The Mind Trust

The Mind Trust was founded in 2006 by Bart Peterson, the former Mayor of Indianapolis, and David Harris, Mayor Peterson's former charter schools director. Bart Peterson is now board chair, David Harris is a board member, and VP, Brandon Brown is now The Mind Trust's CEO.The Mind Trust (2008), http://www.themindtrust.org/staff.aspx The Mind Trust is an outgrowth of the Mayor Peterson's charter schools initiative. In 2001, the Mayor of Indianapolis became the nation's only mayor with the authority to charter schools.City of Indianapolis (2008), http://www.indygov.org/eGov/Mayor/Education/Charter/home.htm In July 2006, the initiative won Harvard University’s Innovations in American Government Award.Harvard University (2008), http://www.innovations.harvard.edu/awards.html?id=48911

The summer 2007 issue of Education Next, a publication of the Hoover Institution described The Mind Trust's formation in an article by David Skinner:Education Next (2007), {{cite web |url=http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/7558537.html |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2008-04-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080222224740/http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/7558537.html |archivedate=2008-02-22 }}

{{blockquote|In January, David Harris left the mayor’s office to work on another side of the charter school problem: ‘stimulating supply,’ as he puts it. If Indianapolis is going to continue being a leader in school innovation, it must, Harris reasons, become the place to develop new ideas. So he has built a nonprofit—IPS superintendent White, among others, sits on the board—to fund highly paid fellowships for education entrepreneurs. It is called [The] Mind Trust, and along with trying to find the next Michael Feinberg (a co-founder of KIPP) or the next Wendy Kopp (founder of Teach For America), Harris will be trying to draw the cream of education reform organizations to establish a presence in Indianapolis.}}

To achieve its mission, The Mind Trust has three strategies: (1) the Education Entrepreneur Fellowship that serves as an incubator for transformative education ventures; (2) a Venture Fund to recruit to Indianapolis the nation's most successful entrepreneurial education initiatives; and (3) a Charter School Incubator that awards $1,000,000 in funding as well as support and training to leadership teams who intend to start networks of charter schools in Indianapolis.{{cite web |url=http://www.themindtrust.org/aboutUs.aspx |title=The Mind Trust: About Us |accessdate=2008-04-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501095209/http://www.themindtrust.org/aboutUs.aspx |archivedate=2008-05-01 }} The Mind Trust: About Us (2008)

The Education Entrepreneur Fellowship offers promising education entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop and launch their break-the-mold education ventures. Fellows receive two years of support ($90,000 per year in salary, full benefits, a $20,000 stipend, etc.)The Mind Trust (2008), http://www.themindtrust.org/edfellowship.aspx The Mind Trust has selected six Fellows since its inception. Fellows and their programs include Dr. Michael Bitz and Youth Music Exchange,[https://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2008-04-30-teacher-music_N.htm www.usatoday.com] USA Today: Man looks to take learning-through-music nationwide (2008) Dr. Celine Coggins and Teach Plus,Teach Plus (2011), http://www.teachplus.org/page/our-team-7.html Ms. Abigail Falik and Global Citizen Year,Global Citizen Year (2011), http://globalcitizenyear.org/about/our-team Earl Martin Phalen and Summer Advantage USA,{{cite web|url=http://www.indy.com/articles/matthew-tully/thread/3-bright-spots-for-indianapolis-as-spring-approaches|title=Indystar|publisher=}}Tully, Matthew. [https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970204619004574320540812478978 Indianapolis Tests Out Education Reform.] Wall Street Journal. 4 Sept. 2009. Stephanie Saroki de Garcia and Seton Education Partners,The Mind Trust (2011), http://themindtrust.org/fellowship/fellows.aspx and Jesse Hahnel and FosterEd.FosterEd (2011), http://www.foster-ed.org/aboutus.html John Ketzenberger, the business columnist for the Indianapolis Star, wrote about the Fellowship in a column on May 20, 2008:http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080520/BUSINESS07/805200340/1104/BUSINESS07 Indianapolis Star (2008)

{{blockquote|Indianapolis is on the vanguard of the education reform movement. Really. A big reason is The Mind Trust, a local nonprofit, and its Education Entrepreneur Fellowship.}}

The Mind Trust has used the Venture Fund to bring Teach For America,Teach For America (2007), http://www.teachforamerica.org/newsroom/documents/indianapolis2008.htm The New Teacher Project,http://www.indianapolisteachingfellows.org/ The New Teacher Project (2008) pilotED Schools,{{Cite web|url=https://www.piloted.org/|title=pilotED Schools|website=pilotED Schools|language=en|access-date=2019-07-13}} College Summithttp://www.collegesummit.org/local/ College Summit (2008) Diploma Plus,Diploma Plus (2011), http://www.diplomaplus.net/midwest.html and Stand for ChildrenStand for Children (2011), http://www.stand.org/in to Indianapolis. The Mind Trust has invested over $5 million in the organizations they have recruited through the Venture Fund.The Mind Trust (2011), http://themindtrust.org/fund/aboutFund.aspx

The Charter School Incubator is the newest initiative of The Mind Trust. In 2012 the Incubator will award three to four $1,000,000 start-up grants to leadership teams that intend to launch networks of charter schools in Indianapolis. The deadline for the first application round is February 17, 2012, and awards will be made by June 2012.The Mind Trust (2011), http://themindtrust.org/csi/about.aspx The editorial staff of the Indianapolis Business Journal wrote about the Incubator in a column on October 15, 2011:http://www.ibj.com/article/shared?userId=3&key1=0qhsdtte1HbvDIKXy4RcyI%2BMva272D3x&key2=kY4RLd6At9I%3D Indianapolis Business Journal (2011)

{{blockquote|If a meaningful turnaround in public education is going to happen here, it’s going to come from the fresh ideas and innovative thinking the [Charter School Incubator] grants are trying to leverage. Getting the desired results won’t be easy, but the odds improve when groups such as The Mind Trust make their bold moves.}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|http://www.themindtrust.org/}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mind Trust, The}}

Category:Educational organizations established in 2006

Category:Educational organizations based in the United States

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Indianapolis

Category:Education in Indianapolis