YSU grant will aid 2 local schools

The program targets
fifth- through eighth-graders in schools YSU selected.

YOUNGSTOWN — Nearly 150 middle-school pupils in two area school districts will participate in after-school academic and enrichment programs under a five-year, $1.7 million grant to Youngstown State University.

YSU’s Center for Human Services Development received the grant from the Ohio Department of Education to set up 21st Century Community Learning Centers at East Liverpool and Weathersfield school districts. Youngstown already has such a program.

The centers for children in grades five through eight should be open by November, and funding runs through the 2011-12 school year.

The primary goal is to help pupils academically, especially in math and reading, and to also help improve their self-esteem so they can achieve more in school, said Angela Cameron, research associate in the Center for Human Services Development.

“The other goal is to keep them safe, keep them off the streets and give them something constructive to do after school,” she said.

Recent studies show that nearly three in 10 Ohio children are unsupervised and responsible for taking care of themselves after school.

Reason for choices

Weathersfield and East Liverpool were selected based on several factors, including the economic status and test scores of their pupils and the lack of after-school educational programs, Cameron said.

The East Liverpool and Weathersfield programs are among 132 Community Learning Centers in 51 counties in Ohio. The program is part of the federal No Child Left Behind initiative.

Cameron said YSU is looking to form similar partnerships with other area schools.

Ricky George, associate director of the Center for Human Services Development, said the centers are aimed at helping pupils in high-poverty, low-performing schools meet academic achievement standards and to offer children an array of additional services and activities, such as wood shop, karate classes, occupational therapy and anti-bullying programs.

“That will be a good after-school academic program for our kids,” said Michael Hanshaw, Weathersfield superintendent.

He said the district offers after-school tutoring but has no other after-school offerings. The 21st Century program goes far beyond just academics, offering children the opportunity to get involved in socialization programs, he said.

YSU wrote the grant, and the university will act as the fiscal and program manager, including hiring and overseeing day-to-day activities, said Cameron, who oversaw similar programs for the Youngstown city schools before coming to YSU two years ago.

The YSU Center for Human Services Development, established in 1985, works with a communitywide spectrum of people to identify community problems and needs, develop solutions and evaluate outcomes. Among the projects that the center oversees is the federal Weed and Seed program on Youngstown’s North Side, the Homeless Management Information System and the Northeast Ohio Leadership Task Force.