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INDIANAPOLIS SCHOOLS RECEIVE MEDIA CENTER MAKEOVERS AS PART OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION’S LEGACY EFFORTS

MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF FOUNDATION AND INDIANAPOLIS HOST COMMITTEE UNVEILED A SERIES OF MEDIA CENTER MAKEOVERS

at four Indy-area schools, which were identifi ed and selected based on the percentage of students served from underresourced households and the verifi ed need for updates within the building. These overhauls allowed the schools to transform their spaces with enhanced technology and creative design to meet 21st-century needs.

Chosen schools were Garden City Elementary, Victory College Prep, James and Rosemary Phalen Leadership Academy, and Southport Middle School. Southport, the fi rst to undergo a renovation, was outfi tt ed with Lakeshore Learning’s Flex-Space furniture line. The transformation focused on primary work areas for media centers and included the addition of new computer stations, tables, chairs, and comfortable seating arrangements for reading and studying.

In addition to the furniture and workstation upgrades, some of the new low-tech off erings at Southport Middle School include a sewing machine, a butt on maker, and a LEGO wall. Android tablets, 3-D printers, and app-enabled robot balls were among the high-tech add-ons to the space.

“Our commitment is to provide each student with a highquality education,” says Patrick W. Mapes, superintendent of Perry Township Schools. “Through the generosity of the College Football Playoff Foundation makeover program, we are bett er positioned to achieve this goal. This investment in Southport Middle’s media center will energize our young learners with top-of-the-line technology in a more inviting space where they can learn and grow.”

“As more students and teachers return to on-campus learning, it’s powerful for them to be able to experience a new and innovative media center,” says Britt on Banowsky, executive director of the College Football Playoff Foundation. “This will certainly make a positive impact on students and teachers for many years to come.”

Victory College Prep, a public K-12 charter school on the southeast side of Indianapolis, also received new equipment for

Southport Middle School (top two photos) and Victory College Prep (bottom) were among four Indy-area schools to get Media Center Makeovers.

“AS WE SETTLE INTO THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, BEING ABLE TO LEARN AND ENGAGE IN AN UPDATED MEDIA CENTER PROVIDES A HUGE MORALE BOOST. WE’RE GRATEFUL TO THE CFP FOUNDATION AND INDIANAPOLIS HOST COMMITTEE FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN EMPOWERING OUR STUDENTS WITH THE ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL SKILLS TO THRIVE IN COLLEGE OR A CAREER.”

its media center, including iPads and other tablets, virtualreality headsets, books, a projector, a 75-inch TV monitor, and a Bluetooth speaker system. New furniture, such as makerspace tables, adjustable-height tables and chairs, soft seating, and mobile bookcases, were also provided as part of the makeover with funding from the CFP Foundation and the Indianapolis Host Committ ee. Together with the CFP Foundation’s education partner, School Specialty, teachers were provided with resources they need to prepare their students for success.

“Having access to cutt ing-edge technology and other equipment makes a remarkable diff erence in motivating and inspiring our students and teachers, who, like all of us, have faced challenges in light of COVID-19,” says Ryan Gall, the school’s executive director. “As we sett le into the 2021 school year, being able to learn and engage in an updated media center provides a huge morale boost. We’re grateful to the CFP Foundation and Indianapolis Host Committ ee for their support in empowering our students with the academic and social-emotional skills to thrive in college or a career.”

“We’re thrilled to be able to give back to the Indianapolis community by transforming school spaces with enhanced technology to meet the demands of 21st-century teaching and learning,” Banowsky says. “We look forward to continuing to celebrate educators this week and beyond as we prepare for the big game in January.”