The Mind Trust awards $50,000 in the fifth round of Go Farther Literacy Fund to 21 Indianapolis families, organizations, and schools
INDIANAPOLIS – (February 3, 2025) – The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit, announced $50,000 in Go Farther Literacy Fund awards. The 2025 awards will support 21 projects that promote student literacy led by Indianapolis families, teachers, and community-based organizations. For this round of awards, 15 will be distributed to families.
Celebrating five years of impact, The Mind Trust’s Go Farther Literacy Fund has awarded a total of $230,000 since the initiative began in 2020. The majority of funds have been awarded to individual families. The goal of the Go Farther Literacy Fund is to invest in locally-driven projects that further student literacy skills, primarily funding projects led by parents and families.
“This program is a reflection of The Mind Trust’s unwavering commitment to supporting innovative ideas that drive students’ learning gains. Now in its fifth year, we are proud of the resources the Go Farther Literacy Fund has been able to give to Indianapolis families and community organizations. We are thrilled to stand behind these families and organizations in our effort to empower every student in Indianapolis and beyond,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust.
This year, The Mind Trust has secured new partnerships to support Go Farther Literacy Fund awardees with implementation and literacy knowledge. Recipients will receive training in the science of reading through RISE INDY’s Freedom Readers, a program that empowers parents and caregivers to improve their students’ literacy rates. Additionally, Teachers’ Treasures, a past awardee and nonprofit that provides free, vital supplies and resources for classroom success, will host a book drive for 2025 award recipients and finalists.
The 15 Family recipients are:
India Bunnell will receive $2,500 to fund a literacy corner to support children in her community, especially those in the foster care system.
Alexis Burrus and Raven Powell will receive $3,500 to fund the Sensational Reading: Levels of Literacy project focused on creating an inclusive reading environment for students, particularly those with disabilities and special needs.
Betiana Casimir will receive $1,500 to support a reading club for the children of the Haitian-Creole community they are a part of.
Sunnie Davis will receive $500 to add more books to their student’s home library.
Ana C Delgado Salgado will receive $2,000 to fund an at-home library and reading club for her students and neighboring ones.
Janika Emberson will receive $2,000 to fund the BAYA book club at their students’ school by supporting them with books and the facilitator’s guidebook.
Monica Hill will receive $2,500 to fund tutoring for their second-grade student.
Key King will receive $3,500 to fund a book club for Center Township middle school children that uses prizes to incentivize reading. The club will have appropriate accommodations for multilingual learners and students who have an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
Irma and Perdomo Matías will receive $1,500 to fund literacy tutoring and books that can be passed on to other students in the future.
Robert Monroe will receive $3,000 to fund supply kits for a virtual STEM storytime lab to remove transportation barriers for families and allow as many students as possible to attend.
Dannielle Norris will receive $1,500 to fund a nine-week literacy and writing program to improve her students’ reading and writing skills while promoting emotional well-being.
Kelin Peraza-Argueta will receive $500 to create an expansive home library to help improve their reading skills and foster a love for reading by providing books tailored to their interests and needs.
Simona Santabarbara will receive $2,000 to fund the creation of a reading library, writing materials, and comfortable study seating for their students.
Tiffany K. Tabb-Maitre will receive $3,000 to create a digital, sensory, and social-emotional library space at home for their student.
Ariane’ Cherie Washington will receive $2,500 to fund a home library for their students to implement at-home support for language impairment and to increase interest in reading.
The 6 School and community recipients are:
Aspire Indy will receive $3,000 to fund its haircut literacy program where students receive a free haircut book as an incentive to read and write.
Brightlane Learning will receive $3,000 to create reading toolkits for unhoused teenagers to help improve their reading skills.
Indianapolis Drifters will receive $3,000 to facilitate stealth literacy sessions at Liberty Grove School.
Kheprw Institute will receive $3,000 to convert available space into a literacy-technology space for all students to build literacy and reading skills.
Love Foundation 57 Inc. will receive $3,000 to create a mobile library for the Haitian community by targeting different Haitian churches.
Witherspoon Presbyterian Church will receive $3,000 to fund a free 6-week literacy program to increase reading knowledge and skills.
The Mind Trust’s initiative is modeled after The People’s Literacy Fund in Oakland, California. Dr. Charles Cole, III, Executive Director of Energy Convertors, an education nonprofit based in Oakland, began The People’s Literacy Fund with Educate78 to support families’ innovative ideas for promoting student literacy.
To learn more about the Go Farther Literacy Fund visit themindtrust.org/gofarther.