INDIANAPOLIS — "My kids go to school every other day in person and on the alternate days they were at home kind of goofing off," said Tiffany Tabb.
Between the challenge of doing her own job and monitoring her kid's virtual schoolwork, Tiffany Tabb is taking advantage of extra help through community learning sites powered by The Mind Trust, which offers e-learning support, a safe place and meals to all students in grades k-12. Tabb says she gets why her daughters can only be in school part time but says keeping them at home 3 days a week is not ideal.
"That's not what I want for them and that's not really what's best for them. That's not ideal. They really need to be somewhere where there's so structure and where there is appropriate supervision."
Since mid-August The Mind Trust has been running 15 learning sites across Indianapolis, five days a week, with 325 students attending from about every school district. Now as more schools their physical classrooms, three of those locations are extending their services until the end of the semester. You'll find Pam Leeper at The Reset Center location on the east side. She says parents are eager to sign their kids up.
"It's just too stressful if they're at home, or if they have to leave their kids at home either way, it just concerns them," Leeper said.
The learning site locations are strategically mapped across the city, with Christamore House serving the west side, The Shepherd Community Center on the near east side and The Reset Center on the far east side. The e-learning support, meals and supervision are 100-percent free. Patrick Jones with The Mind Trust says this is their way of supporting families in a difficult year.
"You still don't feel comfortable and safe to send you kids to school, you can send them to a safe and sterilized place where they can come and learn and get cared for, in a place that you feel comfortable with," said Jones.
The learning sites are able to continue thanks to $88,000 of investment, from the City of Indianapolis and The Mind Trust.The organization says they now have the space to serve 100 students in socially distant settings.
