With eight Kenmore Garfield High School graduates attending Stark State College on full tuition and book scholarships, Akron Promise is back at work for the 2018-19 school year. The Stark State freshmen are not only receiving financial support for books and tuition, they are also getting information on how to steward those dollars. Students are attending sessions at the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC) on Kenmore Blvd. The FEC is available to all residents of Summit county.
Akron Promise is also working with Stark State’s academic advisors, and we are helping to ensure that each of the scholarship recipients also feel emotionally and academically supported. Stark State’s team is working to help all of our students persist until they achieve their goals.
In early October, Akron Public Schools and Stark State College announced that Stark State will be a ‘Sister College” to Kenmore-Garfield High School. They have committed to initial in-kind support of $150,000 in the first year, and $75,000 of in-kind support in the following two years. Akron Promise is very excited about the recent announcement, as this collaboration will give extra support, information and opportunities to the students and staff at KGHS. Stark State and the University of Akron have also announced a partnership where classes taken at Stark State will transfer to the University of Akron, with seamless movement between the two.
Other big news is the commencement of College and Career Academies at KGHS. This method of education brings real-world application to what our students learn in their required curriculum, as well as potential career paths. Partnerships with local businesses expose students to internship and employment opportunities. There are a variety of fields to choose from, though students are allowed to change their path. This learning meets requirements for mandated tests and is transferable no matter which path they choose. All freshmen participate in the Freshman Academy where they learn skills necessary to be successful in high school, complete career exploration activities, and visit college campuses. Upperclassmen will participate in either the Academy of Emerging Technology and Design or the Academy of Health and Human Services. Students can also apply to attend other academies at other high schools in Akron.
There are many positive initiatives to give KGHS students access to opportunities that can lead to a rewarding and productive post high school life. Akron Promise is working to help connect students to all available resources. It’s a mission that requires a lot of community investment. For anyone interested in giving an hour a week, there is a big demand for mentors. No experience is necessary. For those interested in making a tax deductible contribution to the Kenmore-Garfield Stark State Scholarship, there is a link on the Akron Promise website.
If you’d like more information about any of the programs mentioned in this article, links are available here or contact Tom Ghinder, Founder of Akron Promise, at tghinder@gmail.com or 330-329-4855.
Published in the Kenmore Connection, Summer 2018 (Vol. 19, Issue 4)
