Grant Awards

Grant Awards

• District:
  • APS received $50,000 from the LeBron James Foundation to support technology camps for 360 students during the summer of 2011.
  • APS will receive $1,886,690 in Race to the Top funds for the 2011-12 school year. The total four-year allocation of $9,176,039 will be used to increase graduation rates, reduce graduation rate gaps and performance gaps, reduce the gap between Ohio and the best-performing states, and increase college enrollment.
  • APS received a $14,560 grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation to continue participation in the state performance assessment pilot project. The project has three major partners: Ohio Department of Education, Stanford University and ESC of Franklin County. The focus of the pilot is to continue work on the state's next generation of assessments.
  • The PNC Foundation awarded a $3,000 grant to APS in support of the Akron Zoo Backpack Adventure.
  • APS received $8,800 to support district training as part of the Statewide Value Added Implementation with the Ohio Department of Education and Battelle for Kids. Educators will learn about value added, its application and how it can help improve student achievement.
  • APS received a $500 grant from the OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring Program.

• Programs:
  • The GAR Foundation awarded APS a $100,000 grant to establish a Great Leaders Development Program, which is designed to increase the pool of principal candidates through the Inspired Leaders Program and the Aspiring Principals Academy.
  • APS received $53,427.86 for the 2011-12 school year in support of the School Psychology Intern training program. Two interns will complete their nine-month residency training in our district.
  • The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion Young Scholars Program awarded $1,000 to the Akron Public Schools Young Scholars Program. The program's 50 students will receive guaranteed admission to OSU upon successful completion of the program. These African-American, Hispanic, Appalachian, Native American and other under-represented students are given year-round educational opportunities and personal support beginning in the spring of their sixth-grade year.
  • The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Refugee Children School Impact Program approved APS for a $67,585 sub-grant for the 2011-12 school year. The funds will provide intensive summer school programs to refugee students.
  • APS received a $45,000 Educational Foundation Grant to provide After School Program support in 27 elementary schools.
  • The City of Akron provided $185,000 in After School Program support for 27 elementary schools.
  • APS received a $9,000 "Fuel Up to Play" grant from the American Dairy Association and the NFL to provide support for the Akron After School programs at Innes CLC, Roswell Kent and Perkins. The grant will be used to teach students healthy eating and/or physical activity practices for the 2011-12 school year.
  • APS received $53,996.24 to support the continuation of the School Psychology Intern Training Program. Two school psychology interns are assigned to APS to complete their nine-month residency training.
  • The GAR Foundation awarded APS a $70,000 grant to continue the Aspiring Principals' Academy, designed to increase the pool of highly qualified principal candidates.
  • The University of Akron is partnering with APS to expand the STEM work across our middle schools. UA received a $40,887.84 grant from the Ohio Department of Education to support this expansion work within the STEM Network and APS.
  • The Summit County Educational Service Center awarded APS a $40,000 grant to continue the work of the Impact Network schools. The ESC funds will support the development of the Impact Network schools and provide direct support around the goal of increased student achievement.

• Schools:
  • APS will receive 2011-12 funding from the Galen and Ruth Roush Foundation for the following schools and projects: East CLC, $5,000 (E-pals for Education); Forest Hill CLC, $1,220 (Balance Accelerates Lifelong Learning); Roswell Kent, $13,820 (GLOBE Program); Leggett CLC, $5,000 (E-pals for Education); Portage Path CLC, $15,000 (Kids Read, Write and Teach); and Ritzman CLC, $4,915 (Inspiring Active Learners). The funding will support the goal of increasing student performance in core content areas.
  • Two 2011-12 Title II-D Competitive Grants were awarded to APS by the eTech Ohio Commission: $10,000 each to Ellet and Firestone. The goal is to improve student academic achievement through technology use in schools.
  • APS was awarded $3.2 million in School Improvement Grants to transform the program model at Buchtel/Perkins CLC into Akron's first new Tech High School and implement successful STEM programming for Bridges and Akron Opportunity Center as follows: Buchtel, $1,200,930.49; Bridges, $882,092.14; and AOC, $1,150,943.87.
  • The Ohio Department of Education, Office for Child Nutrition, awarded APS a $17,250 grant to provide fresh fruits and vegetables at least twice a week to Leggett CLC students at no cost to the students during the 2011-12 school year. The extra fruits and vegetables are in addition to the school breakfast and lunch meals.
  • The Akron Community Foundation's Millennium Fund for Children awarded the following grants: Forest Hill CLC, $2,000 (basketball and cheerleading leadership program for North Cluster children); Kenmore, $1,900 (bullying, racism and leadership workshops for students at Crouse CLC, Lawndale, Portage Path CLC and Resnik CLC); and Helen Arnold CLC and Akron Digital Academy, $1,000 (Blessings in a Backpack food for the weekend).
  • The GAR Foundation awarded $150,000 to the new STEM High School, to be located in the Central-Hower building. The partnership with The University of Akron, Invent Now, City of Akron, Greater Akron Chamber and Akron Tomorrow will prepare students for entry into STEM-related career fields. The first class will be middle school eighth-graders who pass on to ninth grade, and additional students will be admitted.

• Teachers:
  • East CLC 7-8 physical education teacher Don Mace and health teacher Katie Marsh were awarded a $500 grant to empower students to be advocates for healthy eating and physical activity. The grant will fund a walking club and pedometers during the lunch hour.
  • The following East CLC 7-8 teachers received OMNOVA grants: Joy Dial ($620, "Interactive Computer Lab Support in the LRC"); and Mindy Bowman/Rita Kapusinski ($1,000, "The Motion of It All").