Education is the ticket to achieving the American Dream for Bhutanese refugees in Akron Part 2

 

Story by Tom Crain

 

David James, Superintendent of Akron Public Schools (APS) says that several of Akron’s schools have been undergoing significant change due to the influx of refugees. “Little did any of us know the U.S. foreign policy decision made nine years ago would bring into our schools a story that is truly inspirational in an American way,” he says. “And now, with so many articles and broadcasts coming out of our refugee schools, much of America is aware.”

North High School (NHS) was waning in attendance for years and was in danger of closing altogether before refugee resettlement kicked in. Now, NHS has become known as Ohio’s most diverse public school.

Education is the ticket to achieving the American Dream for Bhutanese refugees in Akron

Story By Tom Crain

“In the beginning,  I was really freaked out,” confesses ninth grader Sabbitri about her first couple months transferring mid-year from a Nepali refugee camp school to Akron’s North High School.  “I couldn’t get the combination on my locker to work. The other high school girls had beautiful makeup and clothes and wild hairstyles in all different colors. They were always laughing and texting each other. They were so much happier and prettier than I was.”

The transition from Nepal’s refugee camp schools to America’s public schools is a challenge for most Bhutanese students like Sabbitri.  The Nepali government places a strong emphasis on its monastic-style of teaching where its Bhutanese refugees go to school, providing nine years of free education for them. Lessons are taught in British English and Nepali.

SPOTLIGHT ON SUMMIT COUNTY’S EARLY CHILDHOOD EFFORTS AS AKRON METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY RECEIVES NATIONAL RECOGNITION

 

July 21st will be a big day for early childhood in Summit County!  Parents as Teachers™ (PAT), President and CEO Scott Hippert will visit Akron to see first-hand how the Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA) has successfully implemented their parent education program and how community collaboration has helped them successfully support hundreds of families.  AMHA received a national award from PAT for innovation and other housing authorities have contacted AMHA about replicating their model.

SCRN Works with Inmates to Help them Reenter Society

Story by Lyndsey Schley

 

The United States has the highest incarcerated population in the world. About 2,200,000 people were incarcerated in the U.S. in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Most of these people will eventually leave prisons or jails to return to society. In Summit County, the Summit County Reentry Network, or SCRN, aims to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Project RISE Hosts Dinner Theatre for Families Experiencing Homelessness in Collaboration with First United Methodist Church and Magical Theatre Company

On May 23rd, several families experiencing homelessness were able to experience a special Dinner Theatre Event hosted by Project RISE and First United Methodist Church in Akron. This special event was part of the Project RISE PACT (Performing Arts Can Teach) Program.

The PACT program is just one of several special programs under Project RISE. The PACT program is one of the core programs for Project RISE because it meets the educational, social, and cultural needs of the students and families served.