INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis student and other local educators were honored by former Colt Marlin Jackson and his charity on Friday.
Jackson's nonprofit — the Fight for Like Foundation (FFLF) — hosted its second annual Building Dreams Champions Breakfast at the Colts' training facility.
Among the event's honorees was Constantine Kaminski, an outgoing sixth-grader. Kaminski was a Phalen Leadership Academy student attending George H. Fisher 93, which is part of the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) system.
FOX59 and CBS4 have previously documented Constantine's and other students' participation in FFLF's Building Dreams program. The Building Dreams initiative involves a software that helps school educators and administrators check in on students and lay the groundwork for social and emotional development.
Through the Building Dreams software, students engage game-like check-ins. Students can score touchdowns for positive behavior and throw flags on their peers who may be misbehaving.
When students start the day using the program, they can check in and report how they're feeling and why they're feeling that way. The software then allows teachers to get a glimpse of the headspace their students are in.
The following educators were also honored during the Building Dreams Champions Breakfast:
- Amy Clifton, a positive behavior coach at Sankofa School of Success
- Bryan Hair, the dean of Frederick Douglass School 19
- Annette Murdock-Woolridge, an instructional coach at Sankofa School of Success
The Building Dreams Champion School, which was recognized during the event, was Frederick Douglass School 19.
“Some of the main issues schools are facing include behavioral issues stemming from underlying challenges, which can disrupt the learning environment and create a poor classroom culture,” Jackson said via release. “I remember what that was like as a child, having to face adversity or being in a zone of stress while trying to focus in class. The problem was, I couldn’t focus because there were other things going on, other needs I needed met."
As of this article's publication, more than 6,000 Indianapolis-based students use the Building Dreams software during school or youth programs.
Jackson founded FFLF in 2007. In May, he was named Region 10 Prevention Provider of the Year by the Indiana Department of Child Services for his efforts with the Building Dreams program.
FFLF also recognized the efforts of Phil Olivencia during Friday's Building Dreams Champions Breakfast. Olivencia is a senior director of operations with Papa John's of Indianapolis and West Central Indiana, and he has donated nearly 10,000 pizzas to FFLF in fewer than 10 years.
“Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is proud of the work that Fight For Life Foundation and the
district are doing together to ensure the social and emotional well-being of students in our
schools,” IPS superintendent Aleesia Johnson said via release. “Ensuring that students are aware and able to communicate effectively is a significant step forward in addressing their behavioral,
social, and emotional needs.”
According to the American School Counselor Association, in 2023 the average student-to-counselor ratio in Indiana was 519-to-1. The ASCA's recommended student-to-counselor ratio is 250-to-1.
“This is key, especially in a landscape where teachers and school counselors are constantly
being stretched thin,” Fight for Life Foundation Program Director Anna Sutter said via release. "Educators and school counselors need more support. Our honorees are constantly meeting with the school and Building Dreams program leaders to ensure the program is working and that student needs are being met, based on insight gained through the Building Dreams app."
FFLF's Building Dreams program launched in 2018. Counting the Building Dreams program, FFLF serves more than 12,741 youths in Indianapolis.