Schools/Education

Urban Elevation Accelerator Accepting Entrepreneur Applicants

December 17, 2024 By Dayton937

The Urban Elevation Accelerator is now available to help Dayton entrepreneurs access critical resources to elevate in business.

The Urban Elevation Accelerator is a nine-month program to help entrepreneurs start or grow their business with the intention of creating positive profits and a strong business foundation for underrepresented and under-resourced entrepreneurs.

A mix of educators, subject matter experts, successful entrepreneurs, students and others will work with entrepreneurs at all stages of their business development.

Up to twenty entrepreneurs will be accepted into the program, which begins with a six-week bootcamp called the Elevation Academy on Saturdays from 10am – 2pm starting February 1, 2025 – March 8, 2025. There is no cost to participate.

Program Benefits

Six weeks of business skill training through the Elevation Academy
Three months of free mentoring from business owners and entrepreneurs
Student consulting for a special project
Connections to community resources to help your business grow
Access to the Cultural Capital Micro-lending Program and other funding opportunities
Promotion of your business in on the GWDI website and social media platforms
Additional training and classes to support your business
Access to office and or co-working and meeting space at the Greater West Dayton Incubator at the Hub powered by PNC Bank

As an Urban Elevation Accelerator participant, you can take advantage of coworking space at The Hub powered by PNC Bank and at the GWDI while particpating in programs to help your business grow. All businesses are eligible to apply for the fellowship. Preference will be considered for GWDI clients who have participated in past programs, identify as underrepresented, under-resourced, and/or historically marginalized, and is located or serve customers in Greater West Dayton.

The deadline to apply for the program is January 10, 2025. Applicants will be notified of a final decision by January 20, 2025. If you have any questions about the program, please contact Whitney Barkley, program facilitator at 614-772-9800 or [email protected]

Engineers Club Teaches Merit Badges to Local Scouts

February 4, 2019 By Brian Petro

Talking about science in the English Room.

Once again the Engineers Club of Dayton has taught technical Merit Badges to 12 different troops from Montgomery, Greene and Clark Counties represented by 27 Scouts BSA members. Since 2012 we have taught such subjects as Astronomy, Aviation, Composite Materials, Digital Technology, Electronics, Electricity, Energy, Engineering, Environmental Science, Inventing, Nuclear Science, Space Exploration, and Sustainability along with Geology, Robotics, Radio, and Weather which have been taught in previous years. All in all, we have taught over 150 scouts and they have earned nearly 300 merit badges. We are proud of the fact that in previous years we have had scouts from Kentucky and West Virginia to earn Merit Badges here because they were not offered at their troop’s location.

Engineers Club Boy Scout Rocket Merit Badge

Working on the Space Exploration Badge with a view of Dayton.

While the Club typically teaches in the building at 110 East Monument Avenue, we have gone to various sites around the Dayton Area such as the local Rocket Club’s site on a farm in Greene County for a rocket launch required by Space Exploration Merit Badge, the National Museum of the Air Force for the Aviation Merit Badge. We typically teach over 6 weeks starting in late October and ending the weekend after Thanksgiving.

We have worked with the Miami Valley Council BSA, representing the Sunwatch and Wright Brothers districts, north and south of Dayton. The Council has notified the troops of our ability to teach the technical merit badges. Our Merit Badge leader is Dr. Charles Bleckmann who has had many meetings and conversations with the Council making sure we meet all the Scouts requirement for teaching the merit badges as well as having interactions with the scouts.

Luminaries of Dayton: Daniel C. Cooper

June 11, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

What if Dayton had been named Cooperstown?

Seventeen days after the Treaty of Greenville, Judge Cleves Symmes of New Jersey, sold the seventh and eight ranges of his vast land holdings, between the Great Miami and Mad Rivers on one side and the little Miami on the other to Governor Arthur St. Clair, General Jonathan Dayton, General James Wilkinson, and Colonel Israel Ludlow. Jonathan Dayton was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence but he never saw or visited his name-sake city. Gen. St. Clair employed Benjamin VanCleve and Daniel C. Cooper, a surveyor, to be their agent. Cooper blazed the trail from Fort Hamilton up the east bank of the Miami River to the mouth of the Mad River. The next expedition was conducted personally by Colonel Ludlow on November 4, 1795.

During the winter of 1795, forty six men in Cincinnati agreed to settle in the new town but when the time came, only nineteen responded. William Hamer and George Newcom were in charge of the two overland parties, which would follow the trail laid out previously by Cooper. Newcom’s party, walked the distance of 55 miles, taking two weeks to make the journey. The Samuel Thompson party made the journey in ten days, by pirogue. Benjamin VanCleve was one that helped propel the boat. It was a long narrow boat which had boards running along each side which walked those who would propel the boat. They would hold their poles against the bottom of the river near the head of the boat and bringing the ends of the poles to their shoulders and then walked slowly down the running board to the stern, returning at a quick pace to the bow for a new set. VanCleve, who surveyed with Daniel Cooper, was so impressed with the Dayton area, that it was his enthusiasm which enticed the settlers to make the journey.

Newcom’s Tavern was the first cabin erected, and soon the town was well under way, but trouble soon erupted in 1800, and the town nearly folded. Judge Cleves Symmes had not made good on his government land contract. The U. S. Government decided to increase their demand for payment from the original 68 cents per acre to 2 dollars per acre. Some of the Dayton settlers left town in disgust. In 1802, only five families remained in Dayton.

Cooper Female Academy

It was Daniel C. Cooper who came to the aid of the settlers. Most of all it was Cooper’s utmost faith in Dayton which moved him to action. Therefore a petition from his own hand was dispatched to Congress telling them what a hard time the Dayton people were having, how faithfully they had worked and how cruel it would be to dispossess them after such a good start. Cooper then took over on his own responsibility the title risk and bought outright from each settler his holdings, until practically the whole of Dayton was his. Because of Cooper’s generosity, the town was forever free of invalid titles and all future arrivals had their titles secured. Cooper donated land areas for churches, schools and businesses and even two cemeteries.

Daniel Cooper was the first surveyor, he also donated the land for the first graveyard located at Third and Main streets in 1805 and again donated land about 10 years later to establish the Fifth Street Graveyard located between Ludlow and Wilkinson streets. It was at his mill in 1799, that the first death was recorded, that of John Davis, and due to the death of Mr. Davis, the first fire department was established. Mr. Cooper also had the first distillery which was located on his farm in 1799, and he ran the first carriage in 1817.

“In no way did Daniel Cooper confer a greater benefit upon his town,” wrote Robert W. Steele in his history, “than by inducing a number of men of

superior education, character and business capacity to come here from his native New Jersey and other places between 1804 and 1808.” Charles Russell Greene, Joseph Pierce and Horatio Gates Phillips were among those men.

From the Roz Young series of articles written about Cooper and published in the Dayton Daily News in 1994, she writes:

On the morning of July 13, 1818, Phillips walked to Cooper’s house. “The church bell was delivered to my place this morning,” he said.
Cooper looked at his pocket watch. “There’s time to take it to the church before lunch,” he told Phillips. “I’ll pick it up directly.”

He fetched a wheelbarrow from his barn and pushed it to the store on the southeast corner of Second and Main. He set the wheelbarrow down by the bell where it rested on the gravel street. It never occurred to him to ask Phillips to help him load the bell on the wagon. It was heavy, and he tugged and pulled and strained to hoist it into the barrow. The veins on his forehead head stood out as the blood rushed through them as he struggled. Finally with the bell in the wheelbarrow, he started for the church.

He started down Second Street, but before he had gone very far, his hands lost their grasp on the barrow handles and he fell over in the street.

Daniel Cooper was dead. A blood vessel in his brain had burst.

When he died, Cooper was 45, the leading citizen of Dayton. He had a beautiful wife and a 6-year-old son. He had recently begun building a new home, which was planned to be the most imposing, elegant house in Dayton.

His death stunned the community.

Of all the land that Cooper gave to the city, only the plot he gave “for a public walk forever” still remains. The Montgomery County Public Library was built on the land, and for a few years the surrounding area was called Library Park. But finally the city fathers passed a resolution that it should be called Cooper Park.

Cooper Park Historical Marker

Near the rear entrance of the library the Montgomery County Historical Society erected a marker in 1974, which reads:

Cooper Park

Daniel C. Cooper (1773-1818) perhaps more than any other deserves to be called the founder of Dayton. A surveyor with Israel Ludlow, Cooper settled in Dayton in the summer of 1796 and became the titular owner of the town when the original proprietors defaulted. He platted the city, laying out broad streets “four poles wide” and built most of the early mills. Cooper served as Dayton’s first justice of the peace and as a member of the state legislature. He donated ground for a graveyard, lots for churches, schools and public buildings, as well as the land for this park.

Daniel Cooper died on July 13, 1818. He was the 28th interment at Woodland Cemetery having been removed from the old 5th Street Cemetery to Woodland on May 4, 1844. He is located in Section 55 Lot 1.

July 13, 2018 marks the 200th Anniversary of the death of Daniel Cooper. We hope you will come out to pay a visit to the “Father of Dayton” and thank him for putting the Gem City on the map.

Luminaries of Dayton: Nan C. Kennedy

March 3, 2018 By Angie Hoschouer

Miss Kennedy was hired by the Dayton Board of Education in 1900 as a teacher for the deaf. When she died in 1935, after 34 years of teaching, the deaf school (then located at Longfellow) was named the Nan C. Kennedy School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. As a newspaper account wrote, “It was largely through her persuasion that the school board authorized the first classes for deaf and hard of hearing children in 1900. Miss Kennedy started the school with seven pupils and taught them herself for several years until the membership increased and the board gave her some assistance.” (Dayton Journal, April 19, 1935). Later, the school moved to Patterson, and it became the Patterson-Kennedy School. Though deaf education was removed elsewhere, the name remained the same until the school was demolished in May 2012.

Dayton Daily News – February 25, 1935, Pg 6, Col 4
NAN KENNEDY IS DEAD AT 79
Funeral arrangements for Miss Nan Kennedy, 79, of 17 Edgemont av., who died Monday morning, were being completed Monday.
The eldest child of John and Martha Darst Kennedy, she was born Feb. 5, 1856, at the old homestead on the Frederick pike, in Harrison twp. She was a member of the Third Street Presbyterian church and later of the Westminster Presbyterian church and an active member of the mission societies. She was educated at the Cooper Female academy. She is survived by one brother, Harry D., Columbus, and several nieces and nephews.

Nan C. Kennedy died February 25, 1935. She is located in Section 35 Lot 750.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Luminaries of Dayton: David A. Sinclair and Mary Belle Eaker

October 23, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

David A. Sinclair was an early supporter of the YMCA movement. He came to Dayton in 1874 to represent the Hamilton, Ontario YMCA at a conference and was so impressed with the leadership of the Dayton branch that he accepted a position here. He could not understand why Dayton had so many jobless men. After asking local employers for their opinion as to the cause of the problem, the answer would be the lack of skills and training necessary to do the job. David became determined to do something about it. Under his leadership, the YMCA began to offer vocational training classes which eventually grew into Sinclair Community College. Sadly, David Sinclair did not live long enough to see it. Exhausted from efforts to build the first YMCA building at Third and Ludlow Streets, now Dayton City Hall, he died six years before the first college building opened.

David A Sinclair has a sidewalk plaque on Dayton’s Walk of Fame on Third Street near Broadway Street in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District. He was inducted into the Walk of Fame in 1996.

David A. Sinclair was born in 1850 and died in 1902. He is located in Section 113 Lot 54.

A friend helps out to see the project completed.

The Young Men’s Christian Association was probably Mary Belle Eaker’s greatest interest. It was her recreation. She left the Eaker homestead as a site for the proposed new building, explaining her gift as follows: “Much of my life has been passed in this home, and I gladly give it for this purpose, believing that it could be consecrated to no better use, and that the people of Dayton will build upon it a suitable Christian home for our young men.”

It was Mr. Sinclair, as a friend and source of information about the Y. M. C. A. that probably decided the matter. Their friendship was most close and sincere, and through him she followed step by step the growing needs of the Association, and its advance in usefulness.

In 1902, Miss Mary Belle Eaker left her home on the northwest corner of Third and Ludlow to the Association. The new building that was constructed there was the second largest YMCA building in the world and opened in April 1908. It contained six stories and was valued at $500,000.

Mary Belle Eaker died on May 30, 1902 at the age of 80. She is buried Section 65 Lot 35.

Luminaries of Dayton: The Beehive as a Cemetery Symbol

May 12, 2017 By Angie Hoschouer

The beehive was often used by the Freemasons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It symbolizes human industry, faith, education and domestic virtues.

Daniel Beckel has one of the most unique monuments at Woodland. We affectionately call it the “Beckel Beehive.”

Who was Daniel Beckel?

Daniel Beckel was born in England on September 14, 1813. In 1829, when Daniel was just sixteen, he was an assistant to his step-father, a civil engineer, who worked on the construction of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Afterward they became the contractors for, and constructed the great St. Mary’s Reservoir, for the Miami Canal. After the completion of that work, Mr. Beckel came to Dayton building the Beckel Opera House, the Beckel House (Hotel), and other valuable structures. He was also engaged in the manufacture of woolens and of flour, in the lumber trade, and in the construction of railroads and turnpikes. In connection with William Dickey and Joseph Clegg, Beckel established a private bank and was almost the sole owner of the Miami Valley and Dayton Banks. Mr. Beckel additionally served in the following capacities: elected to the Ohio Legislature; Secretary of the Dayton Hydraulic Co. in 1845 and President of the first gas company, The Dayton Gas Light & Coke Co. in 1849. Daniel Beckel was married to Susan Harshman. Mr. Daniel Beckel died on February, 26, 1862. He is located in Section 52 Lot 1167.

In 2016, a group of high school students participated in a Work, Earn and Learn program at Woodland. Eight girls worked 16 hours per week for 10 weeks and did the care and upkeep of several gardens, established a new garden in a highly visible area of the cemetery with a focus on design and plant selection, learned the workings of the cemetery from the front office to grounds maintenance, received several tours learning the history of Woodland, its establishment and the people resting peacefully within and also worked on the restoration of several monuments, including the “Beckel Beehive.”

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Exploring Dayton’s Public History

February 18, 2014 By Megan Cooper 1 Comment

George Willeman was featured in the documentary THESE AMAZING SHADOWS.

Each year, the public history students at Wright State University hold a graduate symposium to enable them to present their research and capstone projects. If you love local history, you won’t want to miss some of the great stories these students have discovered.

PLUS: The featured speaker this year is George Willeman (pictured right), Library of Congress Film Vault curator and WSU film grad.

The symposium will be held on Friday, March 14, in the WSU Student Union. The Symposium is free, but please RSVP by March 7. RSVP by calling the Wright State University Archives at 937-775-2092 or register at http://www.libraries.wright.edu/calendar/events.php. Free parking is available in the Visitor Lot of the Student Union. See map at www.wright.edu/university-maps/campus-maps.

It’s a full day of great local history compiled by the students. The schedule includes:

8:15-9:00 Registration and Refreshments

9:00-9:15 Welcome

9:15-10:00 Keynote Speaker, George Willeman, Library of Congress Nitrate Film Vault Manager

10:00-10:15 Break – Snacks provided

10:15-11:15 Session I: The Legacy of World War I

Kaitlyn Goss: “Miami Valley African-American Communities During World War I”
Karis Raeburn: “The Amazing Adventures of Alice Carr”
Kyle Yoho: “A Long Way from Home: The Story of Clark County Men Serving with the 324th Field Artillery in the Great War”

11:15-12:45 Lunch – Enjoy a meal at the Student Union or one of the many area restaurants

12:45-1:00 Introduction to Wright State University’s Public History Program, Dawne Dewey, Head of Special Collections and Archives and Director of Public History

1:00-2:00 Session II: Interpreting Local History

Christopher Erb: “Dayton and Its Gem of an Arcade”
Seth Marshall: “Interpreting the Battleship: USS Indiana”
Rebekkah Mulholland: “A Forty-year old Legacy: The Unique History of Wright State University”

2:00-2:30 Poster Session and Break- Snacks provided

2:30-3:10 Session III: Women with Nerve

Sarah Aisenbrey: “Virginia Kettering: A Legacy in Dayton”
Marcus Manchester: “The Legacy of Dorothy Stang”

3:10-3:15 Public History 40th Anniversary Preview

3:15-3:30 Closing Remarks

PH Symposium_2014Flier_final

Carroll HS Tennis Tourney Honors Memory of Woman Missing Since1985

September 20, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

Jennifer Schmidt, 1984 Carroll Alumni who went missing in 1985

JENNIFER LEE SCHMIDT MEMORIAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT

This Saturday, September 21st from 9am-3pm, the Carroll High School Girls Tennis Team will be hosting a tournament in memory of 1984 Carroll graduate Jennifer Schmidt.

Jennifer disappeared and was feared abducted in August of 1985, while a student at Purdue University. Sadly, she was never found. Her memory lives on through this Saturday’s event which features many of Dayton’s best high school girls tennis players.

Local High School Tennis Teams featured in the tournament:

Carroll High School, Tippecanoe, Brookville, Beavercreek, Kenton Ridge, Catholic Central HS, Valley View and Wayne High School.

The event will be held at Thomas Cloud Park in Huber Heights.

Jennifer’s parents, Donald and Johnni Schmidt, will be there to support the tournament in her honor.

*******************************************************************************************

GRILLING FOR A GOOD CAUSE

There will be a makeshift grill and concession stand that will benefit Carroll HS girl’s tennis, featuring burgers, hot dogs, etc. Breakfast, lunch and dessert will be served.

Also, Dayton Most Metro’s own food guys, Superfry & The Big Ragu will be donating their time as “Guest Grillmasters” and helping raise money for local girls’ tennis teams in Jennifer’s memory. They will cook to order for players and fans alike

Please come out and grab a bite to eat and support Dayton area female athletes this Saturday at Thomas Cloud Park !

**SPECIAL NOTE: There is a chance of rain this Saturday, so in the event of a rain out, the tournament will be held Sunday at the same times 9AM-3PM at Thomas Cloud Park.

FREE Multimedia Camp for Teens – Apply Now

May 30, 2013 By Megan Cooper Leave a Comment

June 10-28, 2013, Monday through Friday, 9am to 3pm

The Westcott House and The Now Device are working together to host a FREE camp for teens interested in creativity! Apply by June 4 with a letter of intent and a recommendation from a teacher.

Students will have a unique opportunity to work with artists, architects and design professionals, while building their own portfolios of digital art inspired by the national landmark, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Westcott House. Studio projects will combine the technology of digital videography, computer-based editing and photography, with techniques of design and creative thinking. A field trip to Wright’s masterpiece, Fallingwater in Pennsylvania, is included.

Free of charge; lunch provided. Limited to 12 students. To apply, students must e-mail a letter of interest to Marta Wojcik at [email protected] by Tuesday, June 4th. More information: http://www.westcotthouse.org/programs-events/DesignStudio.html

Playing Dominos with Springboro Schools – OPINION

January 9, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro 1 Comment

When you were a kid, did you ever line up dominoes around the table so that you could knock the first one down and then watch the rest fall? Well in Springboro, our school board appears to view Ohio’s public school system as a long line of dominoes that begins in our community. I don’t believe they feel the primary reason they were elected was to ensure the education of our children, but rather to implement a radical political agenda. I believe they want to dismantle our school district and knock over the domino. When Springboro, a successful, affluent district falls, they will watch as 610 other dominoes, otherwise known as the public school system, fall behind it.

How does the Springboro school board want to go about toppling the district? It appears that their plan is to knock the domino over under the guise of serving our gifted children through the introduction of a charter school into our community. Rather than investing dollars in our already strong, highly innovative gifted program, they want to create a charter school for gifted children. This will enable them to shift money away from the district, reduce the number of teachers, cut the public gifted program, produce a charter school with high test scores, lower the test scores of the district, and make the argument that our public school system is not worth funding. They will likely propose levies that fail to cover the costs of the district, claim that charter schools will generate revenue for our community, and ultimately attempt to force the hand of the community to dismantle a public school system that is arguably its greatest asset.

The school board has hired a consultant (The Callender Group) to do an impartial study of our community and our community’s need for a charter school. However, this consulting group specializes in setting up and marketing charter schools and is headed by Jamie Callender – a former Chairman of the Ohio House Education Committee who made it clear that he was morally opposed to property taxes when I spoke with him recently – which brings the idea of impartiality into question. The consulting firm has an obvious vested interest in finding a reason to say yes there is a need, and in addition they are being paid between $5,000 and $15,000 of taxpayer money just to perform the study. It is like asking the fox to audit the hen house to see if the chickens should continue to be used for eggs or served up for dinner. This is not about a local charter school. This is about dismantling public education.

Nobody likes to pay taxes, but if we truly value education we have to pay for it somehow. Everyone is entitled to have their own political views, but people who have a moral opposition to the way in which schools are funded should make that argument in Columbus, not by using the children of our community as pawns in a political game. What I want for my tax dollars is accountability, or stated differently – I want to know that my money is being used wisely. Springboro currently has the lowest expenditure per pupil in the region and in the top three districts in the Dayton region. This indicates to me that we are spending the least and getting the most for our money. Thus we have an extremely efficient and effective system of education in Springboro. Logic would dictate that you would build upon such a system, but that is not the direction our board has chosen. Instead they perpetuate a myth that our schools are failing in order to accomplish political gain.

In spite of the fact that we have earned an “Excellent with Distinction” ranking for multiple years running, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that our expenditure per pupil is the lowest in the region, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that our district is ranked in the top 3 in the region based on data as was published in the Dayton Business Journal, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that our test scores have continued to rise while class size has increased, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that we have an attendance rate of 97 percent, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that our schools met 26 out of 26 indicators set forth by the State, they perpetuate the myth. In spite of the fact that our ACT and SAT scores are on par with the top district in the region, they perpetuate the myth. At a time when we should be acknowledging the excellent results of our teachers and students, they perpetuate the myth.

Why are they doing so? Because, perpetuating the myth manufactures a crisis situation, and such a situation often calls for radical action. Perpetuating the myth is the sheep costume that disguises the wolf. Perpetuating the myth keeps people from getting involved. Perpetuating the myth squashes civic pride. Perpetuating the myth helps levies fail, builds public discontent, forces talented employees to leave, and uses fear to justify the need for extreme actions. Perpetuating the myth is the lever needed to tip the domino – the first domino. If it falls, others will follow.

The lever is in place. Force is being applied. The domino is beginning to tip. The question is will people push back and stop it from falling or will they do nothing and watch them all fall down.

The important thing to remember is this. It’s not dominos that we are talking about. It’s our children.

(This piece was submitted by Springboro parent David Bowman; all opinions are his and do not necessarily reflect those held by Dayton Most Metro or its other contributors – read more on his blog at DavidEBowman.com.

Additional Reading:

Springboro School Board Should Take Time To Investigate Other Reforms Before Making A Decision About Charter Conversion – Spencer Smith

A Worthy Investment – David Bowman

A Tale of Two Cities – David Bowman

Springboro Schools: Dare to Compare – David Bowman

WASTE WATCH: Springboro Exploring Charter School – WRGT-TV Fox 45 News

Springboro school board pursues charter school – Dayton Daily News

A.R.I.S.E. After School Arts Program launched

January 21, 2010 By Dayton Most Metro 2 Comments

kids-painting Artistic Resources in Social Empowerment (A.R.I.S.E.), an after-school arts program for youth ages 6 to 10, began a six-week schedule of classes on Monday, January 11. Week-long programs will be presented Monday through Friday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Dayton Cultural Center, 40 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd.

Instructors will guide students through projects designed to build self-esteem and inspire artistic awareness, using media such as clay, paint, mosaic and more. The fee is $25 per week.

For information call the Department of Recreation and YOUth Services at 333-2489.

From the City of Dayton, Recreation and Youth Services.

Interview with Dr. Steven L. Johnson – Sinclair Community College President

November 12, 2009 By Dayton Most Metro 4 Comments

“Find the need, and endeavor to meet it.” – David Sinclair.

The above quote isn’t just Sinclair Community College’s motto – it’s their foundation.

David A. Sinclair, a Scottish immigrant and YMCA Secretary, founded the school in 1887 after discovering a need for affordable, skills-based training in Dayton.

Nestled inside the old YMCA building located on the intersection of 4th & Main, the small training academy had a very modest beginning. The fledgling school offered only two basic courses, mechanical drawing and bookkeeping. Fifty-five students – all men – assembled in the evenings and occupied only two small rooms of the Dayton YMCA.

Things have changed a little since then. Nineteen buildings comprise the main campus of downtown Dayton, with four satellite locations serving the communities of Huber Heights, Englewood, Warren County and Preble County.

Sinclair Community College is an award-winning, nationally recognized institution that now serves as a model for other two-year colleges. The school is one of the most important institutions in the Miami Valley region, educational or otherwise.

A member of the League for Innovation in the Community College since 1989, the college boasts some impressive statistics :*

25,500 students, fall enrollment (highest on record)
176 degrees and certificate programs offered
$52 million, annual federal money flowing through Sinclair into Dayton
$62 million, annual state money flowing through Sinclair into Dayton
5,985 online students, fall enrollment
Sinclair tuition is 43% lower than the average of Ohio’s community colleges
40,000 students will take courses this year at the school

*Statistics provided by Sinclair Community College.

Dr. Steven Johnson, the college’s fifth president, has been at the helm of the college since 2003. The Wisconsin native was kind enough to grant Dayton Most Metro an interview in which he discussed the school’s philosophy and its sterling national reputation. Mr. Johnson speaks with a substantial amount of pride and passion as he details the college’s role in the local economy and offers a glimpse into the future of this “world-class” institution.

DMM: Can you tell me a little about your professional background?

SJ: I spent my entire career in higher education, I began as a student worker back in 1980, and I’ve been employed continuously by some college or university ever since. I’ve worked at universities, I’ve worked at a private liberal arts college in Arkansas, a huge, 75,000 student community college system of Dallas, a community college campus in Clearwater, Florida before coming here to Sinclair to serve as chief operating officer and provost. I’m in my tenth year here at Sinclair. It’s a great college!

DMM: What did you know about Dayton before moving here?

SJ: Nothing! There were no perceptions of Dayton, at all. I knew of Sinclair. You know, in the entire United States, there are about 4,500 colleges and universities. And,out of that number, there are only about 1,200 or so, community colleges. So actually, it’s quite a small world. And in that small world of colleges and universities, Sinclair is easily in the top 20 or so, community colleges that you just know after you’ve been in the business a while. So, I knew of Sinclair from that. That’s why I applied for the job…I knew Sinclair was a very good college.

I very much like living in Dayton. My wife is from here, we met shortly after I moved here.

DMM: Specifically, what were you hearing about the college that made it appealing to you?

SJ: Sinclair has long been known as being an innovator. It was really known for its work in technology. At least for 20 or 30 years, it’s had a reputation for being excellent in technology. Sinclair has also been known for its work in classroom assessment of learning. In fact, it’s one of the leaders.

Sinclair has also been known for developmental education. In the ’80’s and ’90’s, it really gained a reputation at that time that carries forward to this day. Additionally, the school is known for community connectiveness. If you are a student of higher education who wants to study community connectedness, community partnership, this is one of the best colleges in the nation to do that. The interaction and connection with the leaders, businesses, community groups, civic organizations, the students, the residents…this is just a model college for that kinda thing. It’s really, really good.

DMM: As you said, the college had a great reputation and a proven track record of success. When you assumed the role of president, what were some of your goals for the institution?

SJ: There were several issues, actually. Moving forward on teaching and learning, keeping abreast of technology…keeping Sinclair as a part of the elite League for Innovation.

Also, keeping Sinclair union-free – not fighting to keep unions out – but, having the kind of environment where the employees feel that a union doesn’t add anything. They don’t have to hire someone to fight with [the college.] Sinclair is a great place to work.

There are several others. You know, we passed the levy. That was on the list. We’ve pretty much hit all of it…We even hit the front page of The New York Times! [Laughs] We’ve had our share of good luck. Some of it’s lucky, and some of it is being ready to be lucky…we’ve had a little bit of both.

DMM: How important is Sinclair to the Dayton community? What makes this college such valuable asset to the Miami Valley area?

SJ: Well, right off the top of my head, I would say that there is well over 100 million dollars a year that flows into Dayton, Ohio through Sinclair from Washington D.C., and from Columbus. That’s over 100 million dollars, that flows into this community because we exist.

That money comes in the form of student financial aid, grant programs, state funding for our operations…it’s a tremendous amount. And that goes right into the local economy and gets multiplied many times over.

We can also look at our impact like this: A citizen with less than a high school diploma, gets so much money a year, on average. And then with a high school diploma, it bumps up a little bit. Then with a two-year degree, it bumps up a lot. We’re talking about, over a lifetime, you can make about $700,000 dollars more with a two-year degree…and, that degree is a pathway to a four-year degree, and beyond. At that level, the number is well over one million dollars more, in your career, than if you just had a high school diploma.

Over the last 10 years, there have been about 125,000 people who studied here at Sinclair. All [those people] are getting themselves above that threshold of a high school diploma only, and getting to a two-year degree, or beyond if they transfer to another college or university. What we’re helping families do here, is increase their wealth…increase their ability to provide for themselves and their families. So, that’s another benefit.

Also, we’re one of the cultural centers. There are several cultural centers here [in Dayton]: Wright State, UD, Schuster Center, Victoria Theatre, Dayton Art Institute, even the Air Force Museum. There are a lot of cultural amenities here, and we’re one of them. We’re a cultural center, we’re a center for technology, we’re a center for manufacturing, we’re a center for arts and sciences, we’re a center for health care…things are happening here. People have access to the best of all of that.

DMM: In your opinion, why has Sinclair been so successful? What are you doing right that other colleges can, and do, emulate?

SJ: There’s a spirit of mission here. A mission of helping students be successful in college. The faculty and the staff have it. It’s been here for a long time. It’s “find a way, or make a way” to help our students be successful. Go the extra mile.

Another aspect of why Sinclair is successful is that we are very, very closely tied to the city of Dayton, in fact, all of the cities around here…not just Montgomery County, but Warren, Greene and Miami, as well. We’re very close to them…the businesses within the counties, the school districts. We have a very substantial relationship with almost 60 high schools within the region.

What happens is that, all of these different people – all these different organizations, and the people in those organizations shape Sinclair. And they are shaping Sinclair constantly, to meet the needs of the community. If they weren’t, we wouldn’t be in the position where we’re at where we have 1 out of every 2 adults living in the Montgomery County having attended Sinclair at one time. We wouldn’t have 25,000 students, the largest in our history…what we have is a college that struggles to remain aligned to the needs of the community. We work through it together.

We’ve had tremendous levy support. There are 23 community colleges in Ohio. Sinclair is one of 6 that has a local levy-the others don’t. Those 6 have a tremendous amount of local support that the others don’t have.

DMM: Like many colleges around the nation, Sinclair has experienced a surge of enrollment over the past few years. What steps did the college take in anticipation for such a massive influx of students?

SJ: Remember what I said about being lucky and being ready to be lucky? [Laughs] A little bit of both happened, again. I can say that we were ready for the surge. We didn’t sit down and say, “You know, there’s a surge coming.” We were actually looking at data that indicated that there was an opportunity to move our region into the top 10 in the nation in educational attainment. In order to do that, we would have to take on more students. We were at about 22,000 students when we looked at this and said, “Let’s do what we can to get to about 29,000 students within a 10-yr period.” We knew we needed to increase our capacity.

Between the period of 2002 and 2007, we added about 40 classrooms. We renovated the library. We renovated the cafeteria, also. We added a building [Building 19.] Then distance learning – we were sitting right at about 2,500 students. I brought in some national consultants and said, “Tell us what we need to do to grow to 5,000 students.” They told us, and we did a lot of those things. So we were able to accommodate the natural demand for more online classes.

Then we also added learning centers – Huber Heights and Englewood. You know, Sinclair came from the YMCA, years ago. Well, now we’re back. We have this partnership with the YMCA in these areas and Preble County. All of these locations are doing very, well…

DMM: You expanded into Warren County as well. Why did you take that step?

SJ: Warren County was growing. At the time of the 2000 census, the leaders in Warren County looked at their census data and said, “Whoa, we have no college here!” They came to us in 2001 and now we have a branch there.

We can actually handle several more students because of these things. We could probably get a couple of thousand more, maybe.

DMM: Finally, what should we expect from Sinclair in the next 3 to 5 years?

SJ: Well, we are working to remain aligned with the community. As Dayton realigns, due to a changing economy, you can count on Sinclair changing its programs and services to be aligned with the region.

What are some of those changes? Well, there’s a lot of new stuff going on around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base – unmanned aerial vehicles, sensor technology, composites and materials, advanced IT…those types of things. We’re working to align ourselves for the hundreds, if not thousands of new jobs that will be coming in the next years.

You can always count on us to be on the cutting-edge in technology. Additionally, I think you’re going to see bigger and better things in distance and online learning from us. I would count on us keeping the Dayton campus very strong. Physically, as far as the number of buildings and classrooms, Sinclair has one of the largest campuses in America. It’s an impressive hub. And, from this hub, we can do lots of stuff.

Dayton Business Journal recently recognized Dr. Steven Johnson as one of the Top 25 Most influential People of the Decade in the Dayton Region.

WSU declares Nov 16th Innovation Day

November 9, 2009 By Lisa Grigsby Leave a Comment

Innovation is a new way of doing something that results in improved value or quality. It employs “out-of-the-box” thinking to generate positive changes in thinking, products, processes, organizations, and society. It makes creative thinking a useful reality.

Wright State University is embracing innovation by declaring Mon, Nov 16th as the Day of Innovation. They’ll start the day off with a news conference at 10:30am then invite both students and the community to join them, either in person or online, to spend the day defining issues that they will work on to help improve the Miami Valley.

Learn more at the website for the Day of Innovation.

Virtual Brainstorming Sessions
Monday, November 16, 2009
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

We’ll pose questions, tackle problems, and toss around ideas and possible solutions for issues affecting our region. Get involved from your own desktop! Or join us on campus at one of the brainstorming kiosks available in the Student Union Atrium.

11 a.m.–1 p.m.	Technology
1–2 p.m.	Education
2–3 p.m.	Health Care
3–4 p.m.	Quality of Life

Virtual Brainstorming Sessions will be held in the Student Union Atrium and online.

The Brainstorming will be followed up by a seminar with:

Peter Hancock
Expert on human-technology relations

November 16, 2009
7 p.m., Student Union Apollo Room,

Peter Handcock

An expert on the relationship between human beings and technology, Peter Hancock, D.Sc., Ph.D., heads the Minds in Technology/Machines in Thought (MIT²) laboratory at the University of Central Florida. Hancock studies how humans shape technology, and how technology shapes us. He poses that technology “is the gatekeeper that acts to decide who shall have and who shall have not…. Whatever we are to become is bound up not only in our biology but critically in our technology.” The possible future of this symbiosis is the subject of his latest book, Mind, Machine and Morality: Toward a Philosophy of Human-Technology Symbiosis.

Hancock is Provost Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Institute for Simulation and Training at the University of Central Florida. In 2009, he was named University Pegasus Professor, the highest award given by the university. Visit the Presidential Lecture Series page to learn more.

All events are FREE and open to the public.

Antioch College – A New Life

September 29, 2009 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment

Antioch College

Anitoch has undergone a lot of change in the last two years, as it was announced that the university would be closing the campus indefinitely. After a lot of support from both the Alumni community and Yellow Springs residents, and two long years of work, it was announced earlier this month that all college assets and the Yellow Springs campus would be transferred from the University to a newly independent College. Working now to reopen the college will be the next step for the new administration. As part of our introduction to the Village of Yellow Springs, I was able to spend a few minutes with the Communications Chair of the Antioch Alumni Association, Christian Feuerstein. With change once again coming to Antioch College, we discuss her time spent at school, the college’s impact and the upcoming Reunion that will be the next turning point in the future of the school.

1) As the communications chair, what sort of things do you do for Antioch College?

I became the Communications Chair very briefly before the announcement about the closure of the college. It was actually my second meeting there, so it was quite a shock. What I have done over the past two years is write press releases, arrange interviews and help work on the website. I also work with a team of about sixty alumni volunteers in various activities.

2) What was your reaction when it was announced classes would be suspended and then eventually closed?

The alumni board knew there was going to be a strong reaction from past graduates. The Reunion in July of 2007 was a focus on alumni coming together. We had about 700 former students come down to Yellow Springs to get a last look at the college and to find out if there was anything we could do. That is when we launched the fund raising project to help save the college.

3) Did you attend Antioch College in Yellow Springs?

I did, I graduated in 1994.

4) How did your experiences there impact your own life?

I owe Antioch College everything. I arrived there in 1990 when I was seventeen. My father had passed away 2 years earlier and it was a bad time for me. My family wouldn’t have been able to afford Community College, but Antioch gave me a wonderful scholarship. I was a writing major, and I did my co-op in New York City. I’ve been in publication ever since. I also met the love of my life there, Mike Heffernan, (class of ’96.) We’ve been together for fifteen years and married about eight.

5) Why do you think there had been a decline in the college as far as enrollment over the last several years?

There were a number of reasons. The main reason that the AAUP (American Association of University Professors) cited, was a top down curriculum that was sort of placed upon the faculty to teach but not necessarily designed by them. They tried to make it work, but explaining how to market the plan to students was not all that it could have been. So there was some natural frustration on behalf of both the students and faculty in that regard. One of the projects that we will be working on is maintenance on the facilities, because unfortunately we really did a lot of differed maintenance. While I don’t have data that this contributed to it, I can’t help but wonder if it was a factor. Some of the buildings do need some work. There was also a declining number of faculty because of budget cuts, and it was difficult for students to schedule the classes they needed some times. With a limited number of people teaching classes, those classes would be unavailable to some students who needed them.

6) Are there any evaluations on the curriculum being made, or new ideas being discussed on how to teach classes? Or is the new administration going to use a lot of the old University’s class structure?

That is really up in the air right now, because we don’t really have any faculty at the moment. I know that we are hiring what are called Morgan Fellows whom are all former faculty members. With their help, we will be conducting a series of presentations and workshops to help start planning the curriculum.

7) I have heard discussions about renovating multiple buildings on campus, is any specific location that is getting a focus for when classes start again?

The best way I think I can answer that is to come to Reunion which is October 2^nd through the 4^th. There is going to be a State of The College to discuss the renovations and facilities, and to help plan our next step in the process of reopening the college. Going to antiochians.org will give a schedule of all the events happening at Reunion. There are several events that require registration but they are indicated on the webpage, otherwise it is open to the public.

8) The school has a long standing history of acceptance and activism in times when it was not considered the norm, accepting women students upon the school’s opening as well as a handful of African American students as early as the 1850. It became more progressive with early involvement in the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 60s, and has a strong history that defines the school as a liberal arts college. what would you say the biggest impact Antioch has had on our country?

Well, the country and even the world need Antioch College. They need them to be that “laboratory” and catalyst for change.

9) Which principles does the school most want to help teach students that want to attend Antioch?

We want to give them those experiences period. The Antioch education has always been based around community, classrooms and co-op. It’s going to be important for students in the future to be committed to all three; from helping the student body work together, to co-op alternating work and study, and classroom that helps inform and enhances the other two.

10) The school had to be temporarily closed at least 3 times in the past that I could find for various reasons, but successfully reopened each time. Are you confident Antioch can rebound again as an alternative to the typical higher education institution

Yes, we are really excited. It is beautiful what we have accomplished so far, but this is the first step in a journey. We’ve been very encouraged by what we’ve seen, especially with community support. There are no stories like this in higher education and shows we are once again the catalyst for change; we are not going to wait for the future, we are going to shape it. We have done the impossible, and that has made us mighty.

11) What sort of ways could residents in the Dayton region get involved with the re-opening and support of Antioch College?

First we’d love for people to get involved. There is a link that says “Volunteers” on www.antiochcollege.org, which is the new website for the college. They can find different opportunities there to help out and keep up to date with what is going on at the school. Obviously if people don’t have time to do this though, we can accept donations to our fundraising cause through the website, which is all tax deductible.

Stylish student living coming to downtown Dayton

September 15, 2009 By Dayton Most Metro 4 Comments

Student apartments are coming to downtown Dayton courtesy of Schwind Tower Student Apartments.

90 single and double units will be available in the fall of 2010. Aimed primarily at Sinclair Community College students, the lofts will be affordably priced, yet furnished with sleek amenities sure to please any college student.

Amenities include:

Leather Couch
Flat-Panel Television
Desk
Loft Bed
Refrigerator
Microwave
Granite Countertop
Glass Enclosed Shower

Schwind Tower Apartments is located on 29 South Ludlow Street, within walking distance of Sinclair’s campus and a short driving span from the University of Dayton.

For additional information, visit http://www.schwindtower.com.

Downtown Dayton – Center of Educational Excellence?

April 5, 2009 By Dayton Most Metro 6 Comments

Stivers School for the Arts

“City of Dayton” and “Educational Excellence” are not the most likely phrases to be heard in the same sentence in much of the region. In fact, it is reasonable to say that the city’s poor public school performance is one of the top two reasons that families do not consider living in the city (with crime – perceived and real – being the other). Of course, statistics can’t be ignored and the fact that Dayton Public Schools are at or near the bottom of state rankings every year is a very real statistic. But just like most statistical findings, these do not tell the complete story. A look at the Greater Downtown Dayton area offers a different view of education in the City of Dayton.

First, it is important to look at the entire Downtown Dayton area and not just the few square blocks that make up the Central Business District. This broader definition of downtown is not that new to those of us who live here and already consider downtown to include the adjacent downtown neighborhoods. Now, when looking at the urban core and the current and future educational institutions that anchor the downtown area, I do not see a failing educational system at all, but rather a center of educational excellence that includes:

The University of Dayton – a high-quality private university with over 10,000 students and a campus area that continues to thrive and grow.
Holy Angels Elementary School (K-8) and Chaminade Julienne (9-12) that are both high-quality private Catholic schools – not just for the city but the entire region.
Sinclair Community College – considered among the top community colleges in the country with over 24,000 students.
Miami Jacobs Career College – a solid trade school that provides valuable administrative training in the medical field as well as massage therapy training.
Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) – a joint effort initiated by Dayton Public Schools and the University of Dayton (now a charter school) that has earned the top state designation of Excellent with scores at or above 94% in all state indicators and recently earned a bronze award from U.S. News & World Report in its list of best public schools in the country.
Stivers School for the Arts – also a bronze award winner in U.S. News & World Report list, Stivers has been designated Excellent by the Ohio Department of Education. This Dayton Public School is not just known for strong academic scores but has some of the best arts, music and theater programs in the state. The Stivers Jazz Band won first place among 220 schools across the country last year in the Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival in Boston.
Ponitz Career Technology Center – This Dayton Public School will open this August and is a partnership with Sinclair Community College. Its early college credit program will be similar to DECA’s but with a technology focus. While it is too early to tell how successful the Ponitz Center will be, state-of-the-art technology and equipment, a brand new building and a focus on college prep make strong ingredients for another successful Dayton Public School.
Dayton Montessori School – Ground has not yet broke yet on this planned elementary school at Emmet St. and Riverside Drive (across the river from Riverscape), but when it is completed in a couple of years it will potentially be a strong school option for parents who live or work in downtown.
Grandview Hospital (UPDATE) – one of the oldest and best known osteopathic training hospitals in the country, Grandview has 112 residents and fellows that are graduates of osteopathic medical schools across the country. While a hospital is not usually something people think of when talking about education, this is yet another example of high-quality learning that is happening in Downtown Dayton.

While most of the Dayton Public Schools have much work to do before suburban families will feel comfortable moving back into the city, the list above is something the city should be proud of and start marketing in a way that shows Downtown Dayton as a center of educational excellence unmatched anywhere in this region. If you were skeptical before reading this, has this given you any reason to pause ? What are some ideas to help grow this synergy into something bigger than the sum of its parts?