Jason Reynolds Brings a Hopeful Message for Indianapolis Youth

 

Jason Reynolds’ visit gives Indianapolis a chance to come together around a hopeful question: how can more young people experience the relationships, encouragement, and opportunity they need to thrive? For many children and young adults in Marion County, that question is urgent. 35% of households with children are either living in poverty or are ALICE households—Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed—leaving many families navigating food insecurity, unstable housing, mental health challenges, and fewer dependable sources of support.   

The encouraging news is that relationships make a measurable difference. Caring adults, mentors, educators, faith communities, neighbors, and local organizations can help change the trajectory of a young person’s life.   

That is why this year’s Faith & Action Fall Event is about more than hosting an acclaimed author. It is an invitation for Indianapolis neighbors, leaders, educators, congregations, service providers, families, and friends to gather around one shared question: How do we ensure every young person is seen, valued, and connected to the relationships they need to thrive? 

On Tuesday, October 27, the Faith & Action Project invites the community to The Power of Being Seen: How Relationships Create Opportunity for Young People, a conversation featuring Jason Reynolds, a #1 New York Times bestselling author and MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. 

Reynolds has become one of the nation’s most widely read and respected voices for young people—not because he lectures them, but because he understands them. His books have helped many young readers feel seen, while helping adults better understand what young people are carrying and what they need from us. Through stories of resilience, belonging, and hope, he reminds us that every child has extraordinary potential waiting to be recognized and nurtured. 

As Reynolds often demonstrates through his writing and public conversations, before young people can imagine a brighter future, someone has to help them believe they belong in it. 

His visit comes at an important moment for Indianapolis. Communities across our city are asking how we can better support young people as they navigate poverty, violence, mental health challenges, educational barriers, and increasing social isolation. While these issues are complex, Reynolds offers a hopeful perspective: lasting change often begins with something remarkably simple—a trusted adult who listens, believes, encourages, and stays.  

For the past decade, the Faith & Action Project has explored what helps move people out of poverty. Again and again, we have found that lasting solutions are built on relationships.    

Research reinforces what many educators, mentors, parents, faith leaders, and youth-serving organizations experience every day. Relationships—what researchers call “social capital”—are among the strongest predictors of long-term economic mobility and well-being. At last year’s Faith & Action event, Harvard economist Raj Chetty reminded us that deliberately building connections across neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, and communities may be one of the most powerful ways to create opportunity. He challenged us to recognize that poverty cannot be solved by one organization or one sector alone. Families, schools, businesses, nonprofits, congregations, and neighbors all have a role to play in creating an ecosystem where every young person can flourish.  

Jason Reynolds brings that research to life.   

His stories remind us that young people are not problems to be solved but individuals filled with remarkable promise. He challenges us to see beyond labels and circumstances and instead recognize the gifts, resilience, and potential within every child. His message invites us to ask an important question: What kind of community are we becoming if every child does not have someone who truly sees them?   

This conversation will inspire us, but it will also challenge us. It will encourage each of us to consider our own role in expanding opportunity for the next generation. You do not have to work directly with young people to make a meaningful difference. Whether you mentor one student, hire a young adult, volunteer with a youth-serving organization, advocate for stronger systems, support families, or simply become another caring adult in a young person’s life, your influence matters.  

Every child deserves at least one adult who refuses to let them become invisible.    

The future of Indianapolis will be shaped by how well we invest in today’s young people. We hope you will join us for this important community conversation—one that will inspire, challenge, and equip us to become the caring adults our city needs. When young people are truly seen, relationships can become pathways to opportunity, hope, and lasting change. 

Registration opens in September. Learn more and watch for registration details here.