Indiana Humanities Awards Over $70K in Advancing Racial Equity Collection Development Grants

By The Times of Noblesville | October 7, 2022

Seventy-seven libraries, schools, colleges and universities and nonprofit organizations across Indiana have been awarded Advancing Racial Equity Collection Development grants, which supply funds to add to their circulating collections digital or physical resources addressing topics such as race, systemic racism and the Black experience in Indiana and beyond.

Among those receiving funds were three local libraries:

  • Gal’s Guide to the Galaxy, Noblesville, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Hamilton County, Noblesville, $995
  • New Britton Elementary School, Fishers, $525
  • Sheridan Public Library, Sheridan, $1,000

The Advancing Racial Equity Collection Development grants, first offered in response to the 2020 murder of George Floyd and ensuing protests, address the increased demand on libraries for materials on the subject of racial equity. This special grant and associated programs are made possible thanks to the generosity of Lilly Endowment, Inc.

The grants offer up to $1,000 to add digital or physical resources — including books, films or other materials — to a library’s collection. Materials must be selected from among the more than 400 titles on a preapproved list, which has been curated by librarians, historians and humanities scholars.

“We are grateful to provide these grants to increase access to essential resources that will support the growth and diversity of collections in communities across the state,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “We thank Lilly Endowment for helping us make this support available to Indiana’s schools and libraries and the Hoosiers who rely on them.”

The remaining grant recipients are:

  • Agape Christian Academy, Evansville, $800
  • The Ark Inc., Evansville, $700
  • Arlington Elementary School, Arlington, $1,000
  • Barton Rees Pogue Memorial Public Library, Upland, $1,000
  • Believe Circle City High School, Indianapolis, $996
  • Benjamin Rush Middle School, Rushville, $450
  • Bloomington High School, Bloomington, $790
  • Calumet College of St. Joseph, Whiting, $844
  • Carnegie Public Library of Steuben County, Angola, $1,000
  • Child Care Network Inc., Seymour, $304
  • Christel House Indianapolis, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • College Park Elementary School, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Community Action Program of Evansville-Gibson County, Princeton, $565
  • Community Montessori Inc., New Albany, $1,000
  • Deer Run Elementary School, Indianapolis, $996
  • Fayette County Public Library, Connersville, $1,000
  • Floyd County Library, New Albany, $1,000
  • Friends of the Third World, Inc., Fort Wayne, $1,000
  • Global Prep Academy, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Grace College and Theological Seminary, Morgan Library, Winona Lake, $967
  • Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover, $996
  • Holy Cross Central School, Indianapolis, $833
  • Holy Cross College, McKenna Library, Notre Dame, $1,000
  • Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library, Zionsville, $969
  • The Independence Academy of Indiana, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • IPS Butler Lab at Eliza A. Blaker 55, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • IPS Center for Inquiry School 70, Indianapolis, $600
  • IPS Christian Park Elementary 82, Indianapolis, $938
  • IPS Edison School of the Arts, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • IPS George Washington Carver Montessori 87, Indianapolis, $993
  • IPS R.O.O.T.S. Program, Indianapolis, $814
  • IPS Theodore Potter Elementary School 74, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • IPS Thrival Academy Indy, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Bloomington, $902
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Fort Wayne, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Kokomo, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette, $995
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Madison, $1,000
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Sellersburg, $999
  • Ivy Tech Community College, Valparaiso, $858
  • Jeffersonville Township Public Library, Jeffersonville, $989
  • Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Indianapolis, $919
  • Lake County Public Library, Merrillville, $994
  • Levi and Catharine Coffin State Historic Site, Fountain City, $829
  • Ligonier Public Library, Ligonier, $1,000
  • Melton Public Library, $1,000
  • Milroy Elementary School, French Lick, $1,000
  • New Augusta Public Academy South, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • The Oaks Academy, Brookside, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • The Oaks Academy, Fall Creek, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • The Oaks Academy, Martindale-Brightwood, $1,000
  • Olive Tree Resources, New Albany, $1,000
  • Open Door Health Services, Muncie, $990
  • Pike High School, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • Purdue University Asian American and Asian Resource and Cultural Center, West Lafayette, $1,000
  • Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, $1,000
  • Rushville Consolidated High School, Rushville, $600
  • Rushville Elementary School East, Rushville, $1,000
  • Rushville Elementary School West, Rushville, $1,000
  • Scott County School District 2 Early Learning Academy, Scottsburg, $1,000
  • St. Mark’s Preschool, Evansville, $1,000
  • Sullivan Elementary School, Sullivan, $1,000
  • Trustees of the Indiana University, Civil Rights Heritage Center, South Bend, $1,000
  • Tyson Library Association, Versailles, $1,000
  • University of Indianapolis, Krannert Memorial Library, Indianapolis, $997
  • Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, $1,000
  • Vigo County Public Library, Terre Haute, $998
  • Walton Public Library, Walton, $974
  • The Well at Melody Hill, Evansville, $374
  • Westminster Neighborhood Services, Indianapolis, $1,000
  • YMCA of Southwestern IN, Inc., Evansville, $1,000

Visit IndianaHumanities.org/grants/equity for more information.

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