Jeff Wiles joins Activities Beyond the Classroom as the next Athletic Director at Clark Montessori High School.

Brian Meyer, Clark Montessori’s Athletic Director, moves nearby to Purcell Marian High School, and Wiles will become the school’s next Athletic Director effective July 1, 2018.

Wiles received his bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Management at Otterbein University where he participated at the varsity level in football and track. Wiles spent his first 25 years in the business world holding executive level positions in marketing and management.  He returned to the sports world in administration and coaching roles starting in 2010 when he joined the Sports Commission at St. Mary’s.  Wiles went on to become the Executive Director of Knothole Baseball, the country’s oldest youth baseball program.  His coaching experience has been at all levels in youth sports for both boys and girls.  He held coaching positions at Walnut Hills High School in football and baseball and, most recently, as the Head Varsity Coach for Girls Fast Pitch Softball.  Wiles joined the Cincinnati Public Schools’ Athletics team in 2016 when he began working as a Sports Coordinator for Baseball and Softball.

“Jeff joins a strong team of nine athletic directors at ABC, and is the right person coming in at the right time to take Clark athletics to the next level,” said Brian Leshner, Executive Director for Activities Beyond the Classroom. Hardin added, “Jeff is a program builder and very detail oriented, and he will thrive in this position at Clark Montessori. He has put in endless hours to grow the sport of baseball and softball in the city, and I know he will bring that same energy to Clark. We look forward to helping support him and to the growth of Clark Athletics,”

“I want to thank Josh Hardin and his team at CPS Athletics for embracing my vision and supporting me every step of the way over the past two years. I believe we have laid the foundation for CPS baseball and softball to continue to grow participation levels and provide  great experience for our student-athletes,” Wiles said. “I look forward to continuing the efforts put forth by the previous Athletic Directors and building on what they have already put in place. I’m looking forward to being part of the Montessori Triangle of Education — students, teachers and parents — working together to prepare our student-athletes to become contributors both on and off the field, and to contribute to society after they leave Clark Montessori.”

About Clark Montessori

Clark Montessori is the nation’s first Montessori high school, which has been nationally recognized for academic excellence. The school is best known for its field studies and intersessions, community service as a method for learning about the world, thematic work emphasis, seminars, and relationship building for grades 7-12.  The student body is culturally and ethnically diverse, with students attending from every urban neighborhood in Cincinnati. Clark Montessori Athletics offers more than 43 teams in nearly 21 sports with over 400 student athletes, and the athletic department at Clark is managed through a long-standing collaboration between Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) and Cincinnati Public Schools.

The Cincinnati Public Schools Girls To Women Leadership Collaboration was founded with the goal of building up young women for success.

Like all character traits, leadership has its roots in childhood. The lessons we learn when we are still in the process of growing up often end up shaping the rest of our lives, so it’s essential that careful attention be paid to how our children are educated. In the past, girls in particular were taught to limit themselves and their opportunities based solely on their gender, but this kind of discrimination no longer has a place in today’s educational system. Continue reading Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders →

Students in kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade at Frederick Douglas Elementary School are participating in the Early Learning Mandarin Chinese Language Adventure.

Learning a new language can be a challenging and time-consuming endeavor, which is why it is generally agreed-upon that the best time to pick up a foreign language is during childhood, when the brain is incredibly receptive to all things new and capable of absorbing large amounts of information. What’s more, kids don’t have to deal with the pressures of adult life and can afford to take things slowly. Continue reading Introducing Young Students to Mandarin Chinese →

The 2018 Cincinnati Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame event took place on April 19, 2018.

Working jointly with the Cincinnati Public School District (CPS), Activities Beyond the Classroom has played a big role in honoring the distinguished local athletes who have made a name for themselves over the years. To that end, on April 19 CPS will celebrate its rich athletic history by recognizing fourteen athletes and coaches as part of the 2018 Athletic Hall of Fame Class. These honorees are culled from sports as diverse as football, basketball, swimming, and tennis, and span the generational gamut, with the oldest member belonging to the Class of 1946, while the youngest comes from the Class of 2000. Continue reading CPS Celebrates Rich Athletic History →

The Henderson Fund was established with the goal of introducing special needs students at Cincinnati Public Schools to animals from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.

Interacting with animals is one of life’s biggest joys, regardless of age. But it is especially important during childhood, when kids tend to form lasting images about their environments. Continue reading Bringing the Cincinnati Zoo to the Classroom →

Mentoring program is providing guidance, support, and encouragement for fifth and sixth graders.

It’s hard to deny the remarkable difference mentoring can make in a young child’s life, especially when you consider the many challenges the average student has to navigate in their formative years. Through the Community Connectors mentoring program managed and directed by Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC), the fifth and sixth-grade students at John P. Parker Elementary School have been able to experience the many benefits of mentorship, with far-reaching results.  Continue reading Kids Helping Kids through Mentoring Program at John P. Parker Elementary School →

Kindergarten through sixth-grade students enjoy participating in the 21st Century Program after school.

Even after the last bell rings at the end of the school day, Winton Hills Academy stays abuzz with activity due to the efforts of the Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) 21^st Century Program. Through this multi-faceted program, kids are exposed to a wide variety of fun and engaging activities that provide academic and cultural enrichment. Students from kindergarten through sixth-grade participate in the program, which is offered Monday through Friday from 2:15 to 5:15 p.m. This three-hour span is jam-packed with activities that not only reinforce what the children are learning during the school day, but it also exposes them to a wide range of stimulating supplemental learning experiences as well. Below are some key highlights detailing what the afterschool program offers, as well as some of the recent events that have occurred under the program: Continue reading What’s Going On at Winton Hills Academy After School? →

Clark senior Ryan Brewster is a leader on and off the field.

If you ever needed an example of courage and resilience in the face of adversity, look no further than Clark Montessori High School student Ryan Brewster. This remarkable young man was a recent recipient of the Tom Potter Memorial Award of Courage, which is presented each year by the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the National Football Foundation to a person who has overcome great obstacles in their life. Brewster, a senior and football player at Clark, has made a habit of hurdling obstacles, as he was born with a congenital limb deficiency that left him without a left wrist or hand. Even in spite of what many would call a disability, Brewster has refused to accept any limitations imposed or assumed by others, and instead has routinely chosen to focus on how he can adapt to and overcome whatever circumstances he’s faced with. The fire and enthusiasm with which Ryan approaches football – and life in general for that matter – has proven to be contagious. He was unanimously voted captain of the school’s football team, and he has garnered a reputation for encouraging and inspiring his fellow teammates and classmates both on and off the field. Continue reading A Beacon of Courage →

Kids in School Rule! hosts a basketball clinic and tournament for students.

Basketball is a sport that is enjoyed by millions across the globe, and for young kids in particular, it’s a great way to help them sharpen their hand-eye coordination, develop team-building skills and get plenty of exercise to boot! This engaging sport will serve as the foundation for the upcoming Kids in School Rule! (KISR!) Basketball Clinic and Tournament, a youth-focused event spearheaded by Activities Beyond the Classroom (ABC) in partnership with the KISR! program. This dynamic basketball camp is open to all Cincinnati Public School (CPS) students, but is primarily focused on engaging the students who are a part of the KISR! program, which is an initiative designed to improve educational outcomes and enrichment opportunities for students who are currently enrolled in foster care with the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services (JFS). Continue reading Helping Students Learn the Joys of Basketball →

Activities Beyond the Classroom launched its ABC Club at three schools.

The remarkable benefits of afterschool programs have been well-documented for years now, and as more studies are published, it only reaffirms the positive impact these much-needed programs can make in the lives of students from all walks of life. According to the Harvard Family Research Center, “Children and youth who participate in afterschool programs … reap a host of positive benefits in a number of interrelated outcome areas [including] academic, social/emotional, prevention, and health and wellness.”
Continue reading Creating Afterschool Opportunities for Students in Need →