Teach Indy is a non-profit organization that initially started out as a collaborative project between Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), the Mind Trust, & the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. The project targeted center township (IPS). However, Indianapolis has 11 unique school districts, public charter networks, independent schools, and micro-schools.

On July 1, 2022, Teach Indy shifted from a collaborative project to an independent 501 (c)(3), which broadened its reach to educators in IPS and in other school districts.

This year marks the fourth year of its annual Teach Indy Educators Conference, and the theme is “Teach. Lead. Change.” The first two years of the conference were virtual. Last year was the first in person conference. This year will also be in person.

For year four, Teach Indy has locked in a nationally known and highly respected educator, Sharif El-Mekki, as the keynote speaker. El-Mekki is the founder and CEO of the Center for Black Educator Development. His work centers the needs of children and is rooted in Black educator pedagogy. Additionally, he is an avid gardener, beekeeper, and reader.

Sara Marshall, Teach Indy executive director, shared that “Sharif is a leader and changemaker who is acutely aware of the needs of educators and how this translates to students being happy, healthy, and whole.” 

El-Mekki said, “James Baldwin said, ‘Hope is invented every day.’ But my experience has taught me that those who generate the most powerful and potent forms of hope are students and those who teach, lead, and care for them. That is the hope we need because this form of hope is birthed from revolutionary thought and action, not faux platitudes, impotent ideas, and deceiving destructive mindsets. I look forward to being inspired by the hope that the Indy community’s youth and those who serve them generate. I’m humbled and eager to be in community with them.”

This conference is unique because it is for teachers and by teachers. Every session is led by at least one educator who is currently in the classroom. 

When asked why it was important for educators to facilitate conference sessions, Marshall said, “It is important for teachers to hear other teachers vouch for how an education strategy works with students.”

Teacher Markila Hall said during last year’s conference, “One of the many things that I do enjoy about Teach Indy is they give us opportunities to excel and network and bring new ideas for our students.”

Educators who attend the conference will earn five professional growth points that can be used for license renewal. Registration cost is currently $20 but will be $30 beginning February 1.

Conference Details

Date & Time: Saturday, March 2, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Location: Ivy Tech Culinary & Conference Center

Address: 2820 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

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