Indiana awards $35.2 million to community partners to accelerate student learning

Governor Eric J. Holcomb and the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has announced that $35.2 million in state and federal grant funds are being awarded to 123 community partners and schools across the state as part of Indiana’s Student Learning Recovery Grant Program. These grants are awarded in addition to more than $122 million awarded over the summer to partnerships across the state to accelerate student learning.

“It’s more important now than ever that our communities, families and schools come together to accelerate student learning,” said Gov. Holcomb. “This important work requires unparalleled collaboration, and I’m thankful that so many partners across the state have stepped up to the plate to deliver these extended learning opportunities for our students.”

These awards are funded through the second round of Indiana’s Student Learning Recovery Grant Program, with $27.5 million allocated to partners across the state. This state funding is supplemented by an additional $7.7 million in state set-aside funding as part of Indiana’s federal COVID-19 relief funds. The funding, which will serve students in 56 of Indiana’s 92 counties, will work to accelerate student learning in literacy, mathematics and college and career readiness.

Recipients receiving the largest grants in this second round include:

Greater Lafayette Commerce (GLC): As the facilitator of the Workforce 2030 Council, GLC works with schools and local industry to create targeted educational programming, career coaching, stackable credentialing and employer tuition assistance programs. With this funding, GLC will create an accelerator to help learners overcome the setbacks caused by the pandemic and graduate from high school ready for both career and continuing education.

United Way of Central Indiana (UWCI): In 2021, the UWCI implemented a county-wide accelerated learning program across multiple satellite learning sites to offer in-person, extended learning time for students in Marion County demonstrating the greatest need. With additional round two funding, UWCI will facilitate another year of this accelerated learning program.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana: The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Indiana will enroll 770 youth and teens in their re-LEARN program (Literacy, Education, Activity, Readiness and Nutrition) for transformative, in-person instruction. When age-appropriate, members will also enroll in Career Academy, a college/career readiness program.

Created this year through House Enrolled Act 1008, the Student Learning Recovery Grant Program allocated $150 million to support accelerated learning plans, with a focus on partnerships between community organizations, education service centers, higher education institutions and K-12 schools. Applications for the first round of state grant funding opened in April 2021, with funding awarded over the summer to more than 110 school and community partnerships across the state, serving students in 83 of Indiana’s 92 counties.

Many first-round recipients quickly deployed their grant funds as part of summer and fall learning recovery, and are continuing to use those resources to accelerate student learning outside of the typical school day. Highlights from this first round of grant funding are available online.

This grant provides an important financial resource to schools and community partners, with research showing that the academic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are substantial. According to research from IDOE and the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment, Inc., the academic impact ranges from moderate to significant across schools, academic subjects and demographic groups.

“Educators across the state are working strategically to help close learning gaps and reduce the significant academic impact we’ve seen from pandemic-related school disruptions. This is an enormous responsibility – and it requires all of us,” said Dr. Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “This includes our schools, our higher education institutions, our families, and our community partners, joining together through student-focused partnerships. I’m grateful for the important work that’s being funded through Indiana’s Student Learning Recovery Grant Program, as we all come together to ensure that every student has the opportunity to build the knowledge and skills they need to succeed.”

Questions from schools and community partners about the program may be directed to CommunityLearningGrant@doe.in.gov.