Press Releases | March 7, 2022

Indy Summer Learning Labs hiring teachers and teacher aides for 2022 summer program

The Mind Trust and United Way of Central Indiana are now accepting applications for Indy Summer Learning Lab (ISLL) teacher and teacher aide positions for programming in June and July 2022. Indy Summer Learning Labs provide five weeks of academic instruction and fun enrichment activities for students entering grades 1-9 for the 2022-2023 school year at schools and community centers across Marion County. Applications for in-person and virtual roles are being accepted at indysummerlearninglabs.com.

“Last summer, Indy Summer Learning Labs helped thousands of Marion County students make gains in English Language Arts and math. The teachers and staff at each site made that progress possible,” said Brandon Brown, CEO at The Mind Trust. “We are excited to offer this opportunity to educators again this summer and look forward to another year of fun and learning.”

ISLL teachers will be paid up to $10,000 for completing one week of training and five weeks of instruction. Teachers will be provided with all of the lesson plans, materials and supplies needed for instruction. Qualified applicants will either have a current Indiana teaching license, an emergency waiver or be a recently retired teacher. Applicants will also be required to complete a background check.

ISLL teacher aides will be paid $25 per hour. Qualified applicants can be college students studying education or people with a background in supporting student learning in an academic setting. Aides can expect to support teachers in small group instruction and facilitate enrichment activities. Teacher aide applicants will also go through a background check process.

All ISLL teachers and teacher aides will be required to attend pre-program training June 13-17 and  five weeks of programming beginning Tuesday, June 21, through Friday, July 20. There will be no programming on Monday, July 4. Pre-program training will orient staff to the Lavinia curriculum and how to best support student learning during the program.

Lavinia Group, a world-class education management consultancy, is again providing a customized math and literacy curriculum aligned with Indiana’s academic standards. Participating students will also take a pre- and post-Lab assessment so teachers can collect meaningful data on progress, and Lavinia Group will provide tools and resources to keep track of progress on a daily basis over the course of the summer.

In 2021, students who participated in ISLL saw gains in English Language Arts and math. Pre- and post-program assessments aligned with Indiana state learning standards were administered to more than 1,000 students, and key results included:

  • A 20 percentage point increase in basic and proficient scores of English Language Arts performance.
  • A 27 percentage point increase in basic and proficient scores of math performance.

Participating sites are currently being finalized, with an anticipated capacity of 5,000 students. Enrollment for all sites will be open in early April. For more information, visit indysummerlearninglabs.com.

About United Way of Central Indiana

United Way is a community of donors, advocates, volunteers and partners who fight for the health, education and financial stability of every person in every community. United Way invites all members of our community to LIVE UNITED by giving, advocating and volunteering to improve lives in Central Indiana. Visit www.uwci.org to learn more.

About The Mind Trust

The Mind Trust is an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit that works to build a system of schools that gives every student, no exceptions, access to a high-quality education. The Mind Trust does this by building a supportive environment for schools through policy and community engagement, empowering talented, diverse educators to launch new schools, and providing existing schools with the support they need to hire world-class talent and achieve excellence. Since 2006, The Mind Trust has supported the launch of 49 schools, 15 education nonprofit organizations, and has helped place more than 1,800 teachers and school leaders in Indianapolis classrooms.