Education committee hears presentation on LEAD program that turns students into published authors

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis City-County Council’s Education Committee on Feb. 4 heard from the LEAD program, which its presenter said combines literacy instruction with entrepreneurship by helping participants write, publish and sell books.

Keith Graves, chair of the Education Committee, opened the presentation in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building and introduced the program and its participants. "Storytelling and literacy go hand in hand," Graves said, tying the presentation to the committee’s stated goal of ensuring grade-level reading proficiency by 2030.

The program’s presenter, identified in the meeting as Kevin Studdard (referred to in the presentation as Tevin), described LEAD — an acronym for Literacy, Entrepreneurship and Dreams — and said the initiative had turned "300 children in Indianapolis into authors, published authors," and worked with about 12 schools, including in Indianapolis Public Schools and charter and township schools. "When the kids write the books, they're paid for their books via Amazon," he said, and added that "3 kids…