This week, teachers, school leaders, community organizations, philanthropic organizations, policymakers, and parents joined The Mind Trust for an evening of celebration and recognition of the progress Indianapolis has made in education over the past nearly two decades. The energy in the room was high but the message was clear: we have made tremendous progress when it comes to K-12 education outcomes, but we have much more work to do. During the evening, Former Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. said that every student – regardless of income, race, or zip code – deserve access to a well-rounded education, including a rigorous curriculum and social and emotional supports. And while […]

Claire Fiddian-Green is the President and CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. Opioid addiction is taking an undeniable toll on Hoosiers struggling with addiction, their families, and Indiana employers and communities. In an ideal world, we could keep people from becoming addicted to prescription pain medicine or using heroin in the first place through comprehensive prevention programming for youth, parents, teachers and employers. There is much more we could and should be doing when it comes to prevention in Indianapolis and across the state. But as we focus on scaling up prevention efforts, we also must ensure those who are suffering from opioid use disorder get connected with the […]