FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
University receives grant to change the narrative around teaching in Marion County
INDIANAPOLIS— The School of Education at the University of Indianapolis is collaborating on a strategic campaign designed to promote the rewards of a career inside the classroom.
Teacher attrition is a growing problem for K-12 schools, one the National Education Association calls a “five-alarm crisis.” According to The Indianapolis Star, Marion County school districts reported 1,247 vacancies, including many vital classroom positions, starting the 2022-23 school year.
To address the challenge, a marketing campaign titled “Let’s Teach, Indiana!,” will target high school juniors, seniors, and their families to encourage more students to pursue a postsecondary degree in teaching. The campaign has launched for the 2023-24 school year in 14 partnering Marion County high schools, as well as through city-wide advertising and educational digital content. The University of Indianapolis has selected local, minority-woman-owned marketing agency, Boldthink to collaborate on this effort.
“The Boldthink team is thrilled to use our brand development and marketing skills to elevate the teaching profession. We want to tell the stories and share the data that show it as the gratifying, meaningful, make-an-impact career that it is,” said Theresa Goodwin, CEO of Boldthink. “Plus, as a minority business owner and mom of two school-age children in Indianapolis, the goals of this project are personal.”
Funding comes from an Indiana Department of Education grant “Attract, Prepare, Retain,” designed to attract and retain educators statewide. The local marketing campaign is part of a larger initiative to improve Indiana’s K-12 teaching pipeline of teachers who want to return and support those communities as educators. Targeting underrepresented teacher candidates who more closely match Indiana’s diverse student population marks a special focus of the work.
“The grant will provide an extraordinary opportunity for the University of Indianapolis School of Education to attract talented high school students from the Indianapolis area for teacher preparation training,” said Dr. John Kuykendall, Dean and Associate Professor of the School of Education.
High school juniors and seniors interested in pursuing a bachelor’s in education will be identified in UIndy’s expanding dual credit program, which allows students to earn college credit while still in high school. Students enrolled in UIndy’s dual credit program and other students from partnering districts interested in teaching are invited to participate in UIndy’s Summer Teacher Prep Academy. Students attending this week-long academy learn more about a career in teaching, earn dual credit in education-specific courses, and engage in the practice of teaching.
To learn more about UIndy’s Teacher Prep Academy, visit https://uindy.edu/cebs/education/teacher-prep-academy
These programs are expanded by the UIndy Teach Education program, a paid apprenticeship that allows education majors at UIndy with two years of credits to work as a paraprofessional while continuing course work toward their degree.
“By working with our partnering school districts to create the dual credit opportunities, the summer Teacher Prep Academy, and apprenticeship, we will build strong pipelines,” Dr Turner explains. “This grant will have a positive, lasting impact on the local teaching community and future generations.”
To learn more about Let’s Teach, Indiana!, visit https://www.letsteachindiana.org
About UIndy
The University of Indianapolis, founded in 1902, is a private university located just a few minutes from downtown Indianapolis. The University is ranked among the top National Universities by U.S. News and World Report, with a diverse enrollment of nearly 5,400 undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. The University offers a wide variety of study areas, including 100+ undergraduate degrees, more than 40 master’s degree programs, and five doctoral programs. The University of Indianapolis impacts its community by living its motto, “Education for Service.” Learn more: https://uindy.edu.
About Boldthink
Boldthink, a branding agency established in 2011, is based in Indianapolis, Indiana. The team of brand advisors and consultants hold deep expertise in brand strategy, brand development, and brand management services. Using consumer insights, data, and quantitative and qualitative research allows Boldthink to help companies drive innovation and fuel growth through a variety of services. To learn more about how Boldthink can help cultivate brands, visit https://boldthinkcreative.com.