Lay C. is the first graduate of Indy Reads’ Customer Service Skills Program (CSSP), which combines an industry-recognized customer service certification with a paid internship in our community bookstore. This program was generously funded by the Margot L. Eccles Arts & Culture Fund. Only nine days after completing the program, Lay began a new job at a […]
In My Own Words is an Indy Reads series where students tell their stories using their own authentic voice and words. Sterling is a future motivational speaker with a soulful gravel not unlike the singer Lyfe Jennings, an inspired story, and a warm laugh you can’t ignore. He has all the hallmarks of a great […]
Students in our Community Classrooms come from a variety of backgrounds and bring their own experiences and perspectives with them. These perspectives contribute to the diverse community environment that make our classrooms unique. This month’s IndyGo Student of the Month, Cleon Bell, brings happiness and optimism to class every week. Cleon grew up in Jamaica, […]
Cyclical poverty is a burden far too many of our students have had to endure. All too often, circumstances far, far beyond our students’ control leave them without the education they need to pursue the opportunities — college, a reliable job, access to healthcare — many of us enjoy. This month’s IndyGo Student of the […]
In our classrooms, students learn much more than the fundamentals of reading. Michael Cook, this month’s IndyGo Student of the Month, is learning how to find himself after years of dealing with drugs and addiction. He says, “It was like walking in the unknown and never finding your way out. Indy Reads is my way […]
Halima came to Indy Reads after spending years and years moving from place to place. At the age of 13, she fled her home country of Algeria thanks to an arranged marriage. She was taken to France and promised an education and a brighter future, but was immediately put to work instead. Over the following […]
This Thanksgiving, We’re Grateful for You! Khalil is a student in Indy Reads’ English Language Learners (or ELL) classroom. Khalil and his classmates — all of them seeking a brighter future and a second chance in America — learn and develop their English reading, writing, and speaking skills together, and build up an incredible community in the […]
Bethny came to Indy Reads after having fled oppression and a lack of opportunities in her native Burma. Her father came to America first, and worked hard to bring Bethny and her five brothers and sisters afterward. Together, the family has struggled through learning cultural differences and being “outsiders” in the United States. Bethny made […]
When Veronica moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s, taking care of her family became her number one priority. But as her children grew older, she knew she needed to make a change — she didn’t want to keep relying on her kids to be her translators. “I felt I really needed to learn […]
When Donya arrived in the U.S. five years ago, she thought she would be moving to a new land of opportunity. Instead, she was almost immediately confronted with what she calls the most challenging experience of her life. “It was like breaking out of a bubble and being thrown into a world of strangers,” Donya […]
For Juan, Indy Reads’ Community Classrooms are a family affair: Juan and his family migrated to the United States from Spain pursuing better opportunities in America, but it wasn’t long before Juan’s mother realized her challenges in reading and writing would hold her back. She enrolled in the donor-powered Community Classrooms literacy program, and began […]
Kenny’s story starts with the same idea that sparks most Indy Reads students tosign up: It was time for a change. “I struggled with my reading since I was a little kid,” Kenny says. “As I got older, I said, ‘Maybe it’s time I go back and better my life.’”
