Beginning June 14, The 100 Black Men of Indianapolis will kickoff the 25th installment of their flagship Summer Academy program. Each year, Summer Academy provides students in kindergarten through 8th grade with a variety of educational, cultural and social activities that help them combat summer learning loss.
Johns Hopkins University found that over summer break, students lose “approximately 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills,” and they also lose valuable reading skills. The 100’s Summer Academy is a retention tool designed to combat that learning loss, which has become a nationwide epidemic.
This year, The 100 Black Men of Indianapolis brought in an enthusiastic new director for their Summer Academy —Keli Reese, a native of Indianapolis. Reese graduated from Pike High School before obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Ball State University. After teaching music for eight years in Avon Community Schools and supporting The 100 as a Summer Academy teacher and music coordinator, Reese relocated to Alabama with her husband and children, where she became president of the Birmingham City School Parent Advisory Council. There, she impacted the lives of students and families at 39 different Birmingham city schools.
Excited to be back in Indianapolis, Reese shares, “This year, I’m eager for Summer Academy participants to experience a challenging academic environment that’s interwoven with high-energy activity and fosters genuine camaraderie and connection between students and our talented team of teachers.”
The Summer Academy program starts June 14 and ends on July 21, running Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.–3:30 p.m. each day. The Academy will be held at IPS School 74 located at 1604 10th St. in Indianapolis, IN. Students will complete coursework rooted in Indiana’s Language Arts and Math Academic Standards, they will go on field trips, participate in arts programming and explore robotics and enjoy other STEM-related activities.
The enrollment fee per student is $200, and the registration deadline is May 12. For more information, contact The 100 Office by phone at (317) 921-1276 or visit live.100blackmenindy.org.
