Since it was founded 25 years ago, City Connects has steadily grown across the country. One of its most significant leaps was into the state of Indiana, thanks to deeply invested partners at Marian University the City Connects Technical Assistance Center was formed.
Initial discussions began about implementing City Connects in Indiana in 2016. The Indianapolis mayor’s office connected with Marian University in 2018 and launched a pilot program in three schools. Because Indiana is a school choice state, they chose one public school, one charter school, and one parochial school to study how City Connects is implemented in all three types.
From there, City Connects has been implemented in schools across the state, in rural, suburban, and urban settings. Researchers at the Mary E. Walsh Center for Thriving Children collaborated with the Indiana Department of Education and researchers at the University of Indiana Pennsylvania to conduct a robust evaluation to better understand whether and how City Connects closes achievement gaps and supports student engagement in Indiana schools.
While that research will take time to complete, preliminary findings from the first year of implementation of City Connects in Indiana showed that English language learner students had significant improvements in Math proficiency compared to peers in schools without City Connects. Additionally, 6th and 8th graders in City Connects schools demonstrated statistically significant increases in ELA proficiency compared to their peers from non-City Connects schools.
Moreover, 100 percent of Indiana principals and 90 percent of Indiana teachers surveyed said they were “satisfied with City Connects.” Prior research also shows that principals believe that City Connects helps to improve their school’s climate so that teachers feel more supported in their jobs, have a deeper understanding of their students, and have greater empathy for them. All of these effects contribute to an environment conducive to educational success.
Facts
Est. in Indiana: 2018
In the 2023-24 school year:
Schools: 64
Grades: Pre-K – 12th
Students: 17,668
Services and Enrichments: 118,763
Communities with City Connects
Last year, City Connects was implemented in 64 Indiana schools, including in public, charter, or parochial schools in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Gary, Shakamak, Muncie, South Bend, and Warren.
In Gary, Coordinator Valerie Oliveras took the time to listen to families and help their voices be heard by the school and community. Gary is a Steel Belt city, so . when the steel industry declined, Gary’s population shrank, and unemployment increased. Many local families felt the brunt of these changes, and stayed committed to raising their children in the community.
By starting with small conversations that fit around each family’s schedules, Oliveras helped parents to see how they become more involved in the school and in supporting their child’s education, which ultimately led to the creation of a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).
In Indianapolis, chronic absenteeism, defined as missing more than 10 percent of the school year, was a problem that only grew out of the pandemic. Coordinator Omega Robinson addressed this with her school and community by having proactive conversations with families, sending home letters, making phone calls, and meeting in person so she can learn what’s happening behind the scenes that can affect a student’s attendance.
Data Dashboard
City Connects matches students with out-of-school resources to provide opportunities that build on their strengths and address the challenges they face. By understanding students’ strengths and needs, City Connects can support young people as individuals and uncover the collective needs of students in any given classroom or school.
What if communities could do this on a grander scale? What if they could see the needs and interests of children across a whole city?
The City of Indianapolis is making this idea a reality. Earlier this winter, the city launched ConnectIndy, a new data dashboard that showcases City Connects data from nearly 30 Indianapolis schools. The data—which can be viewed at the school level, neighborhood level, or city level—is based on City Connects’ personalized student support plans and summarizes students’ top strengths, needs, and interests, gaps in services, and barriers to services. The dashboard also features a city-wide resource map.
Read more about the project here and see the dashboard here.
Community Partners in Indiana
Connecting students with community partners is an integral part of City Connects. Forming relationships with these partners ensures opportunities for students in their communities.
In rural communities, there are fewer community partners available than in larger communities.. But, as Shakamak Coordinator Kelley Miller found, local partners were exceptionally willing to help students.
“We thought we might not have enough services available,” Miller said. “Options like the YMCA are a 45-minute drive away. But now that I’m starting my second year of implementing City Connects, I feel confident because I can see that it’s working.”
By making phone calls, fielding emails, and working with her community, Miller has been able to connect her students to a variety of opportunities that fit their strengths and needs, including opportunities to job shadow and learn about careers in the area.
In Indianapolis, Coordinator Omega Robinson saw a need for grief counseling with her students and partnered with Brooke’s Place, a local nonprofit organization that provides “support groups, therapy services, and education to empower children, teens, young adults, and their families to thrive in the midst of grief.”
Other partners that City Connects works with in Indiana include Shepherd Community Center, Marion County Public Health Department, Give Kids a Smile, Camptown, The Indianapolis Public Library, Toys for Tots, Butter Art Fair, Girls on the Run, and Lambswear.
Partners across Indiana, in diverse communities and schools, are working together to build a network of care around each child, ensuring their basic needs are met, their interests sparked, and their opportunities multiplied.
