Impact

Indy Reads class graduates

Indy Reads envisions 100% literacy for all.

Our Impact in Fiscal Year 2024-2025

25,532

cumulative hours students dedicated to their Indy Reads’ education this year.

92%

of students who completed their HSE earned their diploma.

86%

of eligible students in our pilot Workforce Literacy Program earned their professional license.

80%

of students who were post-tested made at least one Educational Functioning Level gain.

From our Chief Executive Officer

At Indy Reads, we know literacy is relational.

Friendships, communities, nations, and norms are built through the sharing and debating of ideas using a common language. And so, we advance our vision of literacy for all every day through our commitment to learning and growing together. Everyone has something to share, and everyone has something to learn. Our work to design and deliver impactful programming for our dynamic community requires constant evolution—a commitment to reflection, curiosity, and imagination.

This program year was marked by notable strides in exercising our promise to being a collaborative learning organization that is innovative, inclusive, and student-centered. Our collaborative culture informs program improvements and inspires our innovation. As a learning organization that invites everyone to learn with us, we strive to continue becoming a leader in advancing equity through education.

Ruba Marshood

In addition to our regular reflective learning practices with all staff, we launched Teacher Tea Times— monthly meetings for our instructional teams to exchange challenges and ideas—deepening our impact inside our Community Classrooms. With a generous grant from Lilly Endowment, we enlisted Indiana University Indianapolis to conduct a program evaluation, inviting fresh perspective on our student experience and pedagogical methodology in our adult education classrooms. We also spent time with other organizations and agencies to better understand the vital role that English literacy instruction plays in their efforts to support public health and safety, workforce development, children’s literacy, and post-secondary education.

In light of increasing demand and the importance we place on meeting our students where they are, Indy Reads expanded and enhanced our course offerings. We now offer an in-person ELL class at Southeast Community Center and a refined hybrid instructional Paraprofessional course that maintained its accessibility for working participants by remaining virtual, while increasing belonging, shared accountability, and motivation with a more synchronous cohort experience.

We are pleased to have become Flanner House’s adult education provider this year, collaborating closely with their Center for Working Families initiatives to support their community with literacy development and High School Equivalency preparation. Participants can now earn their diplomas and access the other career coaching and advancement opportunities Flanner House provides. By working together and leveraging each agency’s strengths, we provide wraparound support and literacy education to our shared community and deepen our collective impact. This partnership proves our scalable model and informs our strategy as we look towards meeting the critical literacy needs across central Indiana.

We learned that our students are hungry for opportunities to express their creative energy and practice their speaking, listening, and leadership skills. Fourteen of our 242 community events that welcomed a record 8,357 participants in our community bookstore, were led by Indy Reads’ students. These students included Victor Granados, a former Spanish Literature professor, who leads our monthly Spanish Conversation Circles, and Yukiko Suzuki, who led a Beginner Origami Workshop.

Many of our adult learners are underemployed or job seekers. We learned from local employers and workforce training providers of gaps in the education and training continuum that make their programs and opportunities inaccessible to adult English literacy learners. To bridge this gap, and with our partners LISC Indianapolis and Electric Plus, Indy Reads launched our new Workforce Literacy Pillar, serving 28 employees over 50 hours of instruction, 68% of whom demonstrated measurable skills gains and 86% of those who attempted their journeyman’s exam earned their license. Through this new pillar, we streamline education and workforce training, revealing, engaging, and uplifting currently untapped talent in well-paying jobs within growing industries across the region.

Nationally, it has been a precarious year of funding for human services work. Humans and human connection are at the very heart of Indy Reads. We are grateful that in a year fraught with uncertain financial grounding for so many vital organizations, Indy Reads’ community has banded together to ensure continued sustainable growth. We are honored that the support of community members like you has allowed us to lean further into what Indy Reads is here to do: welcome, innovate, and educate, together.

Thank you for reading with us, for learning with us, and for growing with us. With a 233% increase in demand for our services over the last two years alone, there is much more to do. We look forward to working with you to further advance our vision of 100% literacy for all! With gratitude,

— Ruba Marshood
Chief Executive Officer

“Let me tell you, Mary (Indy Reads Instructor) is just amazing. She’s so eager to teach. She simplifies everything and breaks it down so that we can all understand. We do different things every day. It’s always a little bit of math and a little bit of reading. I want you to know that with Indy Reads you’re in the right place to get the help you need.”

— Dana H., Literacy Foundations student

Dana H.

Our Community

98%

of our students are one or more of the following:

67%
are immigrants

71% at/below 200% poverty level

87%
are people of color

479

students served across 18 course offerings. This is an increase of 16% from PY2023-2024.

44%

of students have children under the age of 18.

25,000

Visitors to Indy Reads

Indy Reads Community Bookstore shelves

8,357

participants in 242 community events

47

countries of origin are represented by our student body, the top five of which are: United States, Venezuela, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Colombia.

Map of the world showing countries where Indy Reads students are from

41

different primary languages are represented in our student body, the top five of which are Spanish, English, Haitian Creole, French, and Arabic.

“I need to help my daughter with school, and when I go to places, when I go to the doctor, I need English, too. I want to know everything in English! My dream is that I will help my daughter go to university.”

— Vivian G., English Language Learning (ELL) student

Read more about Vivian in Her Own Words
Vivan G.

Community Classrooms

Students in a classroom participate in Literacy Foundations

Literacy Foundations

These classes support the 1 in 6 native English-speaking adults in central Indiana who read below a 5th grade level. Indy Reads is the only adult education organization in the region that formally serves these students.

A screenshot of a Zoom class with ELL Foundations participants

Pathway to Literacy (ELL Literacy Foundations)

In partnership with Immigrant Welcome Center, these classes serve adult English language learners with 6 years or fewer of formal schooling in any language. Students in these classes are learning to read and write for the first time while learning English as a new language.

LaPlaza EOY Celebration

English Language Learning (ELL)

These classes support adult learners at all levels of the English literacy spectrum. In our formal classrooms, ELL students develop their speaking, listening, reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Our weekly ELL Conversation Circles provide speaking and listening practice and are open to the public.

HSE students in a classroom look at a map of the world

High School Equivalency (HSE)

These classes cover all 5 subjects of the HiSET exam (reading, writing, math, social studies, and science), preparing students to earn their HSE diploma. This year, we were pleased to launch a new HSE course in partnership with Flanner House (above), serving young adults in their community.

A young woman working behind the checkout counter at Indy Reads' Community Bookstore.

Customer Service and Paraprofessional Certifications

Our industry-recognized certifications help adults in Indiana to stand out in today’s competitive job market. Our revamped Paraprofessional program saw 5 students like Sklyer S. earn their credential this year. Sarah H., a Customer Service graduate, co-hosted our 2025 Fundraising Breakfast. Customer Service trainees like Lay C. can complete a paid internship in our community bookstore as an additional component of the course.

NEW: Workforce Literacy Program (WLP)

Our newly launched Workforce Literacy Program offers a customized curriculum for contextualized literacy education for employers and workforce training providers. This year, our pilot program in partnership with Electric Plus provided 28 employees with a customized ELL curriculum and instruction tailored to the electrical industry. Twelve have since passed their journeyman’s exams and earned their licenses! 

In addition, with support from LISC Indianapolis, we are researching and developing an ELL course for the construction, manufacturing, and public utility sectors. To inform this work, Indy Reads formed our new WLP Advisory Board, with facilitated support by Regionerate.

Board members span industry sector employers and training and education providers, and include:

  • Lesley Crane, Inclusive Strategies
  • Peggy Frame, Southeast Community Services
  • JP Ghio, Citizens Energy
  • Matt Hamilton, Electric Plus
  • Connie Harris, EmployIndy
  • Ana Sanchez, F.A. Wilhelm Construction
  • Cherylynn Schilling, Powers Engineering
  • Elias Serrano, MS-IL Staffing & Packaging
  • Mike Smith, Robert Dietrick Company
  • Ranae Stewart, Purdue TAP
  • Jeermal Sylvester, St. Joseph’s College
  • William Turner, Jr., Education/Workforce Professional
  • Maria Vilchez, LISC Indianapolis.

Special thanks to this board for giving their expertise and time to support the design of our new initiative!

“You are valid before and after the decision to earn your high school diploma. I think people struggle with that. What you were doing before you tried to earn your high school diploma allowed you to get here. That attitude will allow you to learn. I appreciate the support Indy Reads gives to the community and gave to me.”

— Kuirsel K., High School Equivalency (HSE) graduate

Read more about Kuirsel in Their Own Words
Kuirsel K., HSE Graduate

Download the full Indy Reads FY 2024-2025 Impact Report

Impact Report Cover, FY 2024-2025

Available now as a downloadable PDF, this Impact Report details more about who we serve, our impact, and highlights stories from our community.

You will find:

  • More highlights from the year
  • Photos from our community events and programs
  • Updates on volunteers and staff
  • Sponsors and partners, plus donors
  • and more!
Download Indy Reads’ FY 2024-25 Impact Report [PDF]

Community Bookstore

Our independent bookstore in Fountain Square advances literacy for all with nearly 250 free and pay- what-you-can community events annually and our wide selection of new and used books.

We were thrilled to host 14 student-led events, in which our adult learners shared their talents and expertise with attendees. Our monthly Spanish Conversation Circles, hosted by Indy Reads student and former Spanish literature professor from Mexico, Victor G. is the last Sunday of every month!

We make literature and community accessible to all with free and low-cost books to choose from, including our Banned Bookshelf where new donated books that have been challenged in the last two years are free for community members who need them.

This year, we gratefully accepted nearly 20,000 gently used books from the central Indiana community! We placed nearly 3,000 of those donated books with 9 organizations that needed them, including stocking Little Free Courthouse Libraries and Little Free Libraries throughout the region.

Programs this year

  • Lit Stage Open Mic Nights
  • English Conversation Circles
  • Spanish Conversation Circles
  • The Indy Reads Book Club
  • Community Conversations
  • Winter Party with Kwanzaa Claus
  • Learn Origami with Yukiko
  • and more!
Bookstore volunteers stocking shelves

“I take this program, because I want to speak better with my supervisor, my journeymen, my foremans, and my friends. This program helped me a lot with my family when we go to the market, when we go to the hospital. I like it a lot. I learned a lot, too.” 

— Estiward W., Workforce Literacy Program (WLP) student, Electric Plus employee

Estiward

Highlights from the Year

The Love Thy Neighborhood Awards by LISC Indianapolis

Indy Reads was honored to receive LISC Indianapolis’ 2024 Love Thy Neighborhood Award in the Education category! Our video submission included moving testimonials from students like Rashidah (pictured above with her children), a High School Equivalency graduate who is now enrolled at Ivy Tech Community College.

LISC Award Winner
English Conversation Circles

English Conversation Circles

English Conversation Circles are held every Sunday in our community bookstore. This weekly event is open to the public and facilitated by an Indy Reads staff member. Everyone is welcome to practice their English-speaking skills while making new friends!

Trick-or-Treat at Indy Reads

Our annual Halloween event during Fountain Fletcher District Associate’s Scare in the Square welcomed ~500 attendees, more than half of whom were children. This year, we gave trick-or- treaters free books and facilitated family-friendly “spooky” craft and story stations with the help of a few of our volunteers!

Trick or Treat at Indy Reads
Electric Plus Working 2025

Indy Reads Partners with Electric Plus for Pilot Workforce Literacy Program (WLP)

In partnership with Electric Plus, Indy Reads launched its first Workforce Literacy Program with a 12-week pilot course for 28 Electric Plus employees! The class offered more than 50 hours of instruction through a customized English literacy curriculum designed to build electricians’ confidence and industry skills.

Community Beyond the Classroom

Over the course of the year, online and in-person classes gathered all over Indianapolis to connect, celebrate, and extend their learning beyond the classroom. Students, their families, volunteers, teachers, and staff gathered for trips to Eagle Creek Park, the Indianapolis Zoo, Flanner House, Indy Reads’ community bookstore, and more!

Greta's Class Party

Past Impact and Financial Reports

“Indy Reads is a place where people are connecting with each other. Some people in my class really struggled with reading out loud and were putting forth a lot of effort. It helped me to realize that I wasn’t in this by myself.”

KaSarah F., High School Equivalency (HSE) graduate
KaSarah F.