CitiCable / January 19,2021
The Community Learning Center Institute’s (CLCI) Executive Director Darlene Kamine and Director of School-Centered Neighborhood Development Adelyn Hall made the featured presentation at the City of Cincinnati Neighborhoods Committee, chaired by Council Member Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney.
The impact of the partnerships at the six CLCI were evidenced with data reflecting decreased chronic absenteeism, student mobility, and poverty as well as increased 3rd grade reading scores and a dramatic increase in the graduation rate at the Oyler High School. “I am not surprised that students are coming to school as they are finding support, education, love, and resources, ” said Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman. Smitherman commented on his visit to Oyler to see the many partnerships that are part of their community learning center, including the nation’s first comprehensive vision center inside a school. “It was clear that students were engaged and their needs were being met,” said Smitherman.
Council Member Betsy Sundermann shared her perspective as a resident of Price Hill. “The community learning centers are amazing,” said Sundermann. ” I know how much (Oyler) has done for Lower Price Hill. Any neighborhood, high or low income, would be lucky to have these in their neighborhood.”
Although the work by the Community Learning Center Institute and their partner teams have effectively stabilized housing for families, most of the families with children are renters. As the national research strongly supports better educational outcomes for children of homeowners over renters, the advancement of access to affordable homeownership is a high priority for the Community Learning Center Institute.
Despite the benefits of homeownership on high school graduation and matriculation to college, Cincinnati has followed national trends of a steep decline of homeownership among families with children, especially low income families. CLCI is developing the School House initiative to reinforce the linkage between housing and education by creating one-stop-homeownership hubs at each of the CLCI community learning center sites.
As Chair of the Neighborhoods Committee, Council Member Kearney expressed her commitment to continue to work on the coordination of city resources and support of affordable homeownership and the connection of housing and education.
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