Ohio Federation of Teachers / September, 2020
The Ohio Community Learning Center Collaborative bloomed in summer of 2020, but the seeds for our emerging learning community were planted years ago. A visit to the Oyler School, and conversations with Cincinnati’s Community Learning Center Institute catalyzed an interest in CLCs for the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Since then, through technical support and legislative advocacy, the OFT has supported the growth of the Community Learning Center model across Ohio.
In 2019, this culminated in a grant from the AFT Innovation Fund to expand community learning centers in Ohio. In partnership with the Ohio School Boards Association and the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, the idea of the Ohio Community Learning Center Collaborative was born. After many conversations, a series of regional workshops, and a virtual, statewide CLC Summit, the Collaborative launched, with the goal of expanding the Community Learning Center model in Ohio.