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The students performed
several musical numbers to pay tribute to the musical artist
and activist who has overcome his blindness to make a
creative contribution to the world.
Second graders got the
ball rolling by singing to Wonder’s “Superstition” backed by
the Overton Project band.
Third and fourth graders
took the stage and danced to “Pastime Paradise.”
Then the youngsters took
center stage – the kindergartners and first graders – and
treated the audience to Wonder’s version of “Happy
Birthday.”
The ELEVATE Program
(Engage, Learn, Empower, volunteer, Achieve, Teach, Enrich)
is part of the Center of Hope Family Services’ Positive
Youth Development Division. Canter of Hope Family Services,
established in 1997, has the missing of improving the life
outcomes of individuals and families living in urban
settings.
Since its inception, CHFS
has operated a number of successful educational enrichment
programs in Lucas County – one of which is the Children’s
Defense Fund Freedom Schools which was first introduced to
Toledo by CHFS in 2007.
Since 2012 CHFS has
partnered with Toledo Public Schools to provide educational
enrichment in the district’s elementary schools. In
partnership with TPS and the WSOS Community Action Planning
Agency, CHFS has expanded the ELEVATE and was selected by
the Ohio Department of Education as a 21st
Century Community Learning Center.
“Center of Hope does a very great job in developing unique
programming, from whether it’s educational, whether it’s
socio-emotional support, and the other is just straight
character,” said TPS Superintendent Romules Durant, EdD. “ I
mean, they literally develop and customize these things for
these individual students, and so one of the ones that they
really bring relevance to is their cultural awareness, and
to truly make young men and young women, particularly of
minorities, to be culturally aware of their ancestry and
where they come from and who they stand to be today.
“These kids are learning about math and reading but, more
importantly, learning about themselves, and that’s the
biggest value that I appreciate about the program,” Durant
added.
Since 2014 CHFS has
provided after school and summer services to 150 Old Orchard
students. Students receive daily educational enrichment,
guided homework assistance, cultural enrichment, recreation,
arts enrichment, social emotional development, parent
engagement programming and daily meals.
As a result of CHFS’
efforts, in 2017, for example, 50 percent of students have
made over five months gains in reading and math after three
quarters and have achieved an attendance rate of 87 percent,
according to Park-Martinez Consulting LLC, an independent
evaluation firm.
“The Center of Hope works
about making dreams come true. That’s actually what the
Toledo Community Foundation does; that’s our mission,” said
Keith Burwell, CEO of TCF one of CHFS’ main funders. “Our
mission is to translate philanthropy into positive change
into a positive community, and that equals or is very much
in line with what the mission of the Center of Hope is
about, which is what encourages us.
“We look at where you can
put philanthropic dollars that don’t just put a band-aid on
something, but actually make change occur in a positive way
that brings those dreams and hopes that we all talk about
into fruition, into actuality. And so for us, we look at the
programs they do around education and workforce development,
juvenile justice and education. They’re working for results
that show positive change, not just for the individual,
which is the first critical piece, and not just a family,
which is part of that critical piece, but for the entire
community because it translates for each and every one of
us. "
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