A New Reading Room for SENSE

By Jamie Fahrner

Southeast Neighborhood School of Excellence (SENSE), a mayor sponsored charter school in the southeast, received one of six Ben Carson Reading Room Grants in Indianapolis. The Carson Scholars Fund (CSF) is a non-profit organization started by well-known pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson and his wife, Candy. Through CSF and its partners over 4,000 scholarships have been funded and more than 45 reading rooms. The funding for the six Indianapolis Reading Rooms has been provided by Indiana University’s Medical School and the Indianapolis Colts. The CSF reading rooms are places for children to kickback and enjoy reading. In one of Dr. Carson’s books, Gifted Hands, he wrote about how his life changed once he realized the joy of reading. Until receiving one of these grants, SENSE Charter School students did not have a comfortable relaxing space where they could independently read.
When the students found about this project, they wanted a voice in the future of their reading room. By an overwhelming vote, the students chose “Wonderland” as their theme. William Phillips, local artist and SENSE art teacher, definitely had a task ahead of him. After hearing more from the students about what they wanted “Wonderland” to look and feel like, his imagination took off. Mr. Phillips has turned an ordinary room into a place filled with wonder and creativity. With sloth-esque characters, fairies, and a dreamy eyed dragon reading books, his central mural has captured the original vision of “Wonderland.” Mr. Phillips stated that he is so excited to see what the kids think of this work. He is looking forward to them feeling like that they have been given a place that transports them to the fictional worlds they are reading about.
The SENSE Reading Room opened May 3, 2010. All six reading rooms in Indianapolis opened that day. Dr. Carson spoke via teleconference to each of the schools and answered questions from students. The Grand Opening was a celebration for SENSE as well as the community.