not replace the need to make tough decisions about the way money is spent. SBA allows IPS to focus on investing in programs that work, protect the progress made, and put the interests of students first in every decision.

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Student Based Allocation (SBA) is a funding formula that distributes resources to schools according to student needs and characteristics. School leaders then decide how to use those resources to best support their students. As of the 2017-18 school year, IPS uses SBA to develop budgets for all schools.

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These Innovation Network Schools are part of the IPS portfolio of schools, but don’t necessarily offer the new educational models created through the Rebuilding Stronger plan. Here’s a list of our Innovation Network schools: * IPS does not currently provide transportation to these Innovation programs and parents should contact the school or Enroll Indy for… Read More »Innovation Network Schools