All posts by Carmen Lawrence-Billé

News

VEGA Americas visits Silverton Elementary

In late January, Silverton Elementary was visited by an old friend with some cool, new technology.

VEGA Americas, a global manufacturer of measurement sensors and integrative software with a manufacturing site here in Cincinnati, has been connected to Silverton Elementary through Adopt A Class for about six years. Adopt A Class reaches out to corporate organizations and connects them with schools in the Cincinnati area, such as Silverton. Through this partnership with Adopt A Class, VEGA has built an ongoing relationship of support and experiential learning with a fourth grade class, and this year the entire school got to benefit from their support.

“We started our relationship with Adopt A Class at Silverton because we wanted to get involved in our community,” shared Allison Hornschemeier, a customer relationship management (CRM) training specialist at VEGA Americas who has been involved with the class personally for four years. “We’re an inclusive company and we do a lot ourselves. All of our volunteers represent different parts of our company, so the kids get exposure to careers in CRM, service teams, engineering, and technical support. They also got to see how companies like ours work with other companies, like MadTree Brewing, to make everyone’s work, work better.

Experiencing the Brand New Trailer from VEGA

This January, Silverton students got a special treat when VEGA Americas partnered with Adopt A Class, ABC, and Silverton Resource Coordinator, Cheri Jordan, to bring their brand new demo trailer onsite to the school and gave students a hands on tour of the many tools and products the company manufactures. “This was actually the debut event of the trailer,” Allison shared.

Modeled after their onsite learning lab (which is always available for educational events and bookings), VEGA Americas developed the trailer to bring an interactive lab space onsite to customers instead of singular pieces of equipment. “This was a really special treat for our employees too. Silverton Elementary helped us test all our demonstration materials and it went great!” 

The trailer houses a variety of level measurement devices representing a range of VEGA Americas’ products. Students were shown and talked through measurement tools that use radar, radiometric, and ultrasonic tools specifically. “Truly, STEM at its best. It was a lot of fun.” VEGA Americas representatives also talked with students about technology, manufacturing, logic puzzles, charting measurements, and how to read measurements. The trailer was onsite for about four hours and about 100 students had the opportunity to experience the lab for themselves.

“You’re always nervous, when it’s the first time you do anything new,” Allison shared of her experience at the school, “but it was really exciting. The students asked such good questions, and the school was so excited for this STEM opportunity because it introduced a lot of cool STEM conversations. It got kids really excited about math and science in fun, hands-on ways.” Students also shared how cool it was to see their classroom lessons being directly applicable to real-world situations.

Allison shared that one of her favorite parts of the event was the exposure students had to different careers. “Students got to see a great diversity of employees: some of college degrees, some with masters and advanced degrees, some high school graduates, and all of them from very different cultural backgrounds. All of the employees they met were happy in their careers and were able to find a version of success that works for them, through very different paths. That’s so important to show students: that there’s no one road to success or happiness, but a variety of paths they can take to get where they want to go.”

Thank You Adopt A Class and VEGA Americas!

Adopt A Class works with numerous schools throughout Cincinnati, including 4 CPS schools where ABC is the lead agency. Adopt A Class helps connect corporate organizations such as VEGA with schools like Silverton, enabling thousands of students to engage in opportunities such as this one.

VEGA Americas looks forward to events like these in the future, maybe even at different schools. “Though the trailer was built to increase sales and strengthen customer relationships, this event proved it holds tremendous community value as well,” Allison said. The company hopes to bring the trailer onsite to more schools, including high schools, in the future.

Thank you to Adopt A Class, VEGA Americas, and our Silverton staff for making this very special event come to pass! We look forward to future partnerships with Adopt A Class, VEGA Americas, and our partners throughout Cincinnati.

News

Activities Beyond the Classroom hosts 2022 CPS Athletic Hall of Fame during CPS All-Star Showcase

The classic Hall of Fame will be a part of the new student showcase, celebrating student athletes of past and present.

On March 26, 2022, Activities Beyond the Classroom will host the annual Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) Athletic Hall of Fame during the All-Star Showcase, hosted at the University of Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the All-Star Showcase,” said Sally Grimes, Executive Director of Activities Beyond the Classroom. “Connecting our distinguished athletes of decades past with current student athletes is a terrific opportunity, and we can’t wait to celebrate all that our athletes have accomplished on and off the court.”

What is the Hall of Fame?

The CPS Athletic Hall of Fame is dedicated to honoring accomplished student athletes from years past. Many of these high school athletes went on to compete at collegiate levels and had careers centered around the games they played, while others took incredibly different directions in their lives. “The honorees are demonstrations to current students of the skills and values that athleticism instills in youth, and how those skills can manifest success in different ways throughout their lives,” reflected Grimes.

The cohort of honorees that will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on March 26th includes Norman Hatchet (Withrow, wrestling), Diondra Holiday (Clark, basketball and softball), Ray Apple (Hughes, basketball, baseball, and cross country), Mark Thompson (Western Hills, soccer and baseball), Carol Kiradjieff (Western Hills, tennis, basketball, softball, field hockey, and volleyball), Katrina Clark-Sanders (Withrow, basketball, track, and cross country), Ben Wilson (Central/Courter Tech, track and gymnastics), Desmon Gault (Western Hills/Dater, football, wrestling, and track), Robert Lee (Hughes, football and track), Robert “Bud” Stille (Western Hills, tennis), Fred Ratterman (Withrow, football, basketball, and baseball), and Coaches Dennis Bettis (Woodward, basketball) and Pat Eagen (Western Hills, wrestling, girls’ tennis and Athletic Director).

Join us at the CPS All-Star Basketball Showcase

Join ABC and CPS in their celebrations of present and past student athletes at the All Star Showcase on March 26th. The event will run from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and will include two CPS all-star basketball games, individual competitions, an education fair, and a career fair. The CPS Athletics Hall of Fame will occur during half-time of the women’s all-star basketball game, at approximately 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 each and are available for purchase in advance online.

News

Meet Your RC: Covedale’s Taneeka Porter

ABC is proud to say that the greatest gift we receive this holiday season is that of our tremendous staff. “100% of our staff busts their butt to achieve our mission and support our students,” said Director of Advancement, Carmen Lawrence-Bille. “I believe that each and every one of our staff is doing the most (and in many cases, more!) for our students. That thought alone brings tears of joy to my eyes.”

Our Resource Coordinators are just one group of ABC’s hard working staff. While their title may sound vague, their work gets specific and targeted to ensure that every student at their school has the tools they need to succeed. We’ve introduced you to many of our Resource Coordinators through the blog recently (check out our profiles on Roselawn Condon’s Darcus Anderson, Silverton Elementary’s Cheri Jordan, and Cheviot School’s Onyango Collier), and this week we’re taking a trip to Covedale.

To learn more about what ABC Resource Coordinators do, please visit our website. 

Q&A

Meet Taneeka Porter, resource coordinator at Covedale School. Taneeka holds a degree in liberal studies and sociology from Wright State University. Taneeka has over ten years of experience working with youth in different capacities, from Camp Counselor to Preschool Teacher to Mentor Coordinator and Mentor. In her role here at ABC, she coordinates and implements community partnerships and programs by engaging Covedale families and the community.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Interacting with students and getting to know them on a more personal level, while also allowing them to get to know me. I started in this position about a year ago (I just celebrated my one-year work-i-versary!), during virtual schooling when COVID was at some of its most dangerous, which meant that I didn’t really get to meet or interact with most students until late spring of 2021. It has been a privilege getting to know the students since then.

One of my favorite times every week is Friday lunch. I’ve started meeting with a group of five students that have had some behavioral problems, so over lunch we have ‘girl talk’ and get to know each other. We talk about a lot, from bullies and communication methods to positive motivators and how they can better support each other. These lunches have helped mitigate some of those disciplinary issues,  but they’ve also allowed me to learn a lot about them while I also get to share with them a part of myself. It’s been eye opening and refreshing to get to know them.

I also love helping families and building relationships with them. There’s a particular family I’m helping right now: a grandmother who is undergoing chemotherapy and just got custody of her grandkids. We’ve rallied the community and connected her to the clothes and toiletries she needs to help her kids, and that warms my heart. I feel like in this job, I really make a difference.

What is something particularly unique/special about the Covedale School community?

The first thought that comes to mind is how amazing our parent/teacher association (PTA) is. Our PTA at Covedale is very involved! They’ve made me really feel welcome here. They do hard work around the school, appreciate our staff, and go above and beyond for our students. They are so supportive and I love how much they love.

That’s a great thing to be able to brag about! Schools nationwide really struggle to engage parents in this capacity. What is your secret recipe that gets your PTA so engaged? 

Honestly, I wish I could take credit- but our PTA was amazing long before I got here. If you’re wondering what the secret sauce is that makes them so spectacular, it’s them. THEY, the parents and teachers, are the special sauce! They are flexible with and inclusive of each other in ways that make it easier to be engaged. Whatever they’ve done to build their PTA so strong, it has worked. They are amazing.

If you had $1,000 today to make a difference at your school, what would you do with it?

What a great question, because I’ve been looking for donations recently! If I could have that money today, I’d use it to buy more things I can give to our families in need, like clothes, food, and toiletries. We work closely with the church next door to the school, who has a free pantry, but we work hard to supplement what they can offer and make sure families in need have total coverage. 

We’re also looking for more money to expand our elementary sports offerings. We offer a lot of cool activities at Covedale, including girls/boys basketball, dance, choir, 3D printing, student council, flag football, soccer, cross country, and even ABC Clubs. When the kids get engaged in these activities, it changes everything. These kids show up to school earlier, they study harder, they do better. The only problem is that we don’t have enough spots on the teams for all the kids that want to play. If we had a little more money for another basketball team, for example, we could get so many more kids engaged in enriching activities that make them more successful throughout their lives.

What is something you are excited about this school year?

Like I mentioned, I started during COVID- which means I haven’t had all the time to get to know students that I wanted. Now that I’m actually in the school with students, it makes my days so much better. I think I’m most excited to keep building relationships with students and see them grow throughout the school year and do all the things that had to be put on pause during COVID.

I’m just excited to be here. I love being able to support Covedale and our community here.

Learn more about Covedale School:

To learn more about Taneeka Porter or Covedale School, we recommend you check out the Covedale School website.

News

Bengals are Game-Changers for Cincinnati Students

Bengals players packed bags of school supplies for CPS Student Athletes in AAA Pathway

As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare for Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, ABC wanted to share how proud and grateful we are of our continued partnership with their organization. Since 2018, the Bengals have supported ABC’s mission through various means, impacting the lives of tens of thousands of students. ABC is extremely grateful for the contributions of the Bengals and the wonderful impact they have had on the Cincinnati community.

AAA Pathway

The Cincinnati Bengals have been a tremendous supporter of AAA Pathway. Launched during the 2018-19 school year through a partnership between ABC and CPS Athletics, the AAA (Athletic and Academic Accountability) Pathway program is a comprehensive student athlete development program designed to provide CPS athletes the supports needed to achieve success in both their academics and athletics. AAA Pathway includes career coaching, academic support, ACT tutoring, nutritional guidance, mentoring, and more.

Since the program launched in 2018-19, the Cincinnati Bengals have donated over $130,000 to help support AAA Pathway. In addition to their financial support, the Bengals have donated school supplies to participating students (which Bengals players packed into bags themselves). 

During the 2020 pandemic, while students in AAA Pathway have been meeting virtually, various Bengals players have joined virtual ACT Bootcamp calls to lend their support to the students. Bengals players, such as offensive lineman Michael Jordan, joined the video chat and answered any questions students had about college, the ACT test, or other various topics. 

For the 2021-22 school year, AAA Pathway will be available to every student athlete in Cincinnati Public Schools. The availability of this program to thousands of student athletes is possible largely thanks to the Bengals.

Bengals players joined video chats with CPS Students in AAA Pathway to encourage them during the 2020 Pandemic

South Avondale Field

Starting in 2017, ABC and CPS lead fundraising efforts to revitalize the athletic field at South Avondale Elementary. The Bengals generously donated $250,000 to the campaign, a gift that allowed us to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

On August 5, 2021, the vision became a reality and a ceremony was held to unveil the newly upgraded field to the public. The mascot and cheerleaders from the Bengals were on hand to help lead the festivities, and the Bengals provided students from South Avondale Elementary with a Play 60 session, allowing them to run football related drills (more on that below). The Bengals also provided the students with official team memorabilia. 

Equipped with newly installed field turf, the athletic field at South Avondale Elementary School is expected to be utilized annually by 5,000 students between the ages of 4-17. This would not be possible without the generosity of the Bengals.

Play 60 Events

In October 2007, the NFL launched the Play 60 initiative as an effort to get students to become more active. The NFL and its teams, such as the Bengals, host Play 60 events throughout the year, enabling children to play football related activities for free, with professional players, coaches, cheerleaders, and the mascots on hand to encourage them. The idea is to encourage children to get at least 60 minutes of physical play time each day, in an effort to stay in better shape. These events make a memorable, lasting impact on the children they reach.

Students from Hughes High School participated in Play 60, thanks to the Bengals. Image owned by the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Cincinnati Bengals have provided a number of these free Play 60 activity sessions to students at Cincinnati Public Schools. In August, the Bengals mascot and cheerleaders were on hand as students from South Avondale Elementary participated in a Play 60 event on the brand new turf field at the school.

In addition, students from Hughes High School were permitted to take a trip to Paul Brown Stadium and participate in a Play 60 event. These students were given the opportunity to participate in football activities on the same field where the Bengals play their games!

Thank You Bengals

Thank you Cincinnati Bengals for all that you do to support ABC and the charitable efforts you make to support students at Cincinnati Public Schools! We are wishing you the best this weekend in Los Angeles, as you compete in the Super Bowl! 

WHO DEY!!!

News

Q&A With Kate Solomon of the ABC Board of Trustees

1) The age-old Cincinnati question: where did you go to school?

I grew up in the Columbus area and have answered this question incorrectly many times – especially when I first moved to the area. I attended the University of Dayton for undergrad and Xavier University for my MBA.

2) What is your professional background?

I have spent the majority of my career in professional sports. I spent six seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, moved to DeanHouston, a B2B marketing firm in the area, and then joined FC Cincinnati in January of 2016 ahead of our first year in the USL. I’ve been blessed to be with FCC from the early days and to see the incredible community support to bring Major League Soccer to Cincinnati so quickly!

3) Tell us a little about your family!

My husband and I live in Montgomery with our two children and enjoy playing and attending sports and exploring the parks around the city.

4) When you were in school: did you participate in any extracurricular activities? If so, which ones and what skills do you think you gained from them?

I played sports (mostly basketball), attempted to play piano and flute and participated in a few clubs and activities. We learn so many soft skills through sports and extracurricular activities – how to treat people, work as a team, face adversity and overcome challenges. Extracurricular activities also help us find talents and create confidence in ourselves. This is one of the many reasons I love ABC!

5) Outside of ABC, in what ways do you give (or in what ways have you given) to the community?

Most of my community efforts are focused around my role with FC Cincinnati as our VP, Community Relations and the Executive Director of FC Cincinnati Foundation. In building the club, we have been very intentional about being present and active in our community. We believe it is a responsibility of all professional sports teams and we have invested heavily in this space. In its first three years, FC Cincinnati Foundation has launched and grown quickly, investing over $1 million in the community each of its first three years and reaching over 30,000 children annually. Our work is focused around improving the lives of children through soccer with programming focused around soccer, education and character development.

6) What do you see as the greatest challenge for today’s students, and what do you think ABC’s role is in addressing that challenge?

With all of the uncertainty that children are experiencing related to the pandemic, creating opportunities for them to find a positive outlet and reliable support is key. ABC and its programs provide moments of normalcy and fun.

7) What is one of your favorite ABC programs and why?

I would be remiss not to say the soccer program, which we partner on at FCC Foundation. This program helps expose children to the game of soccer while incorporating the soft skills we touched on earlier. In addition to this program, it has been incredible to see the early adoption and growth of programming in the arts space with the Jazz Festival. Children have unique talents and interests and it is great to see so many children embracing opportunities to learn new skills and find a positive outlet.

8) What are some goals you’d like to see ABC accomplish in the future?

I am excited to see the growth into new programs and opportunities for kids. As noted with the Jazz Festival, children have unique talents and interests and it is great to see so many children embracing opportunities to learn new skills and find a positive outlet.

9) What is the most important thing you would like the public to know about ABC?

The public is very familiar with CPS and often not as familiar about the role that ABC plays in partnership with CPS. It is a classic example of one plus one being greater than two. Without ABC many of the opportunities available to these students would not be possible and together the two organizations can and do have a greater impact on the students they serve.

News

Activities Beyond the Classroom Receives 2022 Spencer Award for Promoting Diversity and Inclusion

We are thrilled to share that Activities Beyond the Classroom has been selected as a recipient of the Cincinnatus Association’s distinguished Spencer Award, honoring organizations that deliver conspicuous and enduring contributions that have created greater diversity and inclusion in our community.

Previous recipients of the award have included the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Shelterhouse, and the Reds Community Fund, as well as several others.

“It is such a privilege to receive this award,” Executive Director Sally Grimes shared. “The staff here at ABC is dedicated to creating accessible and equitable opportunities for all kinds of families throughout our community. This award recognizes all that hard work, and is a great reminder of how much work there is yet to do.”

Perhaps serendipitously, the announcement of the Spencer Award recipients immediately preceded Martin Luther King Jr. Day. “It’s a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday,” shared Director of Advancement Carmen Lawrence-Billé. “Dr. King suggested we all make our careers about humanity and that we commit ourselves to the long-term struggle for civil rights. This is not easy work and it is not fast work. It is sometimes slow, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes maddeningly difficult, but it is always worth it.”

Activities Beyond the Classroom recently adopted new organizational values, one of which being to exemplify IDEA: an acronym standing for inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility. “We strive to channel this spirit in all that we do. If it’s not a good IDEA, then it’s not us,” Grimes shared.

History of the Award

The Cincinnatus Association was founded in 1920, and is a civic organization committed to reducing poverty and helping more people in Greater Cincinnati achieve the American Dream. Its mission is accomplished through advocating for diversity, inclusion, education, and government, and its members provide civic leadership in its efforts to improve the long-term vitality of the region.

Civil Rights Activists Donald and Marian Spencer. Photo courtesy of the Cincinnatus Association.

Named after Cincinnati’s “First Couple of Civil Rights,” Donald and Marian Spencer, the Cincinnatus Association created The Spencer Awards in 2015 to celebrate the couple’s achievements and honor nonprofits and businesses who promote diversity and inclusion in our community.

Marian Spencer was known for fighting to integrate Coney Island amusement park so her children could swim in the pool. She also was the first African American president of the Woman’s City Club of Cincinnati and the first African American member of Cincinnati City Council. Donald Spencer was the first African American on the Cincinnati Park Board, the first African American broker on the Cincinnati Board of Realtors and the first African American trustee at Ohio University.

A Distinguished Cohort

Susan Noonan, Chair of the Spencer Dinner Committee, shared that, “when reading the nominations we receive each year for the Spencer Awards, the outstanding work being done by so many organizations in our community to improve the lives of our citizens is an inspiration to us all. [The Cincinnatus Association] has this unique opportunity to recognize and share with you the efforts of our honorees to help those in need achieve their ‘American Dream’ through their services, education, and inclusion of all citizens.”

Activities Beyond the Classroom is ecstatic to share the honor of receiving this year’s award alongside the following distinguished partners, nonprofits, and community-minded thinkers:

  • Avondale Development Corporation was founded in 2011 for the purpose of improving the quality of lives of the residents of Avondale, the largest African American neighborhood of Cincinnati. ADC’s mission is to direct the revitalization of Avondale by developing housing, real estate, and economic initiatives while collaborating with residents and partners to address priorities that promote the well-being of Avondale residents. 
     
  • Clifton Cultural Arts Center is the only multi-disciplinary arts center in the racially and socioeconomically diverse Uptown neighborhoods of Corryville, Clifton, Avondale, Clifton Heights-University Heights-Fairview, and Mt. Auburn. CCAC’s mission is to build a community-created place where people of all ages, races, culture, and socioeconomic status connect with one another through art. CCAC’s average attendance is over 40,000.  
  • Lighthouse Youth Services empowers young people and families to succeed through a continuum of care that promotes healing and growth. Serving clients ages 0-24 and the families that surround them, Lighthouse is a “trauma-informed” agency that serves 4,000 diverse clients annually in their various programs. 
  • Santa Maria Community Services is a catalyst and advocate for Cincinnati’s Greater Price Hill families. Santa Maria focuses on promoting family and individual wellbeing. 
  • TriVersity Construction is a for-profit organization and is among the largest commercial construction companies in the tri-state region. TriVersity is known for their focus on the customer experience during the construction process, their investment in ongoing innovation, and their deep commitment to the communities in which they operate. They have an active commitment to various community service organizations by encouraging their employees to volunteer. 

If you’d like to celebrate with us…

The Cincinnatus Association will present the Seventh Annual Donald and Marian Spencer Spirit of America Awards Dinner on May 10, 2022, at 6PM at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, 35 W. Fifth Street, Cincinnati. WLWT5 anchor/reporter Courtis Fuller will serve as emcee of the event this year. Dinner tickets and sponsorship information is available at: 

News

Meet Your RC: Cheviot School’s Onyango Collier

The last couple of months, we’ve been conducting a sort of meet-and-greet for you and our resource coordinators serving your schools. Previous posts have included introductions to Roselawn Condon’s Darcus Anderson and Silverton Elementary’s Cheri Jordan.

We’re hopeful that in these posts, we can get you a bit more familiar with what’s going on in your schools and communities, see if there are ways you can be benefitting that you didn’t previously know about, and/or find ways you can support these everyday superheroes in their work. We work hard to meet each communities unique needs rather than prescribe a one-size-fits-all plan to help all schools. “Every school and every neighborhood in Cincinnati is different,” said Deputy Director Rachel Stallings. “It’s part of what makes this city so vibrant and beautiful. And to nourish and grow each of these communities, we need people with unique skill sets that suit each neighborhood. What unites our resource coordinators is that all of them are great listeners and hard workers.”

To learn more about what ABC Resource Coordinators do, please visit our website. 

Q&A

This week, we’d like to introduce you to Onyango Collier (also known by colleagues and friends as Mr. O), resource coordinator at Cheviot Elementary School. Mr. O has been in this position since 2013 and has a bachelor’s degree in studio art from Central State University specializing in Graphic Arts. Previously, he has worked with Beech Acres Parenting Center as a School Based Case Manager, providing him experience as a qualified mental-health specialist, and with Children’s Home of Cincinnati as a behavioral health technician, providing direct service to children with mental health needs.

Mr. O was also honored in May 2019 by Mt. St. Joseph University, who named him the Community Partner of the Year, representing Cheviot School.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part of my job is when I have provided a resource, such as food or a uniform, to a child or student’s family in need. I know that, a lot of times, families don’t expect these types of service from a school. I also enjoy that I get to provide the opportunity for some students to play sports and recreational activities at the school.

What is something particularly unique/special about the Cheviot School community?

Cheviot is very special and unique, but there are some things that are particularly interesting about our school community. First, we have a Gifted Academy within our neighborhood school that has a specialized educational program where academically talented students in grades 3-6 can be eligible by ranking as superior cognitive on a cognitive abilities test.

Second, we are also the first FranklinCovey Leader in Me School in Southwest, Ohio who has been awarded LightHouse status, which exemplifies being the pinnacle of a Leader in Me School. Leader in Me is a whole-school transformation model developed with educators that gives students the leadership and life skills they need to succeed in and outside of school. Leader in Me helps our students become self-reliant, set and track goals, prioritize their time, complete their homework, and create balance in their lives. Our young students know how to take initiative in their own lives and they have a respect and appreciation of differences that other students don’t. At Cheviot School, we follow Steven Covey’s seven habits of highly effective people by promoting leadership opportunities as a point of reference. 

Finally, one last cool thing about Cheviot: our community has statues of the Cheviot Sheep all over various businesses and the school. Cheviot is a breed of sheep who get their name from a range of hills in NorthUmberland and the Scottish border. It’s a fun mark of community pride to see the Cheviot Sheep around town and says a lot about our community’s appreciation for our heritage and history.

If you had $1,000 today to make a difference at your school, what would you do with it?

$1000 can do a lot. I think I would utilize those dollars to buy shoes or recreational items to promote healthy living choices for our students. Those dollars could put a lot of kids in motion, keep them active, and keep them making safe, healthy choices.

What is something you are excited about this school year?

Sporting activities! In elementary schools, athletic programs were not as high a priority to maintain; it was much more important to make sure students were socially distancing, keeping their hands clean, and staying healthy. That year and a half off due to the COVID-19 pandemic kept kids standing still- and now they’re on the move once again. The sporting activities at Cheviot School help to promote family engagement and a sense of work ethic, plus team building skills and positive sportsmanship.

Learn more about Cheviot School:

To learn more about Onyango Collier or Cheviot School, we recommend you check out the Cheviot School website.

News

Winton Hills Academy Hosts Speakers From Bengals and Reds at Donuts With Dad Events

Vincent Rey, of the Cincinnati Bengals, addresses the audience at Winton Hills Academy

The mentorship and guidance of parental figures can be essential to the development of children. Studies have shown that more parental involvement can directly contribute to increased confidence, better communication skills, and positive cognitive and social adjustments. With this in mind, Shelby Zimmer, ABC Resource Coordinator at Winton Hills Academy, teamed up with Alpha Delta Boule to create an event called Donuts with Dad.

The event was such a hit that all 50 registration slots were filled within four hours, creating the need to host a second Donuts with Dad event (which also rapidly filled to capacity).

Upon arriving at Winton Hills for the event, students and their fathers chose what items they wanted for breakfast from a large assortment of Servatii’s donuts, juices, coffee, and water. After a greeting and introduction from Shelby, the speakers took the stage.

On October 15, 2021, the speaker was former Bengals linebacker and now team chaplain, Vincent Rey. Rey shared his story of growing up in Queens, NY, where his father heavily encouraged him to chase his dreams. According to Rey, it was his encouragement from his father that helped give him the confidence to push forward and pursue his goal of making it to the NFL.

Rey continued by speaking to the students about the importance of listening to authority figures. Rey confessed that there were times he felt rebellious, but is glad he ultimately listened to the advice of his father. Rey advised all of the students to listen to the advice of their fathers and all authority figures, and encouraged each of them to pursue their own dreams.

When he was done speaking, Vincent Rey graciously took questions from and pictures with the audience. The level of engagement from the students and the nature of their questions made it very clear that they had taken the messages from Rey to heart.

Pastor Kirk Kirkland speaks to the audience at Winton Hills Academy

On October 21, the Donuts for Dad speaker was Kirk Kirkland, Revive Church pastor and Cincinnati Reds team chaplain. Kirkland spoke about how much kids look up to their fathers, and the important role they play in the lives of their children. Kirkland motivated fathers to strive to set a positive example, and encourage their children to accomplish their goals. In addition, Kirkland spoke about listening to fathers and authority figures. Kirkland’s messages were very well received by students and fathers alike.

After he finished speaking, Kirkland also engaged in a question and answer session with the audience, followed by a photo opportunity with the students and their parents. The jubilant crowd truly listened to and enjoyed hearing Pastor Kirkland speak at the Donuts with Dad event.

Alpha Delta Boule and Shelby Zimmer Contribute to Success of Donuts with Dad

In Cincinnati, the name Jim Anderson is commonly associated with the Bengals, given his 29-year tenure as the running backs coach. However, since retiring, he works tirelessly with the Cincinnati chapter of Alpha Delta Boule. The Alpha Delta Boule is a non-profit organization which is heavily involved in helping students at Cincinnati Public Schools through various programs and opportunities.

This event would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts of Coach Anderson, Marty Dunn, and the Alpha Delta Boule. Coach Anderson was vital in arranging Vincent Rey to speak at Winton Hills, and the Alpha Delta Boule supported both events financially as well. ABC is honored to work with such an esteemed organization, and partnerships like this help exemplify our mission.

Jim Anderson, of the Alpha Delta Boule

In the past, the Alpha Delta Boule and ABC have collaborated to get stories written by elementary school students from Winton Hills and Bond Hill, turned into published books. These books are titled Judge Jones and Big O, written about Judge Nathaniel Jones and Oscar Robertson respectively, and are available at various branches of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

We’re also thankful for Shelby Zimmer, ABC resource coordinator at Winton Hills, who was vital in organizing the event. From helping organize the sign-up process, coordinating the staff at Winton Hills, and being the point-person to ensure that the event went well, Shelby did exceptional work in the organization of the Donuts with Dads events, and we are incredibly grateful to have her on the ABC team. 

News

Meet Brian Leshner: Director of Special Initiatives

Brian Leshner has rejoined the Activities Beyond the Classroom team as the Director of Special Initiatives, and is already working diligently with Executive Director Sally Grimes and Director of Advancement Carmen Lawrence-Bille.

But Brian’s face is not new around the ABC offices. Brian was the founding Executive Director of ABC and helmed the organization for 17 years. He resigned from this position as of June 30, 2021.

“Back when we started ABC, we had humble dreams: to make sure students didn’t have to pay for their own soccer jerseys, or to make sure students weren’t blocked from playing on the basketball team because they couldn’t afford the shoes,” said Leshner. “Those dreams have come true. In fact, ABC today has far surpassed my hopes and dreams.”

The ABC of today that Brian refers to is one that not only makes high school athletic opportunities more accessible, but a vast selection of wellness and after school activities accessible and equitable. ABC serves approximately 15,000 students annually across the Cincinnati Public Schools district, 90% or more of which live at or below the federal poverty line.  Programming is targeted to support each school and community in unique ways, and programming areas range from athletics to arts to STEM to wellness.

“Over the last 17 years, we’ve grown to accommodate the particular needs of each community we serve,” said Deputy Director Rachel Stallings. “The Aiken community needs are different from Walnut Hills’, which are completely different from Silverton Elementary’s, and so on. Rather than pretend to know what’s best for these communities, we’ve spent the better part of two decades listening to these communities and responding to what they tell us they want and need. Now, we support the student experience in holistic ways that address root causes to systemic problems.”

Brian cheerfully resigned from his position and took a two-month sabbatical while the new Executive Director, Sally Grimes, stepped into the leadership role. “Now,” he grins, “the fun begins.”

Special Initiatives at ABC

In his new position, Brian will be helping Activities Beyond the Classroom create a legacy that will last generations. “We’ve been helping kids for 17 years now,” Brian recounted. “I’d like to see ABC still around to help their kids, and their grandkids, and the generations beyond them. There is no limit to the amount of students we can support- if we have the necessary support to get there.”

Brian plans to spend his time in several areas of legacy planning across the organization, including…

Arts & Music Funds- For seventeen years, ABC has supported high school athletics efforts. As ABC matured and we increased our partnerships and resources, we began investing in other, more expensive activities, including the arts. “The only reason ABC hasn’t supported arts in schools as long is because it’s cheaper to provide soccer cleats to a team of players than it is to provide cellos to a class of instrumentalists,” Brian explained. “But we’ve come a long way, and we’re able to support these big initiatives now.”

With ABC’s greater bandwidth and capacity, planning has begun to increase and expand arts programming across the Cincinnati Public School district. “CPS is onboard, ABC is onboard, the students are totally excited,” Deputy Director Rachel Stallings shared. “Now all we need are the resources to really run with this. There is no reason why every student in CPS cannot be, in their own unique way, an artist.”

Reserve Funds- One in three nonprofits needed to close their doors during the COVID-19 pandemic due to financial instability. Fortunately, ABC was not one of these unfortunate nonprofits… “but I hate to imagine if that had been us,” speculated Executive Director Sally Grimes. “We pulled through the pandemic in one piece, still serving our community, because our donors and community believed in the power of ABC programs. That made us strong. And we’re smart enough to know, we’re probably going to need that strength again someday.”

ABC is starting to plan for the future in ways it never has before by establishing a reserve fund, in case of national disaster. “If something like COVID were to happen again, we don’t want to scramble. We want to know that we have 6-12 months of operational funding tucked away, so we don’t need to consider lay-offs or suspending programming or anything else that would go against our mission,” Sally continued.

While other organizations may pursue endowments for this purpose, ABC is opting for a more liquid reserve fund. “There is a lot of research being done on endowments and how this model of longevity planning can actually harm equity and diversity efforts,” explained Carmen Lawrence-Bille, Director of Advancement. “With these values being so dear to our mission, we cannot in good faith pursue an endowment. Instead, we’re excited about this reserve fund. It means we can take risks and try new things for our students without fear that one small failure will poison our success.”

Planned Giving- Some people call this legacy giving, or estate giving, or planned giving, but the intent is all the same. These are gifts that require more planning, thought, and paperwork than your standard donation. “A planned gift is often a person’s final gift to the world,” Director of Advancement Carmen Lawrence-Bille explained.  Oftentimes, a planned gift comes in the form of a bequest in someone’s will. “What people don’t always realize is that these gifts keep giving. That final gift you make through a bequest can give a student the gift of swim lessons, which could save their life, which then helps them teach their families to swim and save their lives. These gifts compound in ways that keep us alive long after we’re gone.”

ABC is incredibly fortunate to have Brian’s expertise and knowledge as we discover that many of our donors and friends already have planned gifts for ABC that had not yet been documented! “It’s incredibly important we know about these gifts so that we know they can continue, they can grow, they have the support of the community. But it’s also important to us to be able to thank you while you’re still here, and to make sure you get to see the brightness you bring to our community through your foresight and generosity.”

For more information on Brian’s new position, ABC’s special initiatives, or the future of ABC’s programming, send Brian a message at brian@abccincy.org.

News

Meet Your RC: Roselawn Condon’s Darcus Anderson

We recently introduced you to our Silverton Elementary resource coordinator, Cheri, and were delighted to see how excited our community was to read more about these silent superheroes walking in our midst! 

As we mentioned, Cheri is just one of 10+ Resource Coordinators (RC’s) employed by Activities Beyond the Classroom but placed in public schools. Our RC’s shoulder the responsibility of serving “the whole student,” which means something different for every community and school they work with. It can mean assisting students with learning disabilities, or ensuring that diversity is being embraced in their schools. 

But wait: we’re called Activities Beyond the Classroom. What does a RC, who supports students and families during the school day, have to do with that?

The answer: everything.

Our RC’s are making sure that students are well equipped for their day, whether that includes just getting through class or if it means getting through class and chess club and soccer practice. These pros identify what’s keeping students from succeeding and work to eliminate those barriers. That makes students more successful beyond the classroom AND in the classroom. Win/win, right?

To learn more about what ABC Resource Coordinators do, please visit our website. 

Q&A with Darcus Anderson

We’d like to introduce you to Roselawn Condon School’s resource coordinator, Darcus Anderson. Darcus previously worked for Talbert House as a Mental Health Provider, where she coordinated resources and facilitated individual, group, and classroom presentations to help increase students social skills. Darcus has a M.Ed in Counseling and a Bachelors in Psychology. She is incredibly passionate about her school and community and focuses her time on getting to know each one of her students and their needs.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Being able to help parents and students. That’s the simple answer, but that’s the best way to describe my passion for my work: I love helping my families. My background is in mental health and, nowadays more than ever, we’re finding ourselves struggling. Kids and adults are dealing with mental health issues, all of us are. We want to go back to “normal,” but we need to process what is still happening around us. I think my background in counseling and psychology has come in handy a lot. Even though it’s not in my job description, I love being a resource to kids and families in crisis. 

What is something particularly unique/special about the Roselawn Condon community?

We have a number of students at our school with special needs and I love bonding with these children. Our school is uniquely equipped to support these students with support staff that most schools don’t have. Being around these children makes me feel so blessed. Some of these students can’t even talk, but they have joy in their days and that joy is infectious.

Better yet, the neurodiversity and diversity of ability at our school really teaches students about equity in a beautiful way. Just because a student looks or learns or seems different from you doesn’t mean you treat them like they are any different from yourself. We honor the platinum rule in our school (“treat others the way they want to be treated”) and feel like one big family. 

But this is just one special part of our community! Our community is also fantastic and often throws support behind our students in the form of holiday gifts and spring barbeques. We have STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) Fridays where we get the kids involved in wonderful activities that range from ballet and music therapy to droning and coding. And we have an excellent English-Language Learner (ELL) unit that engages a fantastic, international refugee population; we have students here from the Congo, Morocco, Afghanistan, and all over.

It takes a very special school to be able to do all these things, to be equipped for students from all over the world and for students with a variety of special needs. Accessibility and inclusion are in our blood here. It’s a very special place. 

If you had $1,000 today to make a difference at your school, what would you do with it?

Something we used to do that has been harder to do recently is support students around the holiday season. If I had $1000 right now, I would get some gift cards to give out to families in need so they could have a turkey on Thanksgiving, or make sure each child had a present for them, or have a really good meal on a meaningful day.

We have something like 436 kids that we think about around the holidays, and that’s a lot of families! Additionally, as I previously mentioned, we have a lot of refugee students who often live in very crowded or multifamily households. Oftentimes, our families are food insecure and they can’t always count on three solid meals plus snacks at home. Even just a $25 gift card per household could make such a difference. If I had $1000 to help families right now, this is the good work I’d spend it on. 

What is something you are excited about this school year?

The engagement of our community! During the peak of COVID-19, when students were learning virtually, we struggled just like everyone else. Some lucky students have had few learning interruptions, but they’re the exceptions. Everyone else has really struggled with the last year and a half and there’s been a lot of learning loss, and that can be very frustrating. Overcoming that frustration to make up for lost time is difficult, but the community coming together makes it easier.

I’ve met with community council members and parents and all sorts of community members that are excited about getting our kids back on track academically. It is awesome that our community wants to get involved and engaged. They are really working to rally around our students.

One more question, because these are indeed stressful days we live in: how do you relieve stress? Any tips for our families?

Well, we all have healthy stress relievers and less healthy ones, right? I confess, my less healthy stress relief comes from the home shopping network! I’ve spent a bit more money than I probably needed to, but at least all my holiday shopping is done early!

But really, I stay positive. I listen to this influencer who always says to “go out and have the best day you can” and even if I can’t have a good day, “don’t you dare go ruining someone else’s.” And I love that. I get so much joy from other people having a good day. So I read my bible, I spend time with friends and family, I exercise every day, and I send people kind notes because I do believe that every drop of light you can put into this world adds up.

Learn more about Roselawn Condon School:

To learn more about Darcus Anderson or Roselawn Condon School, we recommend you check out Roselawn Condon’s website.