Brightlane Learning

It’s a summer of water ecology! 🌊☀️🔬

We’re having tons of fun working alongside 3rd graders during our first week of our STEAM-based summer enrichment program at Matchbook Learning-Wendell Phillips 63! This week is all about exploring properties of water, learning about the water cycle, experimenting with how water gets filtered and cleaned, and creating water sheds.

Brighter stories unfold when our staff and volunteers walk alongside our students ✨

This past semester, Brightlane Learning students at IPS School #43 wrote poems inspired by George Ella Lyon. These poems use objects, activities, and important people in a student’s life to explore where they are from.

4th grader J shared his story about the experiences that have shaped him, including being at tutoring with Education Support Coordinator Erin and tutor Marcia!

View another "Where I'm From" poem from 5th grader Addy or other student stories here: https://brightlanelearning.org/student-stories/

Our team is growing!

We're hiring a full-time Senior Program Director to provide operational leadership and strategic support for the design, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of Brightlane Learning’s programs. This role is accountable for driving consistency, quality, and cohesion across all program sites and teams.

Learn more and apply here: https://brightlanelearning.bamboohr.com/careers/30

“Every student who walks across a graduation stage despite housing instability reminds us what is possible when a community refuses to give up on its children.” - Brightlane Learning CEO Kelly Coker

In a Viewpoint piece published by the Indianapolis Business Journal, Kelly shares firsthand insight into what it takes for students experiencing homelessness and housing instability to reach graduation day while navigating extraordinary challenges outside the classroom. She emphasizes that students cannot overcome instability alone and challenges the community to consider how to continue building the kind of Indianapolis where more unhoused students have the chance to graduate.

Read the full piece here: https://www.ibj.com/articles/kelly-coker-behind-graduation-celebrations-thousands-face-need

A huge congratulations to Brightlane Learning intern Dylan for graduating from Providence Cristo Rey High School this past week!

We’ve had the honor of working alongside Dylan over the past four years and watching him grow personally and professionally from a reserved freshman to an exuberant senior. At our recent Senior Send-Off, he shared that his proudest accomplishment has been, “Being able to teach and help younger students with their academics, as well as being an intern at Brightlane Learning.”

Fatima, Dylan’s mentor and Brightlane’s Community Engagement & Education Strategist, shared, “Dylan’s infectious smile, positive attitude, flexibility, and ability to connect with our students and staff demonstrated his work ethic, integrity, accountability, resilience, and personal growth. We’re incredibly proud of all he has achieved and we’re excited to see what he accomplishes next!

Did you know 69% of unhoused youth report experiencing mental health challenges and are three times more likely to face a mental health crisis than their housed peers?

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a time dedicated to reducing stigma, expanding support, and deepening our collective understanding of mental health and wellness.

These outcomes are not inevitable. They are compounded by circumstances, including pre-existing trauma, constant stress of an unstable environment, and significant barriers to accessing mental health care. To learn more about the experiences of unhoused youth and mental health, view our blog to explore resources: https://brightlanelearning.org/2026/05/lets-learn-together-mental-health-awareness-month/

We recently had the incredible honor of celebrating and congratulating 22 graduating seniors at our annual Senior Send-Off!

Brightlane staff members, volunteers, and school staff who work alongside these seniors were joined by the students’ friends and family to recognize and celebrate their accomplishments and send them off with well-wishes for their futures. We’re so proud of all that these students have accomplished and what they will continue to achieve!

Thank you to everyone who helped us send off each of our seniors in a big way, including New Shoe Day for donating brand new shoes for each student; Buffalo Wild Wings for donating a spread of wings for students and guests to enjoy; everyone who donated items off our wishlist to help each graduate furnish their living space; IKEA Fishers for donating other essential items for our graduates like dishware and hangers; and Rosaura Cazares Juan for taking pictures of the celebration!

“Leader doesn’t mean alone. It can feel very solitary or alienated, but I hope that all leaders feel like they have a good support system and that they’re engaging their whole team in leadership. That not only makes for better teams, but it also supports you as a leader and your mental health, your social emotional health, and all the things that you need to continue to lead.” – Brightlane CEO Kelly Coker

Kelly sat down with Andrea Butcher of Being [At Work] podcast to discuss what it really takes to lead with heart, clarity, and boundaries. Kelly shared how she and the Brightlane team sustain impact while preventing burnout, what it actually means to lead with compassion (without losing yourself), and how building real connection and celebration into team culture can make all the difference.

Check it out here or wherever you listen to podcasts: https://sites.libsyn.com/184814/site

Meet Mikaela Pacuch, our volunteer of the month!

Mikaela jumped into tutoring at Coburn Place last year after she learned about our mission and volunteer opportunities through her employer, Business Furniture + Co. While initially nervous about getting started as a tutor, Mikaela quickly realized that showing up and being a welcoming presence for students is the most important part!

Mikaela shared, “Each tutoring session, I try my best to be present with the kids and to listen. Sometimes a session may not be the most ‘productive’ but my goal with each tutoring interaction is to just try and help the students end their day on a positive note.”