International School of Indiana Secures $1 Million Donation

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The International School of Indiana ONE ISI capital campaign has received a new $1 million dollar gift, the second seven-figure donation pledged by a current family this fall.

Patricio and Kelly Daneri, whose eldest daughters Kate and Claire are currently kindergarten students at ISI, made their campaign donation so that their children, including a third daughter, Mia, who will enter ISI in 2022, can be a part of the new unified campus on the school’s Michigan Road property.

“We believe in this school and the way its distinct academics will help shape our children to be successful in their personal and professional lives,” Patricio Daneri said. “We are proud that this gift brings the school closer to the goal of a unified campus and that it will benefit not only our daughters but all of our fellow ISI families because we are a special community.”

ISI is the only Indiana school offering all students access to certified full-continuum International Baccalaureate (IB) programming and language immersion classrooms in French, Spanish and Mandarin starting at age three and continuing through grade 12. Currently, the school operates on two separate campuses.

One of the highlights of the new Chen Family Lower School building will now include the Daneri Family Lower School Gymnasium. The building, named for the family of Stanley and Allison Chen, who provided the ONE ISI campaign’s lead-gift of $1.5 million in September 2019, is central to creating a unified ISI on a single campus. The Daneri Family Lower School Gymnasium will host sports practices, games, and other campus events.

“The Chen family’s commitment was certainly inspiring for us. Similarly, we hope that our investment will encourage others to support the campaign at whatever level is significant to them,” Kelly Daneri said.

“The Daneri family’s generous gift continues the great momentum our campaign has enjoyed since launching publicly in September,” said Elizabeth Head, the ISI Head of School. “This donation pushes us to within $400,000 of our initial fundraising goal of $7 million, and we are hopeful that gifts inspired by the Daneris could push us well beyond that goal.”

The school has partnered with Schmidt Associates and Shiel Sexton for the building project, which aims to break ground on the new Chen Family Lower School building in 2020. Pending construction schedules, the new 45,000 square foot facility will open during the 2021-2022 academic year.

In the 25 years since the school’s founding, ISI has grown from 38 students to nearly 600. The multinational families, faculty, and staff at ISI aspire to create a microcosm of the world they want for their own children: one that embraces difference through learning and understanding. 

Currently, the ISI Lower School for pre-elementary and elementary students is located on W. 49th Street adjacent to the Butler University campus and some two miles from the Upper School campus on Michigan Road that serves ISI middle and high school students.

About International School of Indiana

Founded in 1994 by state leaders, the International School of Indiana is the only school in central Indiana offering all enrolled students, age three to grade 12, access to certified full-continuum International Baccalaureate (IB) programming and language immersion opportunities in three languages. ISI has nearly 600 students and is known for its distinctive education. Over the school’s 25-year history, 16 graduating classes totaling more than 400 graduates have left the school prepared to be responsible citizens and effective leaders in a rapidly globalizing and interdependent world.