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Ohio Department of Education
$10 Million
Available Through Ohio’s School Mentorship Program
3/16/2016
For a second year, community organizations, faith- or values-based
groups and businesses are being asked to partner to encourage
mentorship in Ohio’s schools and help give more students access to role
models who can motivate and inspire them.
In 2015, more than 4,600 mentors worked with nearly 13,000 students in
Ohio’s first successful year of the Community Connectors program, one
of Gov. John Kasich’s key education initiatives to foster increased
student mentorship.
“Children need an adult, a mentor, someone that they can trust to build
them up and help launch them on a path of success,” said Dr. Lonny
Rivera, interim superintendent of public instruction.
The Ohio Department of Education will begin the process today for the
state’s $10 million Community Connectors mentoring program. You must
submit an intent to apply by April 1, 2016, which can be found here.
Applications will then be accepted through April 29, 2016, and can be
found here.
Last year’s program featured projects that included Lorain County teens
visiting local businesses to learn about careers in medicine, banking,
and information technology; helping a student who had dropped out of
Glen Este High School earn her diploma online and start a college
career plan; and working with an eighth grade Columbus student, who
historically struggled with behavioral and academic problems, focus on
the goal of attending the academically high-performing St. Charles High
School.
Nonprofit organizations from the faith- or values-based and civic
communities are eligible to lead projects. They must team up with a
business and an eligible public school district to establish a
mentorship program.
Eligible school districts are those with a high percentage of students
in poverty and not graduating on time. All students within that
district, regardless of socioeconomic status, will be eligible to
participate in the program.
The program will focus on:
Setting goals to be prepared for 21st century careers;
Building character;
Developing pathways to achievement;
Building resiliency; and
Believing in a positive future.
Those organizations and schools who partner in mentoring efforts can
receive a maximum award of $100,000, with the state matching $3 for
every $1 spent.
Several grant application seminars across the state will help
organizations understand the program and application process. Those
meetings include:
Tuesday, March 22 from 1-3 p.m. at Cuyahoga Community College, Jerry
Sue Thornton Center, 2500 East 22nd Street, Cleveland; and
Monday, March 28 from 1-3 p.m. at Scarlet Oaks, Community Room, 300
Scarlet Oaks Drive, Cincinnati.
Wednesday, March 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Vineyard Columbus, 6000
Cooper Road, Westerville.
To RSVP for a grant application seminar and for questions, please
contact Walter Taylor at (614) 644-6748 or
Walter.Taylor@education.ohio.gov.
More information about the program can be found at
CommunityConnectors.ohio.gov.
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