School Success America's Promise Award

Successful Schools –Successful Communities Pilot

Union-Miles (Ward 2) Neighborhood Education Summit

The Union-Miles Neighborhood Education Summit is bringing together school and community leaders (parents, teachers, school administrators, and leaders from faith communities, safety forces, political community, business, and volunteers) from the Ward 2/Union Miles Neighborhood of Cleveland.  To strengthen community engagement and therefore increase sustainability the Summit will focus on one High School, John Adams and five local feeder K-8 Schools (Paul Revere, Nathan Hale, Woodland Hills, Miles Park, and Miles) all contained within Ward 2 of the City of Cleveland, Ohio. 

Although there will be multiple outcomes of the Summit the main outcome will be community engagement projects designed by Summit participants to support student success and graduation.  The Summit’s steering committee will make mini-grants available for these projects funded by the overall grant from America’s Promise.  Projects will address the strategies of The Silent Epidemic, particularly: #3) Provide adult advocates and student supports and #4) support of parent engagement and individualized graduation plans.

The Summit will both invite and cultivate leadership among participants.  There will be ample opportunity for the individuals and organizations present (e.g. educators, business leaders, community organizers, parent, youth) to contribute the various skills, gifts, and resources from their own knowledge and background.

Participants will self select into Graduation Action Teams (GATs) around the following outcomes:

o     Parent advocacy and student support; 

o     Parent engagement and individualized graduation planning;

o     Service learning, opportunities for youths to learn while helping others; 

o     Creating safe spaces for young people;

o     Volunteer engagement to provide caring adult support for youths.

Within these Graduation Action Teams (GATs) participants will brainstorm project ideas for their topic area and then set priorities among the possible projects, and report to the large group.

·      During the conference three or four community leaders, representing business, education, and philanthropy, with strong histories of involvement in education success will discuss, in a fish-bowl format, the strengths and opportunities of the projects the GATs have presented. 

·      Mini-grants will be awarded by the steering committee to a minimum of four GAT proposals.

·      The process will include assistance in leadership development so that the outcome is not only the completed project but also increased community leadership capacity leaving the community with the potential for continued action after the initial projects are completed.

Contacts:                   

·   Joseph H. Konen, Extension Specialist, Urban Programs: konen.2@osu.edu

·   Chester J. Bowling, Ph.D., Extension Specialist,  Community Leadership and Management:   bowling.43@osu.edu