THE HISTORY OF THE NEISC
CREATION STORY
In the summer of 2014, John Boner Neighborhood Centers (JBNC) assembled a coalition of partners to respond to a federal opportunity to receive a Promise Zone designation for the Near Eastside of Indianapolis. Building on past planning efforts, the IndyEast Promise Zone would allow the City of Indianapolis and local neighborhood leaders the opportunity to partner with the federal government to achieve neighborhood-defined goals.
The IndyEast Promise Zone (IEPZ) designation was awarded in April 2015, resulting in five focus areas, each with three sub-goals. The five focus areas include:
- Learn IndyEast (Improve Educational Opportunities)
- Live IndyEast (Create Affordable Housing Options)
- Buy IndyEast (Increase Economic Activity)
- Work IndyEast (Create Job Opportunities)
- Safe IndyEast (Improve Public Safety)
Upon receipt of the designation, the Learn IndyEast committee, co-chaired by Indianapolis Public Schools, United Way of Central Indiana, and Westminster Neighborhood Ministries (a neighborhood partner organization), began to explore the concept of creating an Innovation Network School in the neighborhood as a way to improve educational outcomes.
In 2016, as the Innovation School model became more fully developed and a school was selected to be the recipient of the extensive work, the Near Eastside Innovation School Corporation (NEISC), a 501c3, was formed to support the transition and implementation of the proposed strategy.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
In January of 2016, over 250 community members attended the first ever Near Eastside Education Summit hosted at Thomas D. Gregg Elementary School. Working together, residents, parents, teachers, and staff provided insights into their dreams for education in the community. They shared their goals for the children in the neighborhood and improvements they hoped to see in the schools serving neighborhood residents.
A second Near Eastside Education Summit occurred on November 5, 2016 at Thomas D. Gregg Elementary School with over 150 community members in attendance. At this event, attendees were encouraged to share additional suggestions for improvement of the overall school model and day to day functioning in an attempt to ensure that the neighborhood’s vision remained intact.
The input collected from both convenings became the foundation from which the NEISC model was formed to serve as a guide for the innovation schools managed by the organization.
