Staff Report
Over the last two decades, Indianapolis students and families have benefited from a growing number of K-12 public school options. The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit, has been one of the driving forces behind a movement to build a system of schools that deliver strong academics, are held accountable for their results, and can be accessed by the families that want to attend.
In 2001, Indiana passed the state’s charter school law, allowing a new type of public school to operate alongside traditional district schools. Charter schools are public, tuition-free and open to any student who wants to enroll. They must follow laws that district schools do, like a requirement to serve special education students.
Indianapolis leaders were ready to take action, especially with a provision in the law that allows the city’s mayor to authorize charter schools. Then-mayor Bart Peterson created the mayor’s charter school office to take on the task of local charter school authorizing, now known as the Office of Education Innovation (OEI). The first director of this office, David Harris, realized the importance of not only growing new charter schools, but supporting the school leaders who hold the responsibility for ensuring their schools perform well for all students.
Together, Peterson and Harris founded The Mind Trust in 2006 with the idea that great schools have a talented leader who has the autonomy to make decisions as close to students as possible, and is held accountable for the quality of education their school provides. Their vision was to transform the education system in Indianapolis so families could access schools that would help their children reach their full potential.
Since then, the organization has made significant progress on its founders’ vision. The Mind Trust has raised and invested more than $300 million in public education in Indianapolis and beyond. The idea to support school leaders grew into a fellowship model that has supported the launch of more than 50 public schools in Indianapolis and is now expanding to more cities in Indiana, Connecticut, New Mexico, and South Carolina.
In Indianapolis, these fellowships have helped leaders, many of whom are Black and Latino, launch high-quality schools with innovative models, such as Global Preparatory Academy, Girls IN STEM Academy, Rooted Schools Indy, and Purdue Polytechnic High Schools, among others.
“We are incredibly proud to work with more education partners to impact student achievement,” said Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. “Locally, our two decades of work to build stronger schools and shift the status quo has resulted in measurable results for students.”
A 2022 Stanford University study found that in a given school year Indianapolis charter students made learning gains equivalent to 64 additional days in reading and 116 days in math when compared to their peers. For Black students, those gains were even larger at 86 days in reading and 144 days in math. On the 2025 ILEARN, Black Indianapolis charter school students achieved higher proficiency rates than their peers at 10 of the 11 Marion County school districts.
Over the years, the organization has increased community partnerships and engagement as priorities in their work, recognizing these elements are key to student success.
“The Mind Trust recognized that our work has to include the whole community, both grassroots and grasstops,” said Shannon Williams, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President. “We bring the community together for conversations on important K-12 education topics, provide training for parents and educators who want to be advocates on issues they care about, and manage programs like Indy Summer Learning Labs that bring schools and community partners together to support student learning.”
That sense of community and coalition-building has translated into support across the state for the organization’s work for schools and families.
Major partners, like the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE), have tapped The Mind Trust to create and execute statewide, student-facing programs. One example is Indiana Learns, the state’s math and reading tutoring grant program. The Mind Trust operates Indiana Learns on behalf of the IDOE, which has provided more than 25,000 Hoosier students with more than 280,000 hours of tutoring since launching in 2022. According to an external study, Indiana Learns increased learning for students, including Black students, who experienced gains equivalent to approximately 4 to 9 additional weeks of learning.
The organization recently commemorated its twentieth anniversary by hosting the Celebrating Education Innovation gala, it hosted Celebrating Education Innovation gala. More than 1,100 guests attended the event and over $600,000 was raised in support of The Mind Trust’s mission.
The event honored State Rep. Bob Behning and Indianapolis City-County Council President Maggie Lewis as 2026 Leaders in Education Innovation.
“As you know, being in this space, it comes with highs and lows. I have the confidence to do what is right for our babies because they deserve the absolute best. When we do this work, we stand ten toes down in the work God call us to do,” said President Lewis
During the event, Indiana’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Katie Jenner, emphasized the need for the organization’s continued work on behalf of students across the state.
“So, your work is being recognized, certainly being recognized across Indiana…Summer Learning Labs has been copied around the country in some of our largest cities in the nation. Indianapolis and Indiana continue to lead and we are going to keep doing that for kids,” said Dr. Jenner during the event.
A highlight of the evening was the keynote address by Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers legend and national sports broadcaster. In addition to his athletic and television pursuits, Rose is also an entrepreneur. He founded the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy (JRLA) in his hometown of Detroit, Michigan. JRLA is a public charter school that serves over 400 students.
“For me to be in a room filled with such passionate educators who have dedicated their lives, their time, their energy, their resources to help young people is inspiring to me…To me a charter school is personal, it’s a family. And all of us in this room who do this for a living, we know how important the education of young people is and how many lives we’ve changed and continued to change,” said Rose during his keynote address.
To learn more about The Mind Trust, visit themindtrust.org.
Timeline of The Mind Trust’s work and impact
2001: Public charter schools in Indiana
Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson became the first mayor in the country to authorize public charter schools, putting more control in the hands of educators and communities.
2006: The Mind Trust founded
After winning Harvard University’s Innovations in American Government Award for their work at the mayor’s charter school office, David Harris and Bart Peterson founded The Mind Trust.
2008: Education entrepreneurship
The Mind Trust recruits Teach for America to Indianapolis to increase the number of talented in the city’s schools. The organization also launches the Education Entrepreneur Fellowship to develop education nonprofits.
2011: Opportunity Schools Report
The Mind Trust releases the Opportunity Schools report, proposing the idea for innovation network schools, shifting resources from the district to the school-level, and closing schools that don’t meet students’ needs.
2014: Innovation Network School Law and Fellowship
Indiana passes legislation allowing the governing board of Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to authorize innovation network schools within the district, bringing charter-like autonomy into the district. The Mind Trust, in partnership with IPS and the Mayor’s Office launches the Innovation School Fellowship to support leaders in designing and opening these autonomous schools.
2016: Enroll Indy launches
Enroll Indy, Indianapolis’ unified enrollment system, launches through The Mind Trust’s Education Entrepreneur Fellowship. Today, IPS and the vast majority of charter and innovation network schools within IPS boundaries are part of the Enroll Indy system.
2018: Recognized results
Brandon Brown, a longtime education champion becomes CEO of The Mind Trust. Brown hires Shannon Williams, a respected journalist and community leader. The two usher The Mind Trust into a new era of growth and community engagement. A study by Stanford University finds that students in Indianapolis charter and innovation schools made significant academic gains compared to their peers in traditional district schools.
2021: Indy Summer Learning Labs launches
Indy Summer Learning Labs (ISLL) launches in partnership with United Way of Central Indiana, providing five-weeks of free or low-cost academic and enrichment programming during June and July.
2022: Indiana Learns and a second Stanford study
The Mind Trust is selected by the Indiana Department of Education to manage Indiana Learns, a statewide math and reading tutoring grant program for eligible Hoosier students. Stanford University releases a second study that shows Indianapolis charter school students achieve 64 more days of learning in reading and 116 more days of learning in math than their traditional district peers.
2025: Supporting groundbreaking systemic change
Alongside families, schools, and other education organizations, The Mind Trust advocated for HEA 1423, which created the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, a new board that manages transportation and facilities for public charter and traditional district schools within IPS boundaries.
The Mind Trust By the Numbers
$2.2 Million – Since 2021, The Mind Trust has awarded $2.2 million in School Community Partnership Investment ( SCPI) grants to nonprofit and community organizations to expand enriching programs in schools, most of which are led by people of color.
15 – Since 2006, The Mind Trust has launched 15 local and national nonprofits to support education, including Enroll Indy and Teach Plus.
50+ – The Mind Trust has supported the launch of more than 50 public schools in Indianapolis since 2006. At scale, these schools will serve more than 22,000 students.
1,800+ – Since 2006, The Mind Trust has recruited more than 1,800 teachers to more than 100 Indianapolis public schools
