Newsroom

NATIONAL GROUP HONORS INDIANAPOLIS STUDENT LEADERS

Wednesday, June 17, 2020

Community service projects by students at Christel House Academy South in Indianapolis have been honored with a Gold Banner for Outstanding Achievement. Multiplying Good, a national nonprofit focused on elevating public service recognized the Christel House student team. This is the first time Christel House has been awarded a Gold Banner. The Students In Action (SIA) state win means the Christel House efforts will move on to national competition later this year.

SIA encourages leadership through community service. Sixteen Christel House students organized projects with a focus on recycling and immigration issues. Projects included a food drive, blood drive, Going Green service learning, and an immigrant welcome project with the Garfield Park Art Center. Senior Lindsay H., President of Christel House Students in Action said the Gold Banner was a goal set early by the team but admits when the awards were announced on a Zoom call, she was emotional. “It was overwhelming,” she says. “We exceeded our goals!”

The team won four awards - Overall Winning School for Indiana, Gold Banner Leadership Award, Most Creative Project Award, and Most Outstanding Achievement Award for Indianapolis. Rachel Williams, Program Manager of Multiplying Good Indiana, says the hard work, depth and creativity of the Christel House student efforts was amazing. “These kids really deserved it!”      

About Christel House Indianapolis

An affiliate of Christel House International, Christel House Indianapolis (CHINDY) was established as a public charter school in 2002. CHINDY operates multiple charter schools in Indianapolis—Christel House Academy South, serving at-risk students in grades K-12; Christel House Academy West currently serving grades K-8, and an adult high school – Christel House DORS, with locations at South, West and at Ivy Tech. As part of an Innovation school partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools, Christel House will assume operations at Manual High School on the southside of Indianapolis in July 2020. With the 2021-22 school year, Christel House Academy South and Christel House DORS South will relocate all classes and operations to the historic Manual campus.

CHINDY provides a holistic human development approach that focuses on building strong character to complement each student’s rigorous academic foundation. Through its College & Careers program, CHINDY continues to support its graduates through post-secondary education and job placement so they become self-sufficient, contributing members of society. Christel House Academy South was Indiana’s first charter school to receive the National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform’s “School to Watch” designation. Additional recognition includes the Indiana Achievement and Breakthrough Schools Awards. It has also been named a 2018 National School of Character by Character.org. For more information, please visit www.chacademy.org.

###