While the blog is on summer vacation, we’re sharing past posts about the many ways City Connects helps students thrive.
This week’s roundup looks at how City Connects has been growing in the Midwest.
* * * *
City Connects takes root in Indianapolis
City Connects Blog, April 4, 2019
As City Connects expands in Indianapolis, Ind., we’re learning more about the power of local innovations.
Last September, City Connects launched in three Indianapolis schools, and we added two new features: a unique funding source and partnership with Marian University.
“I learned about City Connects years ago when I implemented this program in Springfield, Ohio, at a pre-K to 12 Catholic school system,” Dr. Ken Britt says. He is the Senior Vice President and Dean of Klipsch Educators College at Marian University. “I wanted to bring the program to Indiana because I believe that, coupled with our focus on teacher and leadership development, comprehensive student support can be a game-changer for young people. And there is no better program than City Connects.”
Frequently, school districts pay for City Connects using their own funds. Other districts have philanthropic partners who pay for some or all the costs. Indianapolis is unique because it’s the first district to use state funds.
* * * *
City Connects expands in Indianapolis, thanks to federal funding
City Connects Blog, January 27, 2022
We’re excited to announce that City Connects is growing in Indiana.
City Connects launched in the state in 2018, and we expanded there this past fall. Now we’re growing even more.
Last month, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener issued a press release announcing the launch of City Connects in Marion County, “an initiative that will invest $7.5 million in 12 public schools on the city’s Far Eastside over the next three years.”
Public radio station WFYI reports:
“Starting next year, around a dozen site coordinators will be hired and online service hubs set up to strengthen support services for the more than 3,700 students attending the selected schools.”
* * * *
Businesses see value in City Connects
City Connects Blog, March 16, 2022
In Indiana, City Connects has gotten a welcome nod from the business community.
Our program is featured in the current issue of BizVoice, published by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
“Poverty, homelessness, illness, domestic violence and other issues heavily influence well-being,” the article, Beyond the Classroom, says of students. City Connects “is an innovative concept designed to help children engage and learn in school by connecting them with customized intervention, prevention, and enrichment services to thrive.”
This work is done by City Connects Coordinators, or, as some Indiana schools call them, “family navigators.” And as we’ve blogged, City Connects’ work in the Midwest is being managed by the City Connects Technical Assistance Center at Marion University’s Center for Vibrant Schools.
City Connects Blog 