This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. Last summer, hundreds of thousands of Hoosier families who qualify for food benefits and reduced-price school meals got a summertime boost: $120 per child monthly for food while schools were closed. But relief for those 669,000 children may only have been a one-time blip. Indiana […]
Education
Posted inEducation, Politics & Policy, State Government
Lawmakers End Racial and Ethnic Studies Course Mandate, Make More Education Changes as Session Ends
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Indiana lawmakers wrapped up the 2025 legislative session early Friday with a final vote on a two-year state budget that provides a 2% annual increase in funding for schools and establishes a universal school voucher program to begin next year. They also passed several education bills that are […]
Posted inEducation
When the Tornado Hit, Their School Was Damaged. Now These Gary Students Are Rebuilding.
The roof was damaged. Classrooms were emptied. The building where hundreds of children once learned and laughed sat silently behind locked doors. Nearly three weeks after a tornado tore through the Tolleston neighborhood, students and staff of Frankie Woods McCullough Academy are returning to their school. The Gary Community School Corporation said classes will resume […]
Posted inEducation, LGBTQ, Partner Content, Sports
Bill Banning Transgender Female Athletes From Women’s College Teams Clears Senate
This story was originally published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle. A bill that would prohibit transgender female athletes from playing on college teams that align with their gender identity passed the Indiana Senate on Thursday with bipartisan support on a 42-6 vote. It now goes to Gov. Mike Braun for his signature. Sen. Stacey Donato, […]
Posted inEducation, Local Government, State Government
Education Is a ‘State and Local Responsibility,’ Indiana Leaders say After Trump Order
This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Indiana leaders this week welcomed an order from President Donald Trump intended to close the U.S. Department of Education, saying it will give the state more control over education and greater flexibility to spend federal funds. The long-expected step directs Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all […]
Posted inArts, Community, Education
Gary Native PeQue Empowers Youth Through Art
As temperatures rise in Gary, so too is residents’ desire to push the city in a brighter direction. To that end, one avenue for change is being honed in our youngest citizens: through art. World-renowned artist PeQue, a Gary native whose murals have honored figures like Kobe Bryant and Kamala Harris, returned home — not […]
Posted inEducation
How Gary Students Can Get Tutoring Support for Standardized Tests
Standardized testing season is approaching, and for many Gary students, the stakes are high. Students who don’t pass Indiana’s standardized exams face additional studying requirements or are required to take summer school, but for third-graders, the consequences are even more severe. Those who fail the state’s reading assessment risk being held back and required to […]
Posted inCommunity, Culture, Education
Gary Students Learn From Harlem’s Finest at Dance Workshop
“And five, six, seven, eight!” Warming up to the tunes of Michael Jackson’s “Rock With You,” and James Brown’s “Super Bad” with stretches and steps, a room full of Gary students gathered in the student of Indiana University Northwest to boogie down with a few of Harlem’s best dancers. The Dance Theatre of Harlem, a […]
Posted inEducation, Politics & Policy
Gary Parents Depend on Head Start. Trump’s Budget Cuts Put It at Risk.
When Jessica Fullilove enrolled her 4-year-old son at Geminus Head Start-St. Mark Early Learning Academy in Glen Park, she expected a strong educational foundation. But the staff went far beyond that. “[They] actually caught a developmental delay that even the doctor didn’t catch on to right away, so I’m thankful for that,” Fullilove said. “The […]
Posted inEducation, Youth
‘Good Guys Don’t Bully’: The Former Gary Teen Who’s Protecting Kids Online
At 13 years old, Terrence “TJ” Harvey has already learned how cruel the world can be. The taunts came first. Name-calling, teasing, the kind of juvenile insults meant to wound but possible to ignore. Then, the physical harassment. And then, the shame. One day, something private — something never meant to be shared — was […]
