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Ohio Department of Education
$9.9 Million
Community Connectors Grants Awarded
One hundred sixteen community partnerships will share $9.9 million to
mentor approximately 33,000 Ohio students in the latest round of grants
in the Community Connectors school mentorship program. Since July 2015,
342 community partnerships have been awarded $29.2 million for programs
that give more Ohio students access to role models who can motivate and
inspire them and help them develop skills that lead to success in
school and the workplace.
“With experience comes wisdom, and Ohio’s students have so much to
learn from their community leaders. Through the Community Connectors
program, students are encouraged to dream big and learn the skills
needed to put their dreams into action,” said Paolo DeMaria,
superintendent of public instruction. “We also find that mentors go
into the program with the intent of helping others and they end up
learning more than they ever imagined from their mentees. These
interactions are invaluable.”
In his 2014 State of the State address, Gov. John Kasich outlined a new
proposal to bring together families, community organizations, faith- or
values-based organizations, businesses and others in support of our
schools and to mentor students. From that proposal, Community
Connectors was developed and passed by the Ohio General Assembly.
Since July 2015, approximately 41,000 students have been guided by
13,704 mentors, and more than 222,000 one-to-one mentoring hours were
logged. Mentors also have provided approximately 304,550 hours of group
activities with students. In all, 55 of Ohio’s 88 counties are or have
been home to one or more Community Connectors grants.
The state received 197 applications for funding during this round, and
each application included a business, civic and faith- or values-based
partner organization. The program provides $3 for every $1 provided by
local partnerships for activities specifically associated with
one-to-one mentoring.
Among the diverse businesses, nonprofits and other groups coming
together to help mentor students are: Cooper Tire and Rubber Company,
OSU Extension, Armstrong Chapel United Methodist Church, Blue Chip
Broadcasting/Radio One, Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Highlights for
Children, Greenville National Bank, OhioMeansJobs Cincinnati, Summit
County Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services, United Way
of Marion, The Mentoring Center of Central Ohio, Huntington National
Bank, Lakeland Community College, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast
Ohio, Appalachian Ohio P-20 Council, Case Western Reserve School of
Medicine, Ross County Heroin Partnership Project, Delphos Rotary Club,
Quest Federal Credit Union, Hispanic Chamber Cincinnati USA, Oxford
Chamber of Commerce, Wayne Health Care, Dayton Power & Light, and
Patheon Pharmaceuticals.
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