The Mind Trust Gets $3.4M To Support Teacher Programs

The Mind Trust will get $3.4 million from the Lilly Endowment to boost teacher and principal training and attract more teachers to Indianapolis. Teach For America and TNTP, a group formerly called The New Teacher Project, will split the money.

Mind Trust CEO David Harris says Teach for America will recruit up to 100 new college graduates a year for the next two years and also attract mid-career professionals to teaching.

“These programs do a magnificent job of attracting and developing great teachers and great principals. So their impact is immediate," Harris told WFYI. "They immediately raise academic levels, for the student that they are teaching but in addition to that they are an incredible source of talent for the community ongoing.”

According to the Mind Trust, the money will got toward: 

• $2 million for Teach For America to recruit up to 100 top college graduates a year for two years beginning in 2015 to teach in Indianapolis high-need public schools.
• $400,000 or Teach For America's “Indianapolis Principal Fellowship” program that trains school leaders.
• $1.02 million for TNTP to recruit mid-career professionals to teach.

The Lilly Endowment has given a total of $14 million to the Indianapolis-based school reform group for both of these programs since 2007. 

Contact WFYI education reporter Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org or call (317) 614-0470. Follow on Twitter: @ericweddle.