Helen Baker Bundles, former vice president of administration and curriculum at the Center for Leadership Development (CLD) received the S. Henry Bundles, Jr. Award for Service to the Center for Leadership Development at the Minority Achievers Award and Scholarship Gala on May 7.
Baker Bundles received the award, named in honor of her late husband, S. Henry Bundles Jr., during a virtual gala to honor leaders in Indianapolis.
“I never expected this to happen,” Baker Bundles said. “I was very surprised.”
A lifelong educator, Baker Bundles was a classroom teacher in the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) for 10 years. She also was a classroom teacher at Metropolitan School District of Washington Township as well a reading teacher and vice principal.
Her history at CLD began soon after its formation in 1977 when her late husband, S. Henry Bundles Jr., initially asked her to come on board as a volunteer.
After retiring from Greenbriar Elementary School in 1988. Baker Bundles became a full-time employee at CLD. Eventually, she worked her way up to become vice president of administration and curriculum.
“One of the things that always caught my attention as a teacher and principal was that teachers would do so many things in addition to teaching and interacting with students,” Baker Bundles said. “Working as a CLD administrator, I was able to relieve the facilitators of a lot of additional responsibilities, so that they could do just that.”
As a facilitator for the organization’s stand-alone program, Baker Bundles taught current CLD president Dennis Bland in 1982. After he graduated from college, Bland returned to the organization and became a facilitator. He was met again by Baker Bundles, who trained him.
“I would describe her as someone who poured her energy into transforming the lives of thousands of African American youth, and did so behind the scenes,” Bland said.
The award is given to individuals who contribute to the longevity of CLD and its mission, Bland said. Baker Bundles retired from CLD in 2000.
“CLD has probably touched about 50,000 youth since its inception in 1977, and if I were guessing, I would say 48,000 of those have been touched by Helen Baker Bundles, whether they know it or not,” Bland said. “It’s like getting a gift, and not knowing who the gift is from.”
Though the CLD initially began its introduction to students with just one program, Baker Bundles helped develop the curriculum over the course of several years. Today, CLD has more than a dozen programs.
“We added the program ‘Project Mister’ because there was a high rate of infant mortality at the time. Everyone was addressing it from the perspective of teenage girls, but nothing was done to address how boys had a role in the dilemma,” Baker Bundles said.
Dr. Holbrook Hankinson, former CLD volunteer and current interim dean of experiential learning at Depauw University, worked alongside Baker Bundles at CLD. Her contribution is immeasurable, he said.
“Look at the growth of CLD overall. We had one program and four people,” Hankinson added. “They (S. Henry Bundles and Mrs. Baker Bundles) helped build the foundation and stayed with it. When you look at the outcomes, that’s how you see how much she contributed.”
In 2003, the Bundles moved to Sarasota, Florida. Two years ago, the couple attended an annual gala, and the two were able to see how much the organization has grown. Henry Bundles died in 2019.
“We stood at the doorway, and were in awe as we looked at the size of the room with all of the tables. It was amazing to see how much the organization had grown,” Baker Bundles said.
Baker Bundles said she was nervous about accepting the award in front of such a large audience.
“When I thought about going back again to attend an event of this magnitude as an award recipient, I guess in one way, I didn’t mind when I discovered that it was virtual,” Baker Bundles admits, laughing. “I kept thinking, ‘What do I say? How do I talk to that many people?’”
Contact newsroom intern Mikaili Azziz at 317-924-5143. Follow her on Twitter @mikailiazziz.
To view the full replay of the virtual gala, click here.
Helen Baker Bundles (Photo provided)
Carl D Black Sr
