The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) announced a new public-private partnership that will provide $75 million advance the state’s education priorities, including bolstering science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education and digital learning tools.
According to a Dec. 4 press release from IDOE, the effort includes $40 million from Lilly Endowment – an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation – and $35 million in state funding. The combined investment is one of the most significant public–private education commitments in state history, IDOE said.
The funding will “accelerate literacy, expand high-quality summer learning, strengthen STEM pathways, modernize and expand career advising, and sustain critical digital learning tools for Hoosier students,” according to IDOE.
“This funding will yield tremendous value for Hoosier students, educators, and families,” said Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner. “By aligning public dollars with funds from Lilly Endowment, we are better able to scale what works, address persistent challenges, and build the statewide infrastructure our students deserve.”
Lilly Endowment’s $40 million portion will fund K-5 reading instruction and literacy coaching ($10 million); evidence-based reading interventions for students in grades 6–8 ($5 million); a statewide “STEM Landscape Analysis” to assess gaps in STEM education in the state ($1 million); a career advising study ($500,000); Summer Learning Labs infrastructure and quality supports ($15 million); Indiana Learns tutoring microgrants ($5 million); INSPIRE, the statewide digital library ($2 million); and IDOE implementation capacity ($1.5 million).
The state’s $35 million from the Freedom and Opportunity Fund complements those programs with $10 million for elementary literacy, $1.5 million for outcomes-based adolescent reading interventions, $14.5 million for Summer Learning Labs, and $9 million for Indiana Learns.
IDOE said it will leverage strategic staffing and communications support to help ensure consistent delivery across all 92 counties.
“Lilly Endowment is especially pleased to help build on the momentum of efforts to enhance reading instruction in Indiana by providing additional funding to extend evidenced-based, Science of Reading instruction to more students in elementary school and to offer such instruction to middle school students as well,” said N. Clay Robbins, Lilly Endowment’s chairman and CEO.
“We are encouraged by the state’s commitment to improving STEM education and career advising and expanding effective year-round tutoring programs to improve student learning in reading and math,” Robbins said.
