“Helping Students Succeed” an APS Family Engagement program

 

Akron Public Schools and some of its community partners are teaming up to bolster the support by engaging more and more families in their children’s education.  Family participation has been found to be a key a ingredient in student proficiency and excellence. Without family support, many students can and often do struggle.

 

Greenleaf Family Center has partnered with Akron Public Schools (APS) as its sponsor for the “Helping Students Succeed” fundraising event Friday, October 21, 2016, at St. George Family Center in Akron, Ohio.

 

The event is open to the public and benefits the APS programs that keep parents engaged with their children’s education.

Suburban and Rural Poor Stranded by Poor Transportation

AMHA partners to bring services
to Twinsburg community

Story by Lyndsey Schley

 

Pinewood gardens is an Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority Community in Twinsburg, OH. As the most northern AMHA community, the residents face different challenges than residents around the county.

The main challenge for the residents is transportation. Kellie Morehouse, Early Childhood Initiative Service Coordinator at AMHA, works with the residents at the community and said many of the families do not have cars, driver licenses or gas money. This problem affects many facets of the residents’ lives.

Mini farmers markets bring healthy food to low-income neighborhoods

 

(Courtesy of the United Way of Summit County)

 

United Way donor investments are supporting mini-farmers markets in low-income “food desert” neighborhoods. Here, residents can use their SNAP and EBT benefits (food stamps) to purchase all foods for sale. They can also receive “Carrot Cash,” a dollar-for-dollar match of their food stamps to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables. Residents are being trained to expand markets into their own neighborhoods and nutrition education programs will be offered through nearby after school programs.

The Next Frontier Academy

 

Story By Dorothy Markulis

John Hairston is boldly going where no man has gone before – at least, not in the Akron area, or for that matter, Ohio.

In September 2013 the educator founded the Next Frontier Academy featuring agricultural-based curriculum.

As a guidance counselor and high school history teacher, Hairston, 60, saw many students withdrawing from education.

“The students were more focused on their cell phones than learning in the classroom,” Hairston said.