INspiring Hoosiers

The Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) has recently partnered with the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, Indianapolis Indians, and Indianapolis Colts to help support Indiana educators, students, and families in response to the challenges COVID-19 has brought to education. With the help of the community partnerships, IDOE will be bringing you activities, videos, and other resources to help encourage active learning at home and beyond.

Interested in partnering with IDOE to support Indiana students? Email Emily Bruning at ebruning@doe.in.gov to learn how!

Do you know an amazing educator? Go to https://flipgrid.com/indianalovesteachers and record a short video to let them know and we’ll be sure to share your video during Teacher Appreciation Week!

Listen to Indiana Pacer, Victor Oladipo, read I Love You Because You're You by Liza Baker.

Listen to Indiana Pacer, Doug McDermott, read The Art Teacher from the Black Lagoon by Mike Thaler.

Watch Indiana Pacer, TJ Leaf and Jazz Leaf make a simple, healthy snack!

Visit www.jazzrecipes4health.com for more healthy recipes.

The Indiana Pacers are once again teaming up with the Indianapolis Public Library to present Call-A-Pacer. Callers can listen to Pacers' players read fun, basketball-inspired books. You can call 24 hours a day by dialing (317) 275-4444 or (877) 275-9007 or online here. See the schedule of Pacer readers and stories below.

Pacers Sports and Entertainment are teaming up with Ascension St. Vincent and Kroger with a 30 Day Wellness Challenge to encourage fans of all ages to stay safe and strong through this unprecedented time. The challenge started Monday, April 20, but it's never too late to practice healthy living!

E-Learning Mondays in partnership with the Indiana Department of Education

E-Learning Monday challenges will be all about literacy and the power of reading, support, and appreciation for Indiana’s teachers, and writing activities for fans of all ages.

#INthistogether Tuesdays presented by Damar

#INthistogether Tuesday challenges will involve messages of thanks to healthcare personnel, emergency personnel and first-line workers through a variety of fun outdoor activities fans can complete while observing proper social distancing.

Wellness Wednesdays presented by Kroger & Ascension St. Vincent

Helping fans stay mentally and physically fit will be the focus on Wellness Wednesday challenges, including conditioning exercises, fun basketball drills, and tips and strategies for coping with mental stress and fatigue.

Throwback Thursday

Every Pacers and Fever fan has his or her own special memories, favorites players, and where were you when moments and every Throwback Thursday will be your opportunity to share that with us.

Jr. Pacers/Jr. Fever Friday presented by Ascension St. Vincent

From virtual games of P-A-C-E-R-S or F-E-V-E-R to fund activities with the Jr. Pacers and Jr. Fever, Friday challenges will give fans of all ages an excuse to get out, enjoy some sunshine, and work on their game.

Make sure to tag @PacersSportsEnt and @EducateIN as you complete challenges to inspire others to get fit both mentally and physically!

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Kelli Towles, PS&E Community Relations, ktowles@pacers.com

Use #JrNBAathome to show off your skills and inspire others to stay active! Click here for more information about The National Basketball Academy and be sure to follow them on Twitter @tNBA_INDY for more basketball drills!

Check out Indiana Pacers mascot, Boomer, giving Indiana students words of encouragement while learning at home. Want a visit from Boomer at your school? Please contact Jamie Russell at jrussell@pacers.com for more information about booking Boomer for a school convocation in the 2020-21 school year and to reserve a date.

Stephanie Mavunga shows you how to make her "world-famous" banana pudding.

Stephanie Mavunga shows you how to make her famous guacamole perfect for the big game!

Each baseball season, Victory Field transforms itself into the largest classroom in Central Indiana filling the ballpark with Indiana students. Baseball in Education engages students and helps them learn English, Math, Science and History in exciting new ways with a baseball twist. Participating in the program results in a field trip to Victory Field. Schools can request discount tickets here. You can request more information about the program here.

Filled with coloring pages, mazes, word searches, mad libs, connect the dots, word scrambles, crosswords, and a create-your-own baseball card, this activity pack will definitely cure any cabin fever! Click here to check it out!

Listen to Indianapolis Colts player, Daurice Fountain, read Smelly Socks by Robert Munsch.

Listen to Indianapolis Colts player, Paris Campbell, read Goodnight Football by Michael Dahl.

Listen to Indianapolis Colts player, TJ Carrie, read Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers.

The Indianapolis Colts players, cheerleaders, coaches, and even Blue are providing fans of all ages with fun ways to learn, keep physically and mentally fit, and stay healthy during this time of social distancing. Find more resources and information by clicking here.

The House of Blue is a new video series featuring Blue, the Indianapolis Colts official mascot, and his family. Each episode will be educational and fun for fans of all ages. Check out Blue's Activity Page here!

The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders are here to give you a short break from eLearning to teach you short dance routines, at home crafts, and way to stay positive during social distancing. Click here for more information about future programs.

In an effort to encourage fans to stay home and stay safe during this time, the Indianapolis Colts are encouraging families to grab some chalk and create art while at home. Join in the fun by sharing your art on social media using #ColtsChalkChallenge! Click here for more information.

The NFL and United Way have teamed up to over the Character Playbook. These resources provide social-emotional resources for middle and high school students. Click here to find the Character Playbook. For more remote learning resources, click here!

Check out this fun resource for engaging lesson plans that can be completed at home. Click here to download the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Teacher Activity Guide.

Need a way to spruce up your Zoom background while you work and learn at home? Click here to download Indianapolis Colts Zoom backgrounds.

The WWE and Special Olympics have partnered to bring fans work-out videos five times a week to help you stay fit and reach your goals! Watch the videos in order starting with Video 1. When you can do the exercise in a video correctly, it's time to move the next one. For more information click here.

Click here for more flexibility videos.

Click here to check out the School of Strength Coaches Playbook. Use the guide to help make working out fun during training. Your athletes can use it to get exercise ideas they can do on their own.

Click here to check out the School of Strength Caregiver's Kit. Learn ways to have fun while eating healthy. In this guide, you'll get nutrition tips that encourage your athletes to make healthy choices on their own.

Listen to Indiana Pacers Alumni player, Scott Pollard, read Pete the Cat: Pete at the Beach by James Dean.

Join OrthoIndy in this creative content! Click here to download, print, and color an OrthoIndy picture of a cast. After you create your masterpiece, post it to social media, and tag @OrthoIndy for a chance to be featured on their page!

Do you love donuts? Many Jack's Donuts locations are open for take-out and have begun selling at-home donut kits that are pre-packed and ready to go! You get one dozen of their yeast donuts, four big cups of both chocolate and vanilla frosting, and sprinkles. Check out this Indy Channel article to learn more.

Planet fitness has launched the United We Move campaign to offer FREE home "work-ins" that are streamed daily at 7 pm ET on Facebook Live, the Planet Fitness app, or YouTube. Click here to watch. You may even catch a surprise celebrity guest!

Comcast has launched homeschooling resources on Xfinity. The company is offering 2,000 hours of educational content for grades K-12. The collection is organized by grade level and includes topics and tutorials across all subject areas. Click here to learn more.

Are you unsure of how to close this school year? Smore, an online newsletter platform, has created a newsletter template filled with ideas on how to adapt the traditional end-of-year events to celebrate them remotely. Click here to find the newsletter template. You can edit the newsletter to fit your needs. Click "Done Editing" in the top-right corner when you're finished and share it with your families!

Office of Academics - Teaching and Learning

Email: ebruning@doe.in.gov
Website: https://www.doe.in.gov/
Location: Indiana Department of Education, West Washington Street, Indianapolis, IN, USA
Phone: (317) 232-9142
Twitter: @EducateIN