Charter Schools are public schools that excel where other traditional public and private schools can’t. Public charter schools partner the best scholastic offerings in smaller and more innovative classrooms, ensuring an individualized education for every student.

At Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis, we are unapologetically focused on academics for our fifth to eighth grade students. We create scholars by setting a high bar for educational fluency and leadership, and we provide extensive supports to get there. It’s our firm belief that empowering middle schoolers to create and find their leadership voices will change the world. We partner with our scholars — and families — to build leaders, in thought, word and action, our definition of a Vanguard.

Charter Schools are public schools and are free

Charter Schools get funding from the state, much like a traditional public school. A charter school’s “charter” serves as a performance contract between the school and its state government. Public Charter Schools must fulfill their mission and realize student success in order to satisfy the state and renew their contracts.

At Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis, we are dedicated to teaching the fifth to eighth grade members of our community. We are tireless in our work, ensuring each of our scholars get the individualized attention they need to succeed, regardless of socioeconomic status, race, ZIP code or family economic status. We actively promote and pursue support for our school – through volunteer efforts, fundraising and grants.

Charter Schools are public schools, open to ALL students

Charter Schools deliver high caliber traditional curriculum and valuable leadership opportunities. Plus! Charter Schools are public schools and readily support students with assessments and interventions. Charter Schools engage in math and literacy guidance and are staffed for 504s and IEPs.

We support our students in multiple ways every day. From our data-driven instruction to our Saturday Academy, we never stop supplying top notch academics in meaningful ways. We start our days together with Power Hour and we spend our afternoons at tutoring – focusing on the personalized needs of each individual student.

We use the ILEARN (Indiana Learning Evaluation Readiness Network) and NWEA-MAP (Northwest Evaluation Association Measures of Academic Progress) approaches to identify our scholars’ starting points and track every middle schooler over the school years. We utilize a Student Services Coordinator and a School Therapist to help further our scholars’ development and we enjoy extra-curricular activities to round out our experiences together.

game of chess

Charter School teachers are dedicated and knowledgeable

Public charter schools thrive because invested teachers cultivate inspired learners and enriched global citizens in their flexible, creative classrooms.

We’re thrilled to announce that SEVERAL members of our Vanguard Collegiate team won African-American Excellence in Education Awards this summer!

We are proud to serve and partner with our Near West Community (Haughville, Hawthorne, and Riverside) as the only standalone middle school. We reflect the diversity of our surrounding neighborhood and our teachers and staff look like the community we serve. We pledge to maintain this diversity going forward and to be a robust member of our broader 46222 environs.

Furthermore, Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis is dedicated to changing chronically low academic outcomes in our community.​ We recognize that our scholars enter middle school with a wide range of academic proficiency. We ensure every scholar receives the necessary supports to reach our rigorous goals through individualized assessments and clear action plans. Whatever academic challenges your scholar may face, we can get them to grade level!

Charter Schools have smaller classes and tight-knit communities

By design, Charter Schools operate with small class sizes. Not only will every public charter school student bloom with individualized attention – every student is known and recognized by name – by faculty, staff, and fellow students.

Throughout the school year, Charter Schools host events and academic festivals, alumni breakfasts, community meetings and fundraisers. Connecting as a public school community, Charter School families help in classrooms, support the schools, and join the fun alongside students.

At Vanguard, we incorporate our goal-oriented culture outside the classroom, too. Our learn, serve, lead approach comes to life in the world around us and from the history upholding us with field trips, service learning, and community outreach. We have created school wide celebrations like Black History Month and special incentives where our students can earn Pacer and Colt tickets, or holiday trips to drive the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. We never stop striving to learn, serve and lead.

black history fair

Charter Schools are safe

Smaller classes, focused teachers, and friendly staff partner daily to personalize every student’s success. Each student is seen and heard. Public Charter Schools are pioneering in their approach to each student yet reliable and trusted in their commitment to educate and operate for the future.

We provide high-quality instruction, rigorous curriculum, and supportive character development. We are a thoughtfully designed school, but we can (and do) adapt to the changing needs of our scholars. We bring realistic and successful pathways to college and life beyond to our middle schoolers. By eighth grade, our scholars are even earning high school credit.

Charter Schools are free, friendly, flexible Public Schools

Public Charter Schools are free and open to every student. Charter Schools commit to keeping class sizes small and students actively recognized as the individual they are. Charter Schools empower experienced teachers to foster a lifelong love of learning in their tight-knit, inventive, public charter school classrooms.

Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis is designed to represent our community — the neighborhood and the scholars we serve. That means our staff is 90% black and 10% LatinX. Our Board also reflects our Haughville, near west side home. We source vendors who are minority and women-owned at least 60% of the time. And even during our summer hiatus we are still working hard to stay connected and positively contribute to our scholars’ lives.

Through meaningful, quality instruction, rigorous curriculum and important character-development, Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis equips scholars with critical thinking skills, integrity, and a sense of personal and social responsibility. We will strive together to achieve educational dreams and realize leaders who can change the world.

About Vanguard

Vanguard Collegiate of Indianapolis is unapologetically focused on the academic success of our scholars, our fifth to eighth grade middle school students. Situated in Central Indianapolis, we provide high-quality instruction, rigorous curriculum, and supportive character development. We create pathways to college success and to becoming leaders in thought, word, and action. Be a Vanguard, today!