About CLCI
The Community Learning Center Institute leads the ongoing engagement of the Greater Cincinnati community in the development of all schools as community learning centers, each with a set of financially self-sustaining, co-located community partnerships responsive to the vision and needs of each school and its neighborhood.
National Leaders
The Community Learning Center Institute (CLCI) is a national leader in leveraging public school facilities to become hubs of educational, recreational, cultural, health and civic partnerships, which optimize the conditions for learning and catalyze the revitalization of the community.
The founding Executive Director of CLCI was part of the leadership team that designed, developed, and implemented the CPS community learning center initiative as part of the Facilities Master Plan from 2000-2010. CLCI was established as a non-profit to continue to promote the CPS community learning center vision and policy first adopted in 2001, premised on 5 foundational principles:
1.Schools will be the center of their community, responsive to the unique vision and needs of each school and its neighborhood.
2.The vision and needs will be assessed through ongoing community engagement.
3.Under the jurisdiction of each school’s Local School Decision-Making Committee, the school will select the partners needed to enhance opportunities for student success and community vitality.
4.Schools and their partners are expected to work collaboratively to set shared goals and shared outcomes.
5.Partners are expected to be financially self-sustaining.
With fidelity to the CPS policy, CLCI is the lead agency and employs the Resource Coordinator at six CPS sites – Academy of World Languages, Mt. Airy, Mt. Washington, Oyler, Roberts and Sayler Park. All CLCI community learning centers have co-located health centers, mental health therapists, and after school and summer enrichment.
Each site also has its own unique set of partnerships. For example, Oyler has the first school-based vision center in the country. The immigrant and Refugee Law Center was founded and housed at Roberts.
CLCI has worked with cities throughout the country to replicate our model, including New York, Philadelphia, and Knoxville.