At Vision Academy in Indianapolis, Precious Chapman is everywhere. You can find her outside school when students arrive for the day, visiting classrooms, running grief support groups, or even giving tours to prospective students. In the afternoons and evenings she’s overseeing afterschool programs and hosting parent groups. She’s even coached the girls basketball and track teams.
As the school’s City Connects Coordinator, Chapman knows that this is the way to build strong relationships with students and their families.
“I am very intentional in how I approach relationships with our families. I make it a priority to introduce myself, be present, communicate consistently, and follow through. I want families to see my passion and know that I genuinely care. If you haven’t established a relationship with someone or earned their trust, it can be difficult for them to feel comfortable accepting your support. Building that trust is where meaningful connections begin,” Chapman said.
Since joining Vision Academy four years ago, Chapman has not only invested in building strong bonds with her K-8 students and their families, she’s also developed critical relationships with community partners. Using what she learned through the City Connects Whole Class Review about student interests and needs, she’s brought in Kids Dance Outreach, a local non-profit that helps students build persistence and confidence through movement. She’s partnered with multiple mentoring programs like Ladies Under Construction LLC, an organization focused on empowering girls. She’s teamed up with Indy Champions to help middle school students learn about healthy and age-appropriate relationships. She has partnered with FedEx Smartpost Operation Warm to provide students with hats, gloves, coats, and hygiene items. She partners with ITOWN church to provide food boxes for students to take home every Friday. Another church, Blessed Hope has also become a partner and provides donations once a month based on the needs of the school. Chapman has also brought in an Indianapolis organization called Nine13 Sports that teaches kids how to build bikes.
“Nine13 Sports came through at a time when we had several eighth-grade students experiencing transportation challenges. Through the program, students were able to participate in mentorship while learning how to build their own bicycles, which they ultimately got to keep. It gave them an opportunity to develop new skills, build relationships, and address a barrier that was affecting their attendance,” Chapman said.
Through a partnership with Brooks Place, Chapman has also been able to provide grief support for students.
“During our Individual Student Reviews, we identified that many of our families had experienced significant loss. We also recognized that some of our students were navigating grief without fully understanding what it meant or having the tools to process those feelings. After completing training with Brooks Place and at the Marion County Coroner’s Office, I was able to help bring grief support services into our school so students have a safe space to understand their emotions, process loss, and receive the support they need,” Chapman said.
To bring even more enrichment opportunities to her students, Chapman runs “Monday Clubs.” She works with teachers and community partners to present afterschool opportunities like Lego Club, Yoga Club, Martial Arts Club, IIbada Dance Club, and Movie Review Club that align with data from student interest surveys.
“Precious does a great job putting the data in action. She works to gather information quickly so that the majority of the time can be used finding interventions and enrichments that connect to specific student strengths and needs. Teachers, families, and partners appreciate the effort to make a first connection, but she is also consistently following up to make sure that everyone gets what they need. Precious has been a valuable liaison between the school and community, bringing multiple new partnerships into the building over the years,” said Abe Manlove, City Connects Program Manager.
Chapman has also brought opera performances to the school.
“Our work isn’t just about identifying needs; it’s also about recognizing students’ interests, talents, and strengths. I noticed that many of our students had an interest in music and the performing arts, but we didn’t have those opportunities readily available. That inspired me to explore ways to bring those experiences into our school. Exposure is so important. Some of our students may never have the opportunity to experience something like an opera performance outside of school, so being able to bring those experiences to them is incredibly meaningful,” Chapman said.
In partnership with Vision Academy’s guidance counselor, Chapman has also taught self-regulation in classrooms.
“We recognized that our students could benefit from learning practical strategies to understand and manage their emotions. With the support of our Director of Student Services, we were able to purchase the Zones of Regulation curriculum and bring it directly into our classrooms. That initiative eventually led to every classroom having a calming corner where students could identify their emotions, take a moment to reset, and practice self-regulation. It was important to us that students had both the tools and the space to understand what they were feeling and how to work through those emotions,” Chapman said.
Supporting the whole child can also mean connecting with and supporting families. To engage more with families, Chapman organizes Parent Universities, where parents can connect with community partners that provide everything from mental and behavioral health services, to food, to enrichment opportunities like STEM or Girl Scouts. She also has facilitated a group—through a partnership with All Pro Dads—where she meets once a month with a group of fathers to discuss various topics.
“Precious is phenomenal. She truly embodies the City Connects practice, and I can’t say enough about all she brings to her school community,” said Cynthia Scheller, City Connects’ Director of Student Support Programs and Practice. “She has done so much with family engagement, building strong partnerships, and thoroughly preparing teachers for whole class reviews. She’s a true go-getter.”
Chapman is unrelenting in her pursuit of helping people. In addition to her work as a Coordinator, she is a doctoral student at Tulane University and collaborated with the research team at Boston College’s Center for Thriving Children on her APP (Advanced Practice Project), which combines data from City Connects and interviews with families to identify barriers families face in accessing education. After finding transportation to be the number one barrier for families, Chapman is developing a grant she plans to apply for to provide more transportation services for families in her school. Chapman is also working to start a nonprofit organization focused on supporting those with substance use disorders through case management and peer support groups. Through the organization, which is called Precious Steps Forward Inc., she also hopes to provide food, hygiene items, and clothing.
“I feel there is still a significant need for support in our communities. I want to be someone our students and families can turn to when they need guidance, resources, or simply someone willing to listen. I want them to know they have a safe, supportive place where they will be heard, valued, and connected to the help they need,” Chapman said.
I want to be someone our students and families can turn to when they need guidance, resources, or simply someone willing to listen.
With an abundance of passion for her work, Chapman has a hard time picking just one favorite thing about being a City Connects Coordinator. But ultimately, she says, it’s the relationships that mean the most to her.
“When I first started here, families and students weren’t necessarily coming to me for support. It took intentional effort, consistency, and time to build those relationships, but that investment changed everything. Now, when students or families need something, they reach out because they know I will listen, advocate for them, and follow through. Knowing that I’ve built that level of trust and that my work is making a meaningful difference in people’s lives reminds me why I do what I do,” Chapman said.
