AmeriCorps Member Spotlight Kelsey Johnson, Indy Reads WorkLiteracy Coach Why did you apply to be an Indy Reads AmeriCorps WorkLiteracy Coach? I love teaching and I love my community. There’s a phrase, ‘social justice is love in action’ and I believe that wholeheartedly. This is one of the ways I’m trying to show love—being there […]
In My Own Words | Lovely Taverne
In My Own Words is an Indy Reads series where students tell their stories using their own authentic voice and words. Lovely is from Haiti. She was working as a nurse in her home country and now has enrolled with Indy Reads to develop her English skills to continue her nursing career in the U.S. […]
In My Own Words | Sterling Riggs
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 […]
Indy Reads Starting New High School Equivalency Program
Indianapolis, IN — (June 16, 2020) In July, Indy Reads will be adding free High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma classes to an existing suite of adult literacy, English language, and workforce training programs. The organization’s commitment to serve adult learners now includes those who do not have a high school diploma. In Marion County, that’s […]
Curbside Pickup is Back!
Indy, we’ve missed you! It’s been several weeks since we last left books at our doorstep for you and we’re excited to get started again. Starting Wednesday, May 6, 2020, Indy Reads Books will be providing curbside pickup of limited selections from our location at 911 Massachusetts Avenue. Pickup will be available daily 10A – […]
COVID19 Response from Indy Reads Books – Temporary Change
Dear Friends, All of us are in uncharted waters right now and we’re experiencing things we’ve only read about in books. Information about COVID-19 is changing by the hour and based on the announcements from Governor Holcomb and Mayor Hogsett regarding social distancing and other suggested measures, we have made the decision to close our […]
One Story, Many Authors – Indy Reads Starts New Chapter
Indy Reads and Indy Reads Books will be moving to its new location in Fountain Square (1066 Virginia Avenue) by the end of August 2020. This is an exciting time in the history of our organization. This will allow our admin, program, development, and bookstore staff to be under one roof for the first time […]
Indy Reads approved to take over Fountain Square Branch
Indianapolis, IN—(February 25, 2020) Indy Reads and Indy Reads Books are moving to Fountain Square. On February 24, the Indianapolis Public Library Board of Directors voted to approve the organization taking over the Fountain Square Library Branch, which will be vacated in May. The Library will relocate services to the West Perry branch in 2021. […]
Indy Library Board Sets Timetable for Fountain Square Branch Transition
The Indianapolis Public Library Board of Trustees has given preliminary approval to the closing of the Fountain Square Branch in May 2020, as part of the Library’s long-range plan announced in 2015 to relocate services to the new West Perry Branch, scheduled to open in mid-2021. The recommendation by the Library’s Facilities Committee on February […]
Meet Dawt: IndyGo’s Student of the Month!
Many of our students realize that reading, speaking and understanding English is important to many facets of their lives. For them, coming to Indy Reads to build their language skills is about changing their lives in ways that help their children grow and their families thrive. This month’s IndyGo Student of the Month, Dawt Sung, […]
Meet our IndyGo Student of the Month – Cleon!
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, […]
Indy Reads Awarded Grant from Dollar General Literacy Foundation
Indianapolis, IN — (May 31st, 2019) Indy Reads is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. This is the 10th overall grant the foundation has provided to Indy Reads, and the third consecutive year of financial support for Indy Reads’ innovative Community Classrooms program. For […]
Meet Candace: Building a Brighter Future with Literacy!
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 […]
Cooking with Confidence
One of my ongoing goals is to increase my cooking skills and eventually become a great cook. Learning how to cook is a great way to improve and maintain your health, save money, and try new dishes to challenge your taste buds and expand your palate. In college, I figured that I had to learn […]
Our IndyGo Student of the Month, Michael Cook, found his “safe haven” at Indy Reads
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 […]
A Taste of El Salvador
Do you know where the highest concentration of Salvadoran immigrants live in Indianapolis? If you guessed the Crooked Creek neighborhood near Michigan Road, you’re correct! I learned the answer last week at a free Lunch and Learn presentation on the country of El Salvador at the Michigan Road Library branch. The event series is a […]
My Healthy Mid-Life Crisis: How learning something new saved my sanity
When I heard the stomping, clapping, yelling, whistle-blowing, rattle-shaking crowd of hundreds, I felt as if I were going to regurgitate my heart as it attempted to thump its way up my throat with the determined futility of a toad trying to jump out of a well. My bowels were like ice and my salivary […]
Meet January’s IndyGo Student of the Month – Michelle!
For many of our students, choosing to come to Indy Reads is about much more than just learning how to read. Our students are often looking to find a better or more permanent job, increase their ability to read their own mail and pay their bills, or gain the skills to take their driver’s license […]
Indy Reads Announces New Certification Programs
We’re expanding our commitment to supporting adult learners by providing free of charge customer service job certification classes! Indy Reads’ mission is to build literacy, English language, and job readiness skills to empower adults and families to reach their full potential. A dual focus on literacy education and job readiness programs helps us to educate […]
Silence Your Inner Critic: Write a book in 30 days
Writing the first draft of a novel is like playing with finger paints: messy, colorful and fun. Painting with our instinct, creating images of whatever we fancy without worrying what the grown-ups will say, allows us to find our voice, get to know our characters, and allow the story to unfold. While the Inner Critic […]