Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School adds another partnership to help further students education

Charles A Tindley partnership

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A local charter school network is partnering with another university. The partnership aims at giving more students a jumpstart on college. 

Students are Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School already has a partnership with Indiana University, and now, they have another university they have teamed up with.  

Students will now also be able to benefit from another partnership with Purdue University Fort Wayne. 

“Our mantra for the year is raising the bar,” said Jonathan Q. Harris, superintendent of Charles A. Tindley Schools. “And so, we’re doing everything better, all things better, in our 20th year and beyond.”  

Harris says that bar being raised is another chance for students to further their education.  

“We’re more excited about the fact that in addition to our juniors and seniors taking college classes through Indiana University, we now have a new partner as well and that will be Purdue-Ft. Wayne,” Harris said.  

That partnership allows the 11th and 12th grade students to earn college credits while in high school.  

In the 2023-2024 school year, Harris says the graduating class of 38 students earned $5 million in scholarships.   

“We start with the belief that college is power,” Harris said. “So, we’re starting at kindergarten preparing students for college, and we do that by the way of our core values. That’s huge. And so, we teach them how to be respectful, we teach them integrity, we teach them more quality, we teach them to serve, and we give them service opportunities in the school and in the outside community.”

Harris says this school year, they hope to keep trending in a positive direction.   

“For us, last year was just a great year, Harris said. “We got a lot of momentum last year. We increased our attendance rates, we decrease our suspension rates for students. So, there’s a more better buy in from faculty and staff, parents, outside partners. So, there’s this newfound renewed energy for Tindley Schools, and we’re just ready.”

Students will go back to school on Monday, Aug. 5.