IndyTeach

03/20/2024

Today we are highlighting our math teacher at Christel House DORS South, Sam Comer! Sam had always known that she wanted to help and educate others. After working as an engineer, Sam became a part of our team at DORS as an instructional assistant in the 2021-2022 school year.

Sam joined Christel House’s Indy Teach program, which is our own transition to teaching program, and is so glad she did it. She found it extremely rewarding to see herself grow as a teacher, as well as seeing her students grow with her. Her students even joked with her about how much she had improved as a teacher as the year went on.

To Sam, Christel House means diversity and making a positive impact. She loves the variety of ages, cultures, and backgrounds that are in the Christel House community, and enjoys walking through the hallways of DORS and hearing different languages being spoken and stories being told. Sam loves that she has taught adults ranging from 17 to 60 years old, and who come from all walks of life.

Sam’s favorite memory with a student is when one of her older algebra students wanted to give up and asked when they would ever need algebra, which gave them the opportunity to talk about how the knowledge of math goes beyond the classroom, and how algebraic thinking can improve logical reasoning skills. Sam realized that almost all students have similar reactions to math, some love it, some hate it, but she has the opportunity to teach the importance of algebra.

We are so thankful for Sam, her desire to teach, and her dedication to our students!

03/07/2024

Today we’re highlighting one of our DORS graduates, Adegbemisola (Ade)! Ade heard about our DORS program through a friend, and decided to attend. She graduated in 2020 and is now pursuing nursing school at Ivy Tech.

While she was a student at DORS, Ade served on the Student Leadership Council, and participated in the school’s food drive event.

Christel House staff have continued to motivate her, which helps her stay on track with her future goals. Kendall Price and the College & Careers team keep in touch with her regularly to see how she’s doing, and to make sure she has what she needs to excel at school.

When asked why she stays involved at Christel House, Ade said she appreciates the help the Christel House community provided to her, and now she wants to give back to others.

We're so glad you're part of our community, Ade!

02/29/2024

Meet Adrienne's family at Christel House Academy South!

We've been a Christel House family for the past 13+ years since our oldest son Bobby entered kindergarten. He is currently a college student at UIndy, and we are so proud of him! We have two more kids continuing at CHA, Joshua who is in the 7th grade and Adrionna who is in the 3rd grade. We originally chose Christel House because it is a family oriented school, and have chosen to stay because we all love it here. Our kids love all the activities and sports that are offered. Both Bobby and Joshua love basketball. Bobby was on the basketball team before graduating, and Joshua will continue to play on the middle school basketball team. Adrionna really found a passion in soccer and she's amazing at it. She loves playing soccer at recess with her classmates and teachers. Bobby will continue attending the University of Indianapolis where he has a full scholarship . He is achieving all his goals that he set for himself this year. He still receives support from Christel House teachers and staff. We appreciate all the love that Christel House has shown to our family over the many years! Joshua and Adrionna are super excited for another year at Christel House Academy South!

01/15/2024

Today we celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as we commit to fostering a community of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging for all.

12/04/2023

Help us welcome Mr. Berry, our new Chief Strategy Officer, to Christel House Indianapolis!

Mr. Berry comes to us with an abundance of educational experience. He was most recently a Director of Professional Learning with Panorama Education where he supported a portfolio of schools nationwide to help educators act on data to improve student outcomes. Prior to that he was a Senior School Improvement Specialist with the Indiana Department of Education. In this role, he supported struggling schools throughout the state with the goal of avoiding state take-over. He is currently still a part of the IDOE’s Cultural Competence Committee which played a pivotal role in shaping and launching the state's Equity initiatives.

His wealth of teaching experience extends from Lawrence Township to IUPUI, reflecting a commitment to education. Holding a BS in African American History, an MA in Education from Earlham College, and an MBA in Educational Leadership from Indiana State University as a member of the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, Mr. Berry has been a catalyst for change at every stop of his professional journey. He has worked with over 700 schools nationwide.

Welcome to Christel House, Mr. Berry!

03/29/2023

If you have a passion for education and are ready to transition into a teaching career, learn more about our IndyTeach program here!

Early on I realized that behavior has a strong impact on academic success and that school culture trumps academics. Countless times I witnessed students, especially students of color and lower-performing students, being removed from the learning environment. The more this happened, the wider were th...

03/07/2023

We support equitable funding for all students!

A letter signed by 11 Black charter school leaders advocates for more state dollars for charter schools to make up for funding gaps.

02/10/2023

Christel House Indianapolis is looking for aspiring educators to serve as apprentices and mentors for the next generation of educators. Their apprenticeship program, IndyTeach is an alternative teacher preparation program, unlike any other teacher prep program in Indiana. IndyTeach is designed to remove the financial barriers associated with becoming a teacher in order to draw on a broader population and is, therefore, tuition-free, paid, and fully benefited.

To learn more about the IndyTeach apprenticeship program visit www.chindy.org/departments/indy-teach

Accepting applications through March 31 at https://pwp.squarespace.com/indyteach-apply

01/16/2023

Today we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In his acceptace speech for the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize, he shared this hope:
"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits."

09/15/2022

IndyTeach is about one thing - preparing talented college graduates to become extraordinary educators. One of those graduates is Mr. Duane Curry, who teaches at Christel House Academy West

-Meet Mr. Curry-
"My goals as an educator are to inspire students, give them hope, and help equip them with the tools needed to navigate life."

IndyTeach was a perfect program for me as our visions aligned and I was given the opportunity to use my strengths and passions to help make a positive impact in the life of our students.

Visit www.chindy.org to learn about our licensure program.

09/07/2022

Take a look at yesterday's interview with Program Director Tracy Westerman on WRTV. There are so many exciting things happening at Christel House!

IndyTeach is a program that's training teachers through hands-on learning, in the classroom, to get their Indiana teachers license in one year and help fill the teacher shortage.

09/02/2022

It’s Flashback Friday!

It’s hard to believe our first day of school was already one month ago 😲! Our apprentices were just as excited as the students for the new school year!

Check out some of their fun first day of school photos 📸!