When kids commit themselves to an art form, they gain self-confidence and set high expectations for themselves. How do we create more access to arts education for youth in urban neighborhoods? 

A few years ago, local arts groups faced declining audiences. Today, many of these organizations have reinvented themselves and begun to thrive -- or at least turned the corner.

Arts education programs that teach mastery have the greatest potential to impact child development, yet many urban youth lack access to them. Learn why these programs work and how we can cultivate them in Cleveland.

"As chief executive of the City Club of Cleveland—a 102-year-old institution created to foster dialogue about local, national and international issues—I often find myself in the midst of conversations about the city. So when I—a white guy—am in a meeting about policing or witnessing the inability of some white people here to understand why Tamir’s death catalyzed such vocal and visible protests, I remember what a divided city this really is."

Read the full story here.

"Chateau Hough, one of the first American vineyards set on reclaimed urban land, was started in 2010 with a $15,000 grant from the city and about $8,000 of Frazier’s own cash. Frazier’s main objectives were to beautify the lot across from his house (hopefully raising its value) and help out parolees, who often have trouble finding work. But he also wanted to see if Cleveland’s most notorious neighborhood could maybe make a pretty damn good wine."

Read the full story here.

Cleveland and other cities have struggled for years with vacant schools. As empty buildings hang in limbo, they deteriorate, increasing the likelihood that they'll be torn down. Adaptive reuse, while challenging, can be a tool for preservation.

Today's internships are about more than making coffee and copies. They connect employers with a pipeline of talent, help students obtain real-world skills and attract talent to Cleveland.

From a team of cyclists turning trash into earthen gold, to one man who helps kids tumble into a brighter future, Cleveland's social innovators kindle projects that are illuminating people and places across the city.

Natalie Bauman, founder of Sunrise Sunset Documentaries and the Digital Mosaic, an iPad app that allows people to record their memories and life stories, has produced a documentary chronicling the experiences of four Holocaust survivors living in Cleveland.
 
The Remembering Project, which was made with a grant from the Saltzman Youth Panel of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland, brought on board four area high school students to help with the production and learn first-hand about the Holocaust. The film will premiere Tuesday at Montefiore Home.
 
The piece tells the survival stories of Irene Weiner, Roni Berenson, Michael Pupa and Alex Zelczer. “This is a piece of history; this matters,” says Bauman. “This is not your everyday work project – these are moments in someone’s life. They chose to dredge it up and speak about it to teach others.”
 
Weiner, who lives at Montefiore with her husband, Marvin, suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.  Irene came to the United States as a teenager, but with the help of Marvin tells her story because she doesn’t want the personal horrors of the Holocaust to be forgotten.
 
“People should know what they did,” Weiner says. “I was lucky I survived because I was young.”
 
Sarah Axner, a social worker at Montefiore, says the experience has been good for the Weiners and other residents. “As an aging services agency guided by Jewish values we recognize the importance of speaking about their experiences,” she says. “Hopefully there is therapeutic value in it and will encourage other survivors to speak out.”
 
The Remembering Project will debut Tuesday, January 13 at 7pm at Montefiore’s Maltz Auditorium. Admission is free.
 
The documentary will also be available online and through Montefiore’s YouTube channel. Organizations and schools can contact Melissa Adell about obtaining a copy of The Remembering Project. A study guide created by Daniel Weiss, Judaic Studies teacher at Gross Schechter Day School, is available as well.

New research suggests that innovation districts, whose growth is fueled by anchor institutions, companies and startups working in close proximity to one another, may be growing faster than traditional downtowns.

Dozens of communities across the U.S. have formed effective, ongoing partnerships with the police that have improved safety and trust.

Our city seems to be constantly in the spotlight these days, for our innovations as well as our challenges. Meet a group of leaders who are redefining the narrative of our city and pushing us to collectively move forward.