INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – On Wednesday morning at 7:15, educators, elected officials, clergy and other community leaders joined members of the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis at their High-5 rally to celebrate the opening day of this year’s Summer Academy.

For over three decades, the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis’ Summer Academy has provided students with a variety of educational, cultural and social activities that help combat summer learning loss.

In 2018, Summer Academy served nearly 200 scholars and has had approximately 4,500 scholars enrolled since the inception of the program. 

“A High-5 Rally is the best way to start out the summer. Year after year, our community comes out to cheer on these youth with tons of applause, excitement and support,” said committee chair, Kendale Adams. “Seeing the smiles on the student’s faces just helps to solidify the impact our community partners have.”

The High-5 rally was inspired by a local initiative led by a group of pastors and community leaders in Indianapolis.

As students enter school in the morning, they were greeted with applause, pats on the back, positive affirmations, handshakes and of course, high-fives.

High-5 participants helped greet close to 200 students as they entered their first day of Summer Academy at IPS School #74. Following the rally, students were greeted by their teachers and welcomed into their classrooms to begin the day.

If you want to learn more about the 100 Black Men Summer Academy, click here.