Family Academy

Empowering Families, Enriching Education

Welcome to the IPS District Family Academy – your gateway to building stronger school-home connections, accessing essential resources, and fostering a thriving educational community.

About Family Academy

The Indianapolis Public Schools Family Academy is a unique initiative designed to fortify the bond between home and school, thereby enhancing family engagement and enriching the academic journey for our students. Through a blend of in-person and virtual expert-led workshops, we provide a platform for the district families to access vital resources, gain awareness, and foster personal growth. The Family Academy extends beyond academic support, nurturing a sense of community and connection among families, schools, and the broader Indianapolis area. Our goals encompass:

Cultivating and Sustaining Relationships: Building a nurturing environment where relationships between families and schools thrive.
Providing Safe Spaces for Conversations: Creating forums for open discussions, sharing experiences, and addressing concerns.
Increasing Access to Information: Offering a hub of resources that empower families with the knowledge and tools necessary for supporting academic success.
Supporting School to Home Academics: Bridging the gap between classroom learning and at-home support to foster a seamless educational experience.

Food Resources

To help IPS families continue to have access to food during these uncertain times, we’ve created a list of places to access free food throughout the city — and beyond.

Please check this page often as we will continue to provide updates with new locations and more.

Community Food Pantry Locations

IPS School Food Pantry Locations

IPS families, please call school to see summer pantry availability.

Free Community Resources

Indy Parks Announces Youth Summer Meals Schedule

Today, Indy Parks is announcing the schedule for the Summer Servings Meal Program. The Summer Servings program is part of the Summer Food Service Program, which helps fill the summer meal gap for children who rely on the school-year meals provided through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program.

“With our kids out of school for the summer, the City of Indianapolis has made it a priority to support them in whatever way we can,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett. “That includes providing them with safe, positive ways to spend their free time, and that also means keeping them fed when they can no longer rely on a school lunch every day. The Summer Servings program does just that by providing our youth with easy access to food in the best place for them to spend a summer day: our beloved Indy Parks.”

Indy Parks’ meal programs have served over 4 million meals since 2013. Summer Servings meals are provided Monday through Friday at 16 Indy Parks and community serving locations, and four mobile units that serve various park, library, and apartment complex locations.

“Indy Parks plays a critical role in our city’s food access, especially for our youth,” said Indy Parks Director Brittany Crone. “The Summer Servings program not only provides free meals for youth but also encourages them to boost their holistic physical and mental health by spending time in our parks.”

The following Indy Parks Meal Serving Sites are available Monday-Friday. More information about Indy Parks’ meal programs, including a full list of mobile meals sites and other Indy Parks and city meal programs, can be found here. Times and locations are subject to change. The program will run until late July, when schools return.

Krannert Park 11-1pm
Riverside Park 1- 1:30pm
Garfield Park 2-3pm
Frederick Douglass 12:00- 12:45pm
Meadowlark Apts. 3:30- 4:30pm
Peace Learning Center- 12-12:30pm
Broad Ripple- 12-12:45pm
Grassy Creek Environmental- 12-12:30pm
Municipal Gardens 12-1pm
Enlace Academy 10:40 -11:40pm
Christian Park -12-2pm
Pride Park 3:30-4:20pm
FYI Center 4-6pm
Positive Character Girls Inc.- 11:30- 1:30pm
Windsor Village Park- 12-1pm
Watkins Park- 3-4pm

Media Contact

Alex Cortwright

Chief Communications Officer

Indy Parks

Alex.Cortwright@indy.gov

Press Releases can be viewed online here

Free Children's Museum Membership

Free Newfields Membership

IFD Offers Free Smoke Detectors

Mid-North Food Pantry

Free Mental Health Support

Need someone to talk to? These free, confidential resources are available 24/7:

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988.
The Be Well Crisis Helpline: Call 211, enter 271, then press 2.
Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741.
Veterans Crisis Line: Call 988, then press 1, Text 838255.
The Trevor Project (LGBTQ youth): Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678-678.
Mental Health America of Indiana: 317-638-3501 (M-F, 8:30AM - 5PM).

Free Books for Kids at Tea's Me Community Cafe

The Indy Book Club's free children's books are available for pickup at Tea's Me Community Cafe. Your child can pick out one or more free books each month to keep. You can also join the free book club, which includes activities and pop-up events. Please visit indybookclub.org for more information.

Location: Tea's Me Community Cafe, 3967 N. Meridian St.

Monday - Saturday, 8AM - 3PM

Free Covid and Flu Vaccines

Free Food Near You

Use Fresh Bucks in Midtown

The Marion County Health Department's Fresh Bucks nutrition incentive program for Hoosier Works/EBT recipients provides opportunities for Hoosier Works cardholders to double their purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers at participating farmers markets in Marion County as well as at select retail outlets. Midtown area locations include Broad Ripple Farmers Market, Cleo's Bodega, Safeway at 56th/Illinois, and the SoBro Farmers Market.

Call 211 For Free Cooling and Warming Centers

When the summer heat or the winter cold hits, it's important to stay comfortable and safe. If you find the weather conditions are severe, call 2-1-1 to find centers near in the community, for active additional information on locations inside Indy Parks as well as text/pdf list updated locations and hours of centers in your area. As a reminder, all Indianapolis park community centers (including Garfield Park, Frederick Douglass Park, Broad Ripple Park, and Riverside Park) are cooling and warming centers. You can additionally find an emergency shelter option at Washington Park.

To have your Community Resource added to the next issue, contact Rachel@midtownindy.org