Pascal Siakam speaks at Indiana Math and Science Academy West
Pascal Siakam’s PS43 Foundation collaborated with Indiana Math and Science Academy West on the Siakam EdTech Engine to support student learning.
Pacers All-Star Pascal Siakam’s PS43 Foundation has partnered with an Indiana school for the first time.The foundation donated two educational software platforms to the Indiana Math and Sciences Academy West.The programs focus on online safety and an AI-powered reading tutor to improve literacy.
INDIANAPOLIS — Pascal Siakam folded his 6-9 frame onto a desk chair meant for school children and had to sit sideways because he couldn’t even begin to try to fit his legs under the table in front of him. The first graders in the room tried to ask him about basketball and about how tall he is. Siakam obliged, but there was answers he was seeking too and he realized he was going to have to move around the room to find them.
“I need somebody to explain to me what’s happening,” Siakam said as a young boy walked from another table in his direction. “Are you going to explain to me what’s happening?”
The boy declared to Siakam that he likes basketball, so Siakam realized he had to keep moving and sat next to a young girl wearing headphones so he could actually get a look at the reading program his PS43 Foundation had donated to the Indiana Math And Sciences Academy West. He kept moving from table to table, getting a little better understanding of how the program is reaching students, even though most of the students seemed a little too nervous to do anything other than stare at Siakam in awe.
Still, the Pacers All-Star forward left the school pleased with the results of his foundation’s latest educational collaboration, its first partnership with a K-12 school in Indiana. Per a news release, IMSA-West is using the Siakam EdTech Engine, which provides two computerized educational platforms to the school — Cyber Legends, which “teaches students how to navigate the online world safely” and English Islands, “an AI-powered reading tutor that helps students grow as independent readers.”
The focus of Siakam’s foundation has always been expanding educational opportunities. The foundation had several partnerships with schools in Ontario during his time with the Raptors. In the nearly two years since the Pacers acquired him via trade he’s gotten involved in other educational initiatives in Indiana including the 300 Cameras For 300 Kids project by the Next Generation Initiative that teaches high school aged kids photography and provides equipment to do so. But the goal was always to work directly with schools, and this initiative gets the PS43 Foundation more established in Indiana.
“Education is everything to me, not only to me, but my dad, my family,” Siakam said, referring to his late father, Tchamo, who he has frequently cited as an inspiration. “Just having an outlet and being able to do something cool and just to know that it’s actually helping and making a difference in the lives of kids. That’s all I really care about, so I appreciate the Indiana Math and Sciences Academy, just being here and what they’ve done. I think for me, finding ways to get into the community, this was a perfect example, a place like this.”
The connection between Siakam’s foundation and the school came about in large part because of the persistence of Indiana Math and Sciences assistant principal Justin Kirby. Kirby is a lifelong Pacers fan and his ears perked up when he heard Siakam’s press conference in July of 2024 after Siakam signed a four-year contract with the Pacers.
“He had said at his signing that he was ready to give back to the Indianapolis community,” Kirby said. “And that’s what we do here. IMSA-West changes communities one family at a time and we could use his help, so I e-mailed the foundation and got in contact with (PS43 Executive Director Dakota Whyte) and his sister Vanessa. We spent a lot of time talking back and forth meeting about different programs. And here we are.”
The English Islands platform was particularly intriguing to the foundation and the school because it helps teach reading and literacy in a very hands-on way. That was important to Siakam, a Cameroon native who speaks multiple languages including French and English.
“We had a lot of people pitch, a lot of companies, a lot of people who do great things,” Siakam said. “We were able to have English Island, which is one of the programs that the school uses. So many kids don’t know how to read and to have something like that be powered by AI technology and being able to help so many kids. I talked to some of them. They love the program, it helps them and they’re learning new things. That’s all we want to hear.”
Kirby said the program is so effective because it allows teachers to closely monitor where students are having trouble sounding out words so they can tailor instruction to help them work through issues. The program has students read sounds and words out loud and stops them if they get them wrong and keeps them from advancing until they get the word right. It also allows students to isolate their voice in a recording so that teachers can access their voice and listen for themselves away from the classroom to get a sense of where the students are struggling.
“It empowers our teachers to be able to listen to every student read,” Kirby said. “Which is very hard to do in a classroom of 25 kid. It records what the student reads and the teachers are able to access that on their own time, which is great. … Literacy changes lives. Whatever tools you can use to make students stronger readers is what I encourage everyone to do. English Islands is a program that will definitely help your students.”
That was the answer Siakam was looking for.
“I’m glad to be part of that,” Siakam said. “Glad to be part of the team. Hoping we can just keep helping kids.”
Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.