In late March, Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson announced that Gary would partner with the National League of Cities (NLC) and the U.S. Department of Education to hold a “community conversation” to discuss strategies to advance learning, enhance student engagement and improve schools. The date for the Community Conversation has now been set for Thursday, May 22 at 5:00p.m. in the Bruce Bergland Auditorium of the Savannah Center at Indiana University Northwest, 3400 Broadway.
The community is invited to participate in the discussion “How do we create a framework of support to help improve education for all youth in the city of Gary?” The conversation will be led by local education leaders from public, private, charter and faith-based sectors.
This conversation also represents an extension of the discussion initiated by the Educational Committee of the New Day Task Force prior to Freeman-Wilson taking office. The Committee is chaired by Urban League President and CEO Dr. Vanessa Allen and NIPSCO Corporate Citizenship & Employee Involvement Officer Eddie Melton. Both organizations will be partners in facilitating the Community Conversation.
“We want this conversation to be all inclusive,” said Freeman-Wilson. “All youth, no matter what type of school they attend, deserve a quality education. This conversation aims to obtain input from a diverse group of contributors, so that we can develop a plan that benefits all of our children.”
There will be a series of breakout sessions that focus on the following topics:
After School Programs
College and Career Readiness
Transportation
Social Services
Summer programs
Early Childhood Education
Remediation & Support
Adopting Schools
Mentoring
Resources for Teachers
For more information or to RSVP for the Community Conversation, contact Director of Constituent Services Anika Johnson at (219) 881-4815 or via email at ajohnson@ci.gary.in.us.