Ellen Quigley is the Vice President of Programs at the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation An interview with Amar Patel, Executive Director, Teach For America Indianapolis (TFA) Background TFA has a vision that all Indianapolis children will lead lives of their choosing and collectively contribute to a more vibrant and just city. As a leadership development institution, TFA seeks to develop collective leadership for educational equity, excellence, and broader systems change – in its students and its corps members. Annually, TFA recruits over 60 diverse individuals as corps members who commit to teach for two years in an Indianapolis public school. Nearly 40% identify as people of color and 85% relocate […]

Claire Fiddian-Green is the President & CEO of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. The opioid epidemic was recently declared a national public health emergency – and for good reason.  In Indiana, an adult is now more likely to die from a drug overdose than a motor vehicle accident. But opioids aren’t the only substances fueling our addiction crisis. For example, 151,000 Hoosier children who are now under the age of 18 will ultimately die prematurely from smoking. And alcohol, marijuana and methamphetamine use are of continued concern. Substance use often begins in middle school and worsens through high school. Nationwide, 18 percent of students report having used a prescription drug […]