FAMILY SCHOLAR HOUSE

Executive Summary

Our vision is a world in which education and meaningful employment provide opportunities for all to reach their full potential and establish the financial independence that enables them to realize their dreams, provide for their families, and contribute in meaningful ways to their community.  In order for our community and our nation to succeed, we need for those most vulnerable individuals and families who require government and social service support in order to survive to have the opportunity to thrive as they participate in our community’s economy. This can only be achieved through a combination of formal and informal education and access to resources that not only offer new opportunities but also instill hope as they work toward their future success.

Family Scholar House provides comprehensive educational and family services for low-income families, most of whom are single parents or foster care alumni.  We believe education is necessary to lift families permanently from the intergenerational poverty and homelessness that prevents self-sufficiency.  In 2020, through our full continuum of care that includes safe, affordable housing, access to academic coaches, family advocates, apprenticeship coaches, career development workshops, children’s services, childcare, internet access, and food pantries, Family Scholar House served a total of 11,233 households, providing 67,951 services. These are the outputs that, during a pandemic, resulted in the following: 133 new college degrees earned (total to-date of 636); 96% of FSH children being on-track in education (67% all As & Bs); and 21 first home purchases.

Since 2010, we have partnered with Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg, IN, who has provided dedicated office space so that we can provide outreach services to low-income single parents and young adults in southern Indiana.  In 2021, Ivy Tech Sellersburg and Family Scholar House have embarked on a bold but thoughtful regional initiative encompassing affordable housing, impactful education, life and career support services, and a workforce focus dedicated to lifting the prospects of those in need, those aspiring to overcome challenges in order to build a better life for themselves and their families.  This initiative will bring a Family Scholar House residential campus and all the associated services and resources to Southern Indiana.  

Sellersburg Family Scholar House will be a 42-unit campus serving 75-100 residents by providing housing and comprehensive services to assist low-income individuals, with a focus on those who are single parents and young adults formerly in foster care. Through the wraparound services offered by Family Scholar House, individuals will have the supports needed to pursue degrees, certifications, or apprenticeships in the fields of their choice leading to self-sufficiency through livable wage careers. Further, this location will serve as a resource center for residents throughout the Southern Indiana community seeking connection to resources. FSH participants can enroll in any approved college, university, or apprentice program, with current participants enrolled in Ivy Tech, IUS, and Indiana Tech. Additionally, FSH has apprenticeship partnerships with Southern Indiana employers, including Trilogy Health Services.

Sellersburg Scholar House will be set on 2.174 acres located adjacent to the Ivy Tech Community College campus and Indiana State Police Post in Sellersburg on land that has been committed to this project by the Indiana State Police, and Ivy Tech is committed to develop a new campus entrance and access to the new Sellersburg Scholar House.  Family Scholar House has applied for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits toward the development costs of the project, with remaining development costs and 2-year start-up operating costs being requested through grants and private donors.  Construction is scheduled to begin in mid-2022 and be completed by summer, 2023.

As part of this overall campus project, we recognize the need to provide access to current technology and resources that low-income participants need to succeed, but cannot afford. Sellersburg Scholar House will have space for an Academic/Career Technology Resource Center where the community and participants will have access to current technology including computers, internet, printers, and more to support coursework, career pursuit, and connection to resources.  In addition to individual workspace for participants, this space will allow Family Scholar House to provide access to free tax preparation, group and individual tutoring, in-person and virtual workshops, job application assistance, and children’s educational activities.

Family Scholar House invites Impact 100 Southern Indiana to join us in bringing this beacon of hope to the community by providing the needed technology and resources for the Academic/Career Technology Resource Center on this new campus.