INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Each week on Community Link, Carolene Mays takes a look at an organization or business that is making a positive impact on the community.

This week, Mays was joined by Ashanti Ordone, owner and chief executive officer of the Gifted and Talented Academy, or Indy Gifted Kids, in Indianapolis.

Gifted and Talented Academy is a family-owned and operated preschool and childcare center with a mission to bridge achievement gaps and provide building blocks to knowledge.

Ordone tells Mays that her inspiration behind the academy came from her mother teaching her to value education from a very early age.

“I’ve always believed in the value of education,” she said. “My mom instilled the value of education in me at a young age. She came from very humble beginnings growing up in Harlem. She taught me that education was the key to her rising from poverty.”

She says after she graduated with her law degree, Ordone’s mother also graduated with a doctorate in education. Together, they decided they wanted to start the school.

Ordone explains how the school is focused on “equitable learning,” and how the center does much more than basic childcare.

“We started because we saw a need in the underserved community for children to get a good quality education. Our first location is at 52nd (Street) and Shadeland (Avenue), and we saw a big need, especially in that community.

“We have programs like yoga and gardening,” she continued. “We use a balanced curriculum, but we also have a STEAM-based curriculum, so we incorporate science, technology, engineering, art, and math. We believe it’s a great way to educate the whole child.”

She says this blended curriculum is both fun and educational, by teaching kids how to value planting their own food, or regulating their emotions through yoga.

Ordone also explains the importance of kindergarten readiness. “The first five years of a child’s development are the most critical in their development. Early education is the building bloc and we focus on kindergarten readiness so that when children graduate out of our pre-kindergarten program, they are more than well-prepared,” she said.

To learn more about the academy, watch the interview above.