No kid’s future should be determined by their zip code. | Elevate Indianapolis

We are excited to share that Elevate Indianapolis was featured on WTHR! Click here to check it out. 

“We have a crisis in our city for urban students — a lack of trust in safe relationships, a lack of spaces for kids to be,” said Elevate’s President and CEO, Aaron Story. “I mean if you live in some of the most vulnerable zip codes in our city, and you look around, where can kids literally go? There are not many places. After school, what do they do? Summers, what do they do? And who invests in urban students at the level that they really need and often are thirsty for and want?… No kid’s outcome should be determined by what zip code they’re born in.

These are the reasons why Braylan Myers, a teacher/mentor with Elevate Indianapolis at Arsenal Tech High School, teaches soft skills, takes kids on college trips, basketball games, service projects, and social outings. 78% of Elevate Indy students share life problems with Teacher-Mentors, to help develop their character in real-life circumstances.

“…a lot of kids in our city who don’t have Elevate, they kind of just do what they see. And as we see, the crime rate is terrible in our city.” This year, Elevate is operating in five IPS schools. In those schools, Elevate is teaching and mentoring 600 students from 20 zip codes across Marion County. And it’s working. Elevate Indy most recently achieved a 96% on track to graduate rate compared to the national average of 78% among serving economically disadvantaged students.

90% of seniors who’ve gone through the Elevate program graduate.
80% either enroll in college, enlist in the military or get a job.

Here are some of the ways you can support our cause:

  • Donate until the end of March and have all one-time donations matched $1 for $1 up to $1,000 through a match from the Stand Together Foundation

 • Partner through a meaningful engagement event

  • Volunteer for one of our many events