INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Afterschool Network has awarded more than $3 million in grants to 160 out-of-school time (OST) programs across Indiana since October 2025 through the IAN Literacy Playbook, helping organizations expand literacy-focused learning opportunities and strengthen reading outcomes for children statewide.
Funded with support from Lilly Endowment Inc., the IAN Literacy Playbook equips OST programs with grant funding, training, coaching, and resources designed to improve literacy outcomes and align with Indiana’s literacy goals. The initiative helps OST programs implement literacy practices aligned with the Science of Reading, a body of research that identifies how children learn to read, in afterschool and summer learning settings.
Resources include:
- Grant funding, available in three phases
- Access to a no-cost literacy credential
- New resources coming soon to IAN’s MyLocker platform, a hub for practical tools on literacy, STEM, social-emotional learning, and more
- Coaching with trained IAN staff
One organization benefiting from the initiative is the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Indiana Corridor, which received more than $55,000 in funding across three program sites.
Theresa Kottkamp, CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northern Indiana Corridor, said: “We have been able to strengthen our relationship with the schools we partner with by inviting teachers to work with us after school. This has already led to more cohesive methods of approach and language of learning between the classroom and Club spaces. We have been able to bring classroom literacy tips and tricks into the broader context of Club and add some fun twists to learning games they see in the classroom.”
Members of the IAN Literacy Team provide coaching and support to help grantees implement Science of Reading-aligned practices within their programs.
“I’ve been in this field since I was a teenager, and I know firsthand the difference OST providers make in the lives of kids,” said Clifton Snorten, associate director of quality development at IAN. “I help make their impact even greater through incorporating proven literacy practices into their programs.”
More than 200 organizations applied for the initial Launch Grant opportunity, ranging from small community-based programs to large organizations with national networks. Programs are incorporating Science of Reading-based strategies into a wide range of activities, from athletics and enrichment programs to literacy-focused learning experiences.
Later this summer, OST professionals will have another opportunity to engage with the Playbook through the IAN Literacy Credential, a no-cost workforce credential opportunity created specifically for Indiana OST professionals. First offered during the 2026 Summit on Out-of-School Learning, the credential has already been completed by more than 160 professionals. Later this summer, it will become available in an asynchronous online format, making it easier for OST staff across the state to participate.
The Literacy Playbook is part of a larger statewide effort supported by a $9.5 million grant awarded by Lilly Endowment Inc. to IAN in 2024. The funding supports multiple strategies aimed at building the capacity of organizations that provide out-of-school time programming and helping them implement evidence-based approaches to improve reading achievement among Indiana children.
Indiana youth programs interested in accessing Literacy Playbook resources, training opportunities, and the upcoming online literacy credential can learn more at www.indianaafterschool.org/literacyplaybook
