By Margaret Curtland, IYI Senior Communications Manager—
MUNCIE, IN—Local community leaders and youth workers will gather on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, for Indiana Youth Institute’s (IYI) annual Muncie State of the Child. Register here to attend. The event is free, but seating is limited.
Learn how Muncie children are doing across the areas of family and community, health, economic well-being, and education. IYI will share disaggregated data, opportunities and disparities, and facilitate data-informed conversations about the issues facing Hoosier kids.
This year, the event features Muncie Central High School Principal Christopher Walker and Tammy Pearson, President and CEO of Project Leadership, as they lay out a yearslong partnership that today leads students to work experiences and a clearer path to life after high school.
For the second year, Project Leadership has partnered with Muncie Central High School to place certified career coaches in the counseling department to meet one-on-one with students about their future career paths.
“Our coaches recognize that students cannot be what they cannot see and are helping to facilitate real-world experiences in the local workplace,” Pearson said.
Tami Silverman, IYI’s President and CEO, will highlight what the latest numbers say about Indiana youth.
“There are plenty of positives to celebrate in this year’s data,” Silverman says. “And there are also issues we can work on. The rate of Indiana children in poverty is below the national rate. State graduation rates are the highest they’ve been in a decade. Over 35 percent of Indiana teens were employed, a higher rate than their peers nationally. But one in five Indiana students were chronically absent last school year and nearly 30 percent of our teens reported feeling sad or hopeless for two or more weeks in a row.”
“The State of the Child is really a report card for adults,” continues Silverman. “Every year we publish the KIDS COUNT® Data Book and use this opportunity to share the latest findings across the state – but it’s the youth-serving organizations and community leaders who help make sense of the information and then to act on it.”
The event starts with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Ball State University’s Alumni Center. The program goes 8:30 -10:30 a.m.
The State of the Child event in Muncie is presented by Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) in partnership with the Heart of Indiana United Way, George and Frances Ball Foundation, and the Office of Community Engagement, Ball State University
IYI’s State of the Child is a series of local events across Indiana that explores what the data means for youth at the county level and why it matters. IYI’s State of the Child is based on 2025 Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book, part of IYI’s work with the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT Network. The 31st annual Data Book presents the latest statistics on the well-being of Indiana’s children and youth. This year’s Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book will be released on Feb. 17 and will be available on the IYI website at www.iyi.org.
About Indiana Youth Institute
Indiana Youth Institute’s mission is to improve the lives of all Indiana children by strengthening and connecting the people, organizations, and communities that are focused on kids and youth. IYI is Indiana’s premier source for high-quality data on child well-being and data-informed action to challenges facing Hoosier children.
