78%of students
Below reading proficiency
South Bend students, iLearn reading
South Bend, Indiana
One community for every child.
Our Kids of South Bend brings community partners together so every child can access the support they need from cradle to career.
Starting point
Early reading, tutoring, after-school learning, and summer support.
Mission
Connecting the people already doing the work children need.
South Bend has committed schools, nonprofits, families, tutors, civic leaders, and neighbors. Our Kids exists to help those efforts become more connected, measurable, and accessible for the children who need them most.
The challenge
Fragmented support shows up in reading, attendance, and retention.
The draft deck frames the challenge as fragmentation, poverty, and weak social ties compounding into poor outcomes for low-income children. These are the launch metrics the site can foreground.
29%of students
Failed to pass iRead by 3rd grade
Resulting in high retention pressure
37%of students
Chronically absent
School year 2024-2025
Our Work
A focused launch with a long horizon.
The homepage version is the simple model: start with a clear launch priority, coordinate the people already doing the work, and use public data to keep the effort focused.
Step 01
View our workK-3 literacy
Launching with early reading because it is one of the clearest foundations for confidence, learning, and long-term opportunity.
Learn moreStep 02Partner coordination
Helping schools, nonprofits, tutors, and community groups work from shared goals instead of isolated efforts.
Learn moreStep 03Cradle to career
Building toward a connected support system that grows with children from early childhood through college and career.
Learn moreCradle to career
Improving education outcomes across every transition.
Launch focus: early grade reading
1Kindergarten readiness
2Early grade reading
3Middle grade math
4High school graduation
5Post-secondary enrollment
6Degree completion