“I get so much joy and fulfillment out of building connections with our kids, celebrating small wins, and seeing a child’s confidence grow when they are reminded that they are capable.”
Emily Sandberg, Brightlane Learning Volunteer Tutor
On Saturday, February 21, Brightlane Learning Volunteer Emily Sandberg was honored as the 2026 Elevate Awards Volunteer of the Year.
Hosted by United Way of Central Indiana, The Elevate Awards recognize our community’s rising talent in the categories of Volunteer of the Year, Nonprofit Employee of the Year, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advocate of the Year, Emerging Leader of the Year, and United Way Champion of the Year.
Emily’s Impact in Action
E
mily has a heart for supporting individuals who lack stability, strategically using her professional and personal time to advance policy, advocacy and awareness, and in direct service working alongside those who need additional support.
Volunteer service is where we see Emily shine each week and have for over a decade. When Emily first began tutoring, she dedicated her time to students residing at Dayspring Center, an emergency shelter. For the past four years, she has been supporting students at Wheeler Mission Center for Women and Children, helping K-12 students complete their homework, hone their grade-level skills, and stay on track academically.
Emily works well with every age group and can handle multiple students at a time. This is especially notable when working with students with different skills, abilities, and energy levels. Each Brightlane student has individualized learning goals that will help them meet academic milestones and Emily knows just how to support each student with the right tools and right energy to help them gain confidence and make progress.
Students and fellow volunteer tutors alike respond to Emily’s calm presence and knowledge in the tutoring space. She creates a positive experience for all those around her, even when sessions are challenging. Trauma is often part of the experience of homelessness and students can struggle. Emily ensures they and her fellow volunteers are supported. She often takes the time to connect with other tutors before and after a session to discuss her experience, share what worked for her students, encouragement, and check-in socially. She’s an amplifier for our volunteer community.
During her decade with Brightlane Learning, her career has propelled forward from roles at VOX Global, eventually rising to Senior Vice President, then to Assistant Vice President of Communications at Ivy Tech Community College, and today the Associate Vice President for Communications & Public Affairs at Indiana University.
Throughout Emily’s upward career trajectory, her dedication to Brightlane Learning and our students has remained unwavering during the past decade. Each week she is fully present for students during the hour she dedicates at Wheeler Mission for Women and Children. She balances her important professional work with incredible and consistent dedication to moving students forward academically so that they can break the cycle of homelessness through education.
This passion for education is evident in the way that her dedication to Brightlane, our mission, and our work inspires others. Emily began tutoring for Brightlane (formerly School on Wheels) in 2015. A year later, she recruited her (now) husband to tutor alongside her. Together, the Sandbergs are Brightlane superstars, with both Emily and husband Daniel dedicating years of service to the students and jointly raising funds and awareness for our programs.
Learn more about becoming a volunteer or apply today!
✨Inspired by Emily’s dedication to Brightlane Learning students? Do the Bright Thing – Every personal story you share, every conversation you spark, and every dollar you raise sends a clear message to a student: “Your education matters. Your future matters.” In honor of our major Do the Bright Thing fundraising and awareness push this February, you can support Emily’s important work by donating to or sharing our campaign to provide free tutoring to more unhoused Indianapolis students here.