Helping IPS Schools

A primary goal is to have more students from IPS attend college. Monies made from the Monumental are directed toward the Public Schools of Indianapolis through charities including, but not limited to, the Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation, Mind Trust and College Summit.

Indianapolis Public Schools Education Foundation

The IPS Education Foundation is a separate 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization established in 1984. The purpose of the foundation is to provide supplemental funds for IPS academic programs and staff development. These funds are made possible by contributions from IPS employees, community organizations, local businesses and individual IPS supporters. Future goals include: provide emergency funds for school uniforms to IPS families in need; provide tuition reimbursements to IPS staff members for professional development and support Academic Summer School.

The Mind Trust

The Mind Trust’s mission is to dramatically improve public education for underserved students by empowering education entrepreneurs to develop or expand transformative education initiatives. To achieve this mission, The Mind Trust has two principal strategies: (1) a nationally unique Education Entrepreneur Fellowship that serves as an incubator for transformative education ventures; and (2) a Venture Fund to recruit to Indianapolis the nation’s most successful entrepreneurial education initiatives.

The Mind Trust, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in 2006. While building Indianapolis’ award-winning charter schools initiative, The Mind Trust’s founders, former Mayor Bart Peterson and President and CEO David Harris, saw firsthand the value that education entrepreneurs brought to students in Indianapolis. They sought to reach more students by making Indianapolis one of the most attractive places in the country for talented entrepreneurs to start new educational ventures and to expand those that have been successful elsewhere.

College Summit

College Summit is the nation’s premier college access program for low-income students. College Summit’s success around the country has been extraordinary. For example, nearly 80% of students who participate in College Summit’s summer workshops enroll in college, compared to the national average of 46% among low-income students. These students remain in college at a rate of 80%, far above the national average of 64% among students across all income levels.

College Summit’s remarkable immediate success in implementing its program at Manual High School makes it imperative that we significantly expand College Summit to additional IPS schools and other area high schools with large populations of low-income students. Imagine Indianapolis in 10-15 years when several thousand college-educated young adults are contributing back to society, thanks to College Summit’s programs that enabled them to attend college. College Summit’s exceptional record makes the vision of Indianapolis as a city where low-income students regularly obtain college degrees a realistic goal.

IPS Superintendent Dr. Eugene White