With Cincinnati Public Schools closed and businesses shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many CPS families are struggling to provide meals and basic supplies for their children.

To help these families, Cincinnati Public Schools created the Collaborate & Care initiative, designed to help children and families affected by the school closure. CPS designated 24 schools as distribution sites, and partnered with community organizations to serve as the Site Champion for specific sites.

Activities Beyond the Classroom volunteered to be the Site Champion for two distribution sites: Cheviot School and Winton Hills Academy. As the Site Champion, we are working hard to coordinate volunteers as well as gather as many supplies for the families as we can, and we need YOUR help!!

How you can help

You can help support ABC’s efforts in a number of ways:

1. DONATE MONEY to the COVID-19 Fund: Donate to the fund, and we will use your donation to purchase food and supplies for families in need.
2. DONATE SUPPLIES: Purchase supplies and donate them to ABC’s efforts. Supplies needed include sharpened pencils, pens, paper, notebooks, crayons, colored pencils, markers, activity books, instructional activities, craft materials, soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, lotion, tote bags, gallon ziplock bags, and non-perishable food items. Donations can be dropped off at either location (Cheviot or Winton Hills) at 10:30AM on  Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
3. VOLUNTEER: We need volunteers to help sort and bag donations into family-sized portions, and to help distribute donations on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Learn more and sign up as a volunteer on our Sign-Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e49acab2ca31-covid19.

ABC will continue these efforts until CPS schools are back in session.

Special thanks

Special thanks to local community member Meeka Owens for helping lead the efforts at Cheviot.

Another special thank you to Ollie’s Trolley for allowing us to use their storage space to receive, store, and sort donations. (By the way, Ollie’s Trolley is still open for carry-out!)

Performances by Internationally Renowned Jazz Artists and CPS Student Musicians

Jazz-loving Cincinnatians are invited to a first-of-its-kind international jazz festival featuring five renowned performers and student musicians from Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS). Proceeds from the event benefit music education at CPS.

The CPS International Jazz Festival is set for 7:30 p.m., October 5 at Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St.

“This evening will be a spectacular showcase of internationally known jazz artists and Cincinnati’s most talented students,” said Dr. Isidore Rudnick, Jazz Festival Director and CPS Fine Arts Curriculum Manager.  “The CPS International Jazz Festival provides CPS students with the unique opportunity to perform for, listen to and learn from some of the best professional jazz artists from around the world,” he added.

Featured guest artists include:   

• Melissa Aldana (Chile), tenor saxophone
• Todor Bakardzhiev (Bulgaria), trumpet
• Shamie Royston (NYC), piano
• Chris Berg (Dayton), bass
• Art Gore (Cincinnati), drums

 Special performances by:

• CPS Elementary Jazz Academy Orchestra
• Greater Cincinnati Youth Jazz Collaborative
• The Lyubomir Pipkov National Music School Jazz Ensemble (Bulgaria)

Evening performance tickets are $10 (general seating). To purchase tickets, visit CincinnatiArts.org, call (513) 621-ARTS [2787] or visit the Aronoff Center Ticket Office. For more information on the event, visit ABCCincy.org.

In addition to the evening performance, 250+ students will spend the entire day in performances, masterclasses with professional jazz artists and student jam sessions.

The event is presented by Activities Beyond the Classroom, a nonprofit that provides extracurricular and enrichment activities to CPS students at no cost to the students or their families. Event sponsors include the Cincinnati Arts Association, DHL, Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Western and Southern Financial Group and Willis Music.

The Grant Will Enable the ABC / Fourthwall Filmmaking Program to Serve Hard-to-Reach Communities

Impact 100 announced today that Activities Beyond The Classroom (ABC)/Fourthwall Youth Studios has been selected as a 2019 Impact 100 Grant Recipient. The $109,000 grant award will help fund the purchase and design of a mobile video truck, enabling ABC/Fourthwall to offer their award winning filmmaking program to students throughout the Cincinnati area. Currently, the program is only offered in Over the Rhine.

“We are thrilled to be able to expand our program in this way,” says Frank O’Farrell, Director of Fourthwall Youth Studios, “and we are so grateful to Impact 100 for this award, their vision and their unwavering support for area non-profits.”

The grant will help to fund a turnkey mobile video truck and will enable ABC/Fourthwall to bring its program to students in area communities, which is especially beneficial to those who cannot find transportation to Fourthwall’s OTR-based studio.

“Filmmaking and Digital Storytelling are sophisticated and crucial skills to teach our young people, with benefits that last a lifetime,” says O’Farrell. “Not only will students learn the techniques behind storytelling and carve out new, exciting career pathways, they will also gain valuable 21^st century skills transferable to any career path they choose. This grant and the mobile truck, which we call The Struggle Bus, will allow us to reach more kids and maximize the amount of time students spend learning.”

Fourthwall is a program of ABC, a nonprofit that provides free extracurricular activities—including athletics, arts and enrichment—to 15,000 children in Cincinnati Public Schools. This new offering, through Fourthwall, is another step in its mission to be the leader in after school program management and delivery, ensuring that every Cincinnati Public Schools student has the opportunity to participate in the extracurricular activity of their choice.

This is the second time Activities Beyond the Classroom has been a recipient of an Impact 100 grant. In 2015, Impact 100 funded the renovation of “The Mack,” an athletic complex at Hughes High School. Brian Leshner, Executive Director of Activities Beyond the Classroom, said, “It is an honor to receive another Impact 100 grant, and we’d like to extend a huge congratulations to the other 2019 finalists, including Joy Outdoor Education Center, NEST Community Learning Center, St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, and Cincinnati Works, Inc. All are incredibly deserving organizations that help make Cincinnati the amazing city it is.”

Solomon Brings Experience in Nonprofit Management and Community Engagement to ABC

Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) announced today the addition of Kate Solomon to its Board of Directors.

In October 2018, Solomon was named Vice President, Community Relations & Executive Director of the FC Cincinnati Foundation. Prior to this new role, she led the Marketing & Community Engagement team of FC Cincinnati for nearly three years.

In her roles with FC Cincinnati and the FC Cincinnati Foundation, Solomon oversaw the marketing strategy for FC Cincinnati for its first three seasons, and led the launch of the FC Cincinnati Foundation. The Foundation’s focus is to improve the lives of children through soccer, which it does by supporting various youth soccer initiatives throughout the city as well as installing mini soccer fields, or “mini pitches,” in communities that lack soccer facilities.

“ABC’s mission ties in so closely with the mission of the FC Cincinnati Foundation, and I’m honored to join ABC’s Board of Directors,” Solomon said. “Kids learn so many positive values through sports, which also instill confidence, teamwork, and the lesson of learning to work with people who are different from you. All of those skills will translate well to whatever they plan to do in their future.”

Solomon is no stranger to Cincinnati sports; prior to her time with FC Cincinnati, she worked for the Cincinnati Bengals for six years as the Premium Seating Services Manager. Her accomplishments in Cincinnati sports have been recognized with the Great Leaders Under 40 Award from Lead Cincinnati (2017) and Women of Influence Award from Lead Cincinnati (2019).

“I am very pleased and excited to welcome Kate to the Board of Trustees of Activities Beyond the Classroom,” said Dick Friedman, President of the ABC Board of Directors. “She will be an important asset at the Board table, bringing with her wide-ranging community involvement experience, both as a professional and volunteer. Her diverse perspective is a critical piece of the conversations and deliberations around creating high quality extracurricular opportunities for the children of the Cincinnati Public Schools.”

In addition to her professional roles, Solomon serves on the Board of Directors of the Carl H. Lindner YMCA and is an adjunct faculty member at her alma mater, the University of Dayton. Solomon lives in Montgomery with her husband Stuart and son Jack.

Every year, approximately 3,000 children in Cincinnati Public Schools experience homelessness. Activities Beyond the Classroom is proud to be a long-time partner and supporter of Project Connect, the group that focuses solely on supporting these children. Project Connect provides advocacy paired with specialized educational services and lifestyle enrichment opportunities to ensure that the children in their care have access to the same resources as their peers.

While shelters and families can help lend basic human needs for homeless children, Project Connect helps provide for the educational needs of the children, in ways such as providing clothing, school supplies and backpacks, providing transportation for the students to attend school events, arranging access to a free lunch program, and so much more.

Project Connect does not stop implementing services for the CPS children when the school year ends. Rather, they offer a six-week Summer Academic and Enrichment Program, providing their students with a fun, safe environment to continue learning and developing skills for the future.

 

Q&A with Rebeka Beach, Director of Project Connect

ABC recently had the pleasure of speaking with the Director of Project Connect, Rebeka Beach, who was kind enough to answer a few questions that detail more of the awesome things Project Connect is doing for the children.

What is it that Project Connect does?
Children are the largest growing segment of the homeless population, with a reported 2.5-3 million children experiencing homelessness each year. Current data reported by the National Center on Homelessness estimates that at least 1 out of every 30 children living within the United States are experiencing homelessness—and this number continues to rise. The federal McKinney Vento Law mandates that local education agencies (LEAs) ensure that students identified as experiencing homelessness are afforded equal educational opportunities as their non-homeless peers. Project Connect is the Cincinnati Public school program serving children who lack a fixed, permanent or adequate nighttime residency. The Project Connect department continues to grow in our ability to provide academic and social emotional supports in an attempt to mitigate the adverse impact of childhood experiences that are out of their control.

How did Project Connect start?
Project Connect began operating in 1997 under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act. The goal of the program is to remove educational barriers for children and youth experiencing homelessness by providing students with immediate access to the free, appropriate public education to which they are entitled. In 2005, Project Connect began operating a Summer Academic and Enrichment program to serve students residing in local shelters.  The summer program has continued to grow, striving to prevent summer learning loss and provide students with a summer where they are able to have new experiences and learn in a fun and loving environment.

How many children does Project Connect serve throughout the school year?
Approximately 3,000 students

How many children does Project Connect serve over the summer?
Approximately 110

What types of services does Project Connect provide?
**Clearing obstacles for enrollment and attendance
**Providing preschool enrollment
**Assisting/arranging for transportation
**Providing school supplies and backpacks
**Arranging immediate access to free lunch programs
**Providing school uniform vouchers and/or clothing to students
**Making referrals for other educational, community and mental health resources
**Offering summer academic enrichment opportunities
**Offering school year academic and enrichment programming for elementary and high school students
**Tutoring
**Providing surrogate services
**Social & emotional enrichment opportunities

What are some of the biggest challenges Project Connect faces?
It can be challenging to secure resources to meet the basic needs of some of the district’s most at-risk students and families. In addition, securing resources to mitigate the impact of trauma on learning can be a challenge.

What is ABC’s role with Project Connect?
Activities Beyond the Classroom is one of our most valued partners.  ABC manages grant and donor funds for Project Connect, ensures fiscal accountability, and makes it possible to provide immediate access to funds for students who are in crisis.

Has there been a specific moment that stood out to you during your time with Project Connect?

There have been many moments that stood out to me over the years, from watching students overcome immense obstacles and go on to graduate college to moments where I have felt helpless. Destiny, one of our Taft students had a very traumatic high school experience after being removed from her mother due to mental health issues and abuse.  Destiny bounced from home to shelter, and found comfort in her writing as a spoken word artist. (Therapeutic writing is one of the enrichment programs provided to high school girls through Project Connect). Destiny graduated this school year and received a full ride scholarship to Miami University.  I am so proud of her resilience and drive during these years. It was not always easy for her to remain focused on the end goal as her basic needs were often not met, but she did it.

What would you like the general public to know about the children you serve?
The children served by Project Connect are Cincinnati’s children, and we have a moral obligation to ensure that they are safe and have resources to meet their basic needs and mitigate the impacts of trauma and poverty on learning.

What is the best part of working for Project Connect?
I have an amazing team who truly care about our children holistically.  We are all so passionate about serving our children and coming up with creative ways to change the  trajectory of their lives with optimal educational outcomes. We feel so honored to be able to serve our children and families.

How can our readers get involved with Project Connect?
You can learn more about us on our website:

https://www.cps-k12.org/community/customer-care-center/project-connect

Or like and follow us on facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ProjectConnectCincinnati/

Fourteen athletes and coaches will be recognized for their accomplishments on April 18

CINCINNATI, March 7 – Fourteen outstanding alumni and coaches from the Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS)will be inducted as the Class of 2019 in the CPS Athletic Hall of Fame, presented by Underground Sports. Their accomplishments are in everything from cross country, football, basketball, and baseball to tennis, and swimming. This year we are inducting Honorees that range from as early as the Class of 1922 to the Class of 2005 with coaches working as recent as 2003. “These athletes and coaches have distinguished themselves both on and off the field of play,” said Josh Hardin, CPS Manager of Athletics.

The Class of 2019 Living Athletes are Toby Gilbert (C.A.P.E., 1986), Annie Ruth Napier (Aiken, 1981), Dick Gordon (Walnut Hills, 1961), Kirk Springs (Woodward, 1976), Robert Longmire (Withrow, 1973), Walter Williams (Taft, 1962), Dante Love (Withrow, 2005).

The Class of 2019 Coaches are Ed Jackson (Woodward, 1990-2003) and Bob Jacobson (Central Vocational, 1958-1967/Western Hills, 1967-1975).

The Class of 2019 Posthumous Athletes are Earl Putman (Hughes, 1950), Tom Price (Western Hills, 1939), Dick LeMay (Withrow, 1956), Ethan Allen (Withrow, 1922), Dick Hauck (Western Hills, 1947).

Local sports broadcasters John Popovich and Lincoln Ware are emceeing the dinner and induction ceremony at the Stadium Club East of Paul Brown Stadium.

Brian Leshner, Executive Director of the event host Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC), said, “Extracurricular activities such as athletics provide opportunities to build leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and self-discipline. ABC is proud to help honor these outstanding inductees, all of whom are excellent role models for current Cincinnati Public Schools students.”

In addition, Josh Hardin, District Athletics Manager for Cincinnati Public Schools stated, “Cincinnati Public Schools has an incredibly rich and historic pedigree when talking about athletics. We are privileged to have an opportunity to invite these model athletes & coaches back to our district and community to recognize their accomplishments.”

The event is open to the public, but a ticket is required for entry to the event. Tickets are $40.00 each and can be purchased by calling Activities Beyond the Classroom at 513-281-9870 or online at abccincy.org/2019-cps-hall-of-fame.

Activities Beyond the Classroom is honored to have been selected as a new Make A Splash Local Partner by the USA Swimming Foundation. The partnership supports ABC’s Swimming for Safety program.

Each year, the USA Swimming Foundation partners with
learn-to-swim providers, community-based water safety advocates, and national organizations, with a mission to provide swimming lessons and educate children and their families on the importance of learning how to swim. Their goal is to reach 1,000,000 children annually, partnering up with local organizations, like ABC, to help make it happen.

Activities Beyond the Classroom launched the Swimming for Safety program in the 2017-18 school year, teaching young children at Taft Elementary basic swimming skills. In this six-week, 12-session program, kindergartners learn how to tread water, identify the side of the pool, and safely dog paddle to the side and exit the pool. The program was highly successful in its first year, with ABC and the Cincinnati Public School district hoping to expand the program, to reach even more elementary school students in the coming year. Partnering with USA Swimming Foundation can help make this a reality.

https://www.usaswimmingfoundation.org/home/make-a-splash