The Mayor’s Youth Assistance Program is developing through city leadership and local advocates.
“We are in the tree-planting phase to invest in our next generation of leaders through the Mayor’s Youth Assistance Program. Five, ten, fifteen years from now, if the city is really locked in and focused on education, Marion will become a city with a stronger workforce, leading to less crime, and will become one of the best places to live, work, and play in the state of Indiana. It is by far the greatest thing we can do for our city.” — Mayor Ronald Morrell, Jr.
In February of 2024, the City launched its first phase, Marion Reads.
Marion Reads
This campaign aims to improve Marion’s literacy rate through partnering with Marion Community Schools and other organizations. The program serves to encourage citizens to volunteer their time to read to children through as many avenues as possible.
Below are some captured moments from Mayor Morrell’s tour around local elementary schools, reading to children, Ron’s Big Mission, an inspirational book about an African American boy with big dreams to become a pilot, and the breakthrough he made when taking a stand at his local library to obtain a library card during the late 1950s — a time of racial segregation. The book, launched by the City of Marion in coordination with Black History Month in 2024, was based on true events leading the success of Ron McNair who later became a scientist and famous astronaut.



Stay tuned for more Marion Reads initiatives, and be sure to post, tag us at @CityofMarionIN, and use the hashtag #MarionReads in any initiative you begin or are already doing to read to our youth.
Coming Soon!
Mayor’s Youth Council (grades 7 – 12)
The Future Leaders rewards program (grades K‑6)