United Way of Summit & Medina today announced that they will act as fiscal agent for a $1.5 million grant from the Hewlett Foundation that will be used to support Akron Public Schools. APS will use these funds in continued effort to build and sustain the College & Career Academies of Akron.
The grant will give APS the opportunity to foster student agency and engagement in their learning and enlist parent and community support for student learning by sharing information and involving them in key decisions about their child’s future. It will also go to supporting educators as they adapt to unprecedented times and transform teaching and learning practices to ensure students are both college and career ready.
“Today, partners matter, especially when you are trying to change the outcomes of our young people. The Akron Public Schools is proud to be working with a new funder, the Hewlett Foundation,” said Dr. David James, Superintendent, Akron Public Schools. “Their grant award in the amount of $1.5 million will go a long way to address the social and emotional needs of our students as we navigate our way out of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Having United Way of Summit & Medina serve as the fiscal agent for this grant is indicative of the partnership that we share in serving our community in reaching our Bold Goals.”
The grant funding will support the College & Career Academies of Akron expansion, as well as to include Akron’s elementary and middle schools. The College & Career Academies are integral to United Way of Summit & Medina’s Bold Goal 2 – to get 90% of APS high-schoolers graduating in 4 years, with 60% college/career ready by 2025.
“Making sure that our students feel empowered as they learn and grow makes a difference in how they perceive themselves well after graduation,” said Jim Mullen, president and CEO of United Way of Summit & Medina. “Also, having parents and the community play a role in the education process shows the students that learning is more than just the student-teacher relationship. We all have a stake in our students’ futures. United Way is proud to continue to grow our partnership with Akron Public Schools and thankful for the support of the Hewlett Foundation.”