Central/Kinsman
PRE4CLE is all about preparing preschoolers for kindergarten, which studies show pays dividends down the road. As the organization reaches the five-year mark, it has much to celebrate but also decisions to make about where to go next.
Opportunity zones supposedly were intended to be good for investors and poor neighborhoods alike. Two years after their creation, the benefits for all city residents are still in dispute.
Money and time are running out to renovate or demolish blighted homes in Cleveland and its inner suburbs, but thousands remain.
When a lack of affordable retail space was preventing small businesses and startups from getting off the ground in Cleveland's Kinsman neighborhood, Burten, Bell, Carr decided to think out of the box.
Urban farming is enjoying a revival worth celebrating, and they did just that at Fresh Fest at Otter Park in Cleveland's Kinsman neighborhood on Sept. 7.
From a dynamic duo bringing back Glenville to a Sudanese designer working on a welcome center for Irishtown Bend, these artists are changing the city's creative landscape.
Replacing urban vacant lots with green spaces provides countless benefits for local neighborhoods, but one of the most rewarding parts of the city's gardening program is seeing beginning gardeners transform into leaders.
In Cuyahoga County, the infant mortality rate for African-American babies is 15.1 per every 1,000 live births, compared to 3.8 for white babies. In other words, Cleveland's black babies are approximately four times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies.
Right next to the newly christened Euclid Beach Pier, more than 550 community leaders gathered lakeside for the fifth annual Vibrant City Awards—presented by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress (CNP) and Delta Dental and highlighting the best in local urban revitalization efforts.
Local artists and nonprofits are teaming up to create change through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture's Learning Lab.
Not surprisingly, Cleveland’s geological landscape 200 years ago was quite different than today’s modern, industrialized city. In 1820, spring-fed streams ran freely throughout the region, running through neighborhoods like Cleveland Heights, Kinsman, Scranton Flats, and Ohio City. Last Saturday, April 6, these now-hidden waterways took the spotlight during a sold-out tour: Exploring Cleveland's Hidden Waterways.
Cleveland's east side is steadily emerging from the 2010 housing crisis—with the number of vacant and distressed structures decreasing significantly while home prices are on the rise.
So go the findings of a 2018 report by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy that examined 13 Cleveland neighborhoods (including Fairfax, Slavic Village, and Shaker Square).
So go the findings of a 2018 report by the Western Reserve Land Conservancy that examined 13 Cleveland neighborhoods (including Fairfax, Slavic Village, and Shaker Square).
Anyone who set foot in the Beachland Ballroom last Saturday might have thought the rumors of print media's demise have been greatly exaggerated. At the sold-out Concert for Truth, more than 450 people gathered to show their support for local journalism and those who bring us the news every day. The event featured 11 local musicians who volunteered their time and talents to raise about $5,000 for the 24 Plain Dealer employees who are being laid off after March.
With 20 cities in the running, Cleveland’s chances of becoming the next Say Yes to Education chapter—and only the fourth in the country to receive the distinction—were just a paltry five percent. Yet according to Say Yes founder George Weiss, it was no contest.
At 60 years old, Rose has big dreams, but knows the first step towards any of her myriad goals is to get her GED. One of 22 siblings, she dropped out of high school many moons ago when she became pregnant. Raising four boys has understandably dominated the entirety of her life to date, but this summer, on a routine walk to the store in her Mt. Pleasant neighborhood, she looked in the window of Seeds of Literacy and spotted site coordinator Kara Krawiec.
“I could see her bouncing around, and I knew I had to go in to see what was going on in here,” recalls Rose. “I’ve been coming four times a week ever since.”
“I could see her bouncing around, and I knew I had to go in to see what was going on in here,” recalls Rose. “I’ve been coming four times a week ever since.”
Now that PRE4CLE is well on its way to the goal of helping more local preschool sites achieve high Step Up to Quality ratings—with a 110 percent increase since July 2016—the focus is on increasing funding to expand Cuyahoga County's Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) model to more of those high-quality programs.
In 2016, Collinwood-based A Jubilee Academy carried a two-star Step Up to Quality rating—not high enough to be considered high-quality by the state. Two years later, A Jubilee Academy is the only five-star SUTQ center in the Collinwood area. Students participate in cooking classes, music education, and also study Mandarin twice a week. Children have individual cubbies instead of sharing them. Preschool enrollment has doubled, and a new classroom will open in the fall. So what made the difference? An intense 90-day Accelerated Quality Improvement Model (AQIM) program.
Last Friday, approximately 600 city leaders and community development professionals gathered on the lakefront to celebrate the fourth annual Vibrant City Awards. Spearheaded by Cleveland Neighborhood Progress and sponsored by KeyBank, the annual awards ceremony recognizes the best in Cleveland’s neighborhood revitalization efforts. Find out who took home awards here.
Barbara Moore has been legally blind her entire life, but that didn't stop her from teaching herself to sew. Moore still remembers the day she took the measurements of a comforter in a store, went home with her sewing machine, fabric, a yard stick, and chalk and made her own comforter on the living room floor. For the past 16 years, Moore has put that knowledge to good use as a seamstress at Vocational Guidance Services, sewing buttons and buttonholes on women’s military trousers.
Anyone who’s heard of the Cleveland Tree Plan knows the city has big things in store when it comes to greening our urban spaces—namely increasing the tree canopy from 19 percent to 30 percent by 2040. Mayor Jackson announced the goal last year on Arbor Day, and efforts continue as we approach Arbor Day 2018. Looking for ways to help Cleveland get from Point A to Point Tree? Here are four ways to help reforest The Forest City.