Social Change
Studies show that kids who don’t have good literacy skills by the third grade are four times more likely to drop out before finishing high school, making it unlikely they will find productive jobs as adults. The Literacy Cooperative’s Supporting Partnerships to Assure Ready Kids (SPARK) program helps prepare kids for kindergarten and ultimately get them off to a good start.
“The SPARK program started in Canton six or seven years ago and they’ve seen measureable improvement,” says Literacy Cooperative executive director Bob Paponetti. “By third grade, the SPARK children are doing better than standardized testing.”
The SPARK program began last year with four-year-olds getting ready to enter kindergarten in seven schools in three school districts: Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Maple Heights. The program pairs a parent partner who goes to the child’s home once a month and guides the child and parent through a proven curriculum and teaches parents ways to incorporate learning into daily home activities.
The results have been encouraging, showing a higher percentage of kindergarten-readiness in the participants. “Children who participated in SPARK showed a significant marked improvement over kids in the same classroom,” says Paponetti. “We’re very pleased with the first year and we will continue to track them.”
The program targets kids early on so that they have a better chance of finishing school, going to college and being prepared to compete for good jobs.
“There is a clear connection between how they do early on and how they do later in life,” explains Paponetti. “The jobs that continue to be created require more than a high school diploma. There are 400,000 adults in Cuyahoga County who don’t have those requirements, so it’s important to get kids off to a good start. The investment in early childhood really pays off."
Source: Bob Paponetti
Writer: Karin Connelly
“The SPARK program started in Canton six or seven years ago and they’ve seen measureable improvement,” says Literacy Cooperative executive director Bob Paponetti. “By third grade, the SPARK children are doing better than standardized testing.”
The SPARK program began last year with four-year-olds getting ready to enter kindergarten in seven schools in three school districts: Cleveland, Cleveland Heights and Maple Heights. The program pairs a parent partner who goes to the child’s home once a month and guides the child and parent through a proven curriculum and teaches parents ways to incorporate learning into daily home activities.
The results have been encouraging, showing a higher percentage of kindergarten-readiness in the participants. “Children who participated in SPARK showed a significant marked improvement over kids in the same classroom,” says Paponetti. “We’re very pleased with the first year and we will continue to track them.”
The program targets kids early on so that they have a better chance of finishing school, going to college and being prepared to compete for good jobs.
“There is a clear connection between how they do early on and how they do later in life,” explains Paponetti. “The jobs that continue to be created require more than a high school diploma. There are 400,000 adults in Cuyahoga County who don’t have those requirements, so it’s important to get kids off to a good start. The investment in early childhood really pays off."
Source: Bob Paponetti
Writer: Karin Connelly
Like many Warehouse District residents, Trampas Ferguson was dismayed when his neighborhood earned negative media attention for safety incidents and rowdy late night behavior on West 6th Street.
Ferguson bought a unit in the Water Street Condominiums building last year, and he views his downtown neighborhood as a place where he'd like to get to know his neighbors and put down roots, not just a place to party (though there's that, too).
So along with Warehouse District resident Samantha Gale and other volunteers, Ferguson created a program called My Neighborhood to combat real and perceived safety problems in the area. In partnership with the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation, they organized quarterly meetings, developed a marketing program to promote local businesses, organized My Neighborhood happy hours and put together civic initiatives such as street cleanups.
"It's a grassroots movement to create unity in a mixed-use neighborhood," he says. "We wanted to help people get to know their neighbors and build community."
Two years later, the group has made a difference in the quality of life, he says. Fears that the Warehouse District would "become the same as the Flats" have mostly been allayed and the group's monthly happy hours are well attended. These events are the foundation for stronger relationships among residents.
"People say, 'Holy cow, I didn't even know you lived in my building,'" says Ferguson, who adds that one of the Warehouse District's hidden demographic groups are empty nesters who seek out the entertainment and restaurant options.
"Things are better than they were a couple of years ago," mostly due to the Memorandum of Understanding that many business and property owners signed stipulating that they must have off-duty police officers and other measures. "There will always be younger nightlife but it doesn't have to feel unsafe."
Source: Trampas Ferguson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Ferguson bought a unit in the Water Street Condominiums building last year, and he views his downtown neighborhood as a place where he'd like to get to know his neighbors and put down roots, not just a place to party (though there's that, too).
So along with Warehouse District resident Samantha Gale and other volunteers, Ferguson created a program called My Neighborhood to combat real and perceived safety problems in the area. In partnership with the Historic Warehouse District Development Corporation, they organized quarterly meetings, developed a marketing program to promote local businesses, organized My Neighborhood happy hours and put together civic initiatives such as street cleanups.
"It's a grassroots movement to create unity in a mixed-use neighborhood," he says. "We wanted to help people get to know their neighbors and build community."
Two years later, the group has made a difference in the quality of life, he says. Fears that the Warehouse District would "become the same as the Flats" have mostly been allayed and the group's monthly happy hours are well attended. These events are the foundation for stronger relationships among residents.
"People say, 'Holy cow, I didn't even know you lived in my building,'" says Ferguson, who adds that one of the Warehouse District's hidden demographic groups are empty nesters who seek out the entertainment and restaurant options.
"Things are better than they were a couple of years ago," mostly due to the Memorandum of Understanding that many business and property owners signed stipulating that they must have off-duty police officers and other measures. "There will always be younger nightlife but it doesn't have to feel unsafe."
Source: Trampas Ferguson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
In today's political climate, in which the mere mention of pro-choice support ignites controversy, choice advocates have some big balls. They'll be using them at the third annual Bowl-a-Thon for Abortion Access, a nationwide series of events to raise money to help low-income women and girls afford abortion care.
"This is a way to engage younger activists and people who don't have a lot of money but want to help," says Kim Lauren Pereira, Development and Communications Associate with Preterm, an independent abortion clinic in Cleveland. "Legal and safe doesn't mean a whole lot if you can't afford it. The funds raised go directly to women and girls who can't afford abortion procedures."
The event takes place on Thursday, April 26th beginning at 6:30 pm at Mahalls 20 Lanes on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Although bowling teams -- which boast cheeky names like Roe All the Way, the Gutter Girlz and Lady Parts -- are already set, supporters can still donate to the cause. Anyone can come out to the event to cheer on their favorite teams and support affordable abortion care.
“By involving the community, we’re also fighting abortion stigma," said Laura Hauser, Board President of Preterm and a reputedly fierce bowler, in a news release. "We support women and trust them to choose for themselves, and doing so is about accepting and embracing the idea that abortion is a safe, legal procedure that’s part of comprehensive health care for women."
Source: Kim Lauren Pereira, Laura Hauser
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"This is a way to engage younger activists and people who don't have a lot of money but want to help," says Kim Lauren Pereira, Development and Communications Associate with Preterm, an independent abortion clinic in Cleveland. "Legal and safe doesn't mean a whole lot if you can't afford it. The funds raised go directly to women and girls who can't afford abortion procedures."
The event takes place on Thursday, April 26th beginning at 6:30 pm at Mahalls 20 Lanes on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Although bowling teams -- which boast cheeky names like Roe All the Way, the Gutter Girlz and Lady Parts -- are already set, supporters can still donate to the cause. Anyone can come out to the event to cheer on their favorite teams and support affordable abortion care.
“By involving the community, we’re also fighting abortion stigma," said Laura Hauser, Board President of Preterm and a reputedly fierce bowler, in a news release. "We support women and trust them to choose for themselves, and doing so is about accepting and embracing the idea that abortion is a safe, legal procedure that’s part of comprehensive health care for women."
Source: Kim Lauren Pereira, Laura Hauser
Writer: Lee Chilcote
As a region we are fortunate to have NOCHE, the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, leading our regional efforts to increase college attainment levels. Their efforts, called The Northeast Ohio Talent Dividend, has three primary goals: improve college readiness of high school and adult students, increase student retention through degree completion, and increase degree attainment among adults with some college experience but no degree.
95-year-old cleveland artist updates historic diversity mural for tedxcle
Mort Epstein, a distinguished 95-year-old Cleveland artist and designer who founded Epstein Design in 1962 and has a lengthy history of social activism, will present a talk entitled "A Designer and the Community" at this year's TEDxCLE event. In keeping with the event, whose theme is "The Maker Class," Epstein has updated an iconic mural he completed for Cleveland State University in the mid 1970s.
The original artwork, which featured six black and white electrical outlets beside one another, celebrated CSU's commitment to diversity. The new design by Epstein features nine red and black outlets set against a sleek, black background, as if inviting viewers to plug into the opportunities before them. The term "The Maker Class" also hails Cleveland's past and present as a hub for creativity and ingenuity.
TEDxCLE founder and organizer Hallie Bram Kogelschatz says that she commissioned the design to celebrate Cleveland's little-known history as a place of distinctive, high-quality public art, the role of artists and designers in making cities better places to live, and Cleveland as a place that sparks opportunity.
"We wanted to pay homage to Mort as a designer and take this iconic artwork and update it. The city is an outlet and you just need to plug in to make it happen."
Source: Hallie Bram Kogelschatz
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The original artwork, which featured six black and white electrical outlets beside one another, celebrated CSU's commitment to diversity. The new design by Epstein features nine red and black outlets set against a sleek, black background, as if inviting viewers to plug into the opportunities before them. The term "The Maker Class" also hails Cleveland's past and present as a hub for creativity and ingenuity.
TEDxCLE founder and organizer Hallie Bram Kogelschatz says that she commissioned the design to celebrate Cleveland's little-known history as a place of distinctive, high-quality public art, the role of artists and designers in making cities better places to live, and Cleveland as a place that sparks opportunity.
"We wanted to pay homage to Mort as a designer and take this iconic artwork and update it. The city is an outlet and you just need to plug in to make it happen."
Source: Hallie Bram Kogelschatz
Writer: Lee Chilcote
saving cities documentary aims to tell true story of a rising rust belt
A year ago, Jack Storey launched an ambitious project to create a documentary about the Rust Belt with no money, no filmmaking experience and no camera.
But he did have Kickstarter.
Today, Storey and his partners have raised over $20,000 through the popular arts-focused fundraising website. They have crisscrossed the Rust Belt region while garnering more than 100 hours of footage of entrepreneurs and civic-minded individuals. Saving Cities, the grassroots "idea bank" that Storey helped found in 2010, plans to release the documentary, entitled Red, White and Blueprints, early next year.
"We're stubborn and we love it here, but we don't defend ourselves very well to the outside, and the perspective of national media tends to be lopsided," explains Storey, who recently participated in a panel discussion of Cleveland artists funded through Kickstarter. "Our goal is to have a very positive piece of media that tells the story of the Rust Belt from boom to decline, and also talks about the future and entrepreneurs who are doing creative things with very few resources."
Red, White and Blueprints will highlight the connections between small, hyperlocal efforts taking place in various Rust Belt cities to paint a coherent picture of a diverse, interconnected region. It will also suggest that Rust Belt cities could do a significantly better job sharing successes between various metropolitan areas, and in turn, furthering these connections for mutual benefit.
"All of these cities used to be connected by railroads," says Storey. "We're talking about the Rust Belt as a mega-region. We can digitally reconnect these cities in conversation."
Saving Cities has launched another Kickstarter campaign to fund the final leg of the documentary, including editing and duplication. Storey hopes to begin sending the film to festivals and organize a series of community screenings next year.
Now that the project is nearing fruition, Storey has a better understanding of why he needed to do it. "Maybe for good reason, we're the only people to do this. We were crazy enough to get in a car and drive around the region several times. In hindsight, I'm glad we did it, but it was a huge undertaking."
Source: Jack Storey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
But he did have Kickstarter.
Today, Storey and his partners have raised over $20,000 through the popular arts-focused fundraising website. They have crisscrossed the Rust Belt region while garnering more than 100 hours of footage of entrepreneurs and civic-minded individuals. Saving Cities, the grassroots "idea bank" that Storey helped found in 2010, plans to release the documentary, entitled Red, White and Blueprints, early next year.
"We're stubborn and we love it here, but we don't defend ourselves very well to the outside, and the perspective of national media tends to be lopsided," explains Storey, who recently participated in a panel discussion of Cleveland artists funded through Kickstarter. "Our goal is to have a very positive piece of media that tells the story of the Rust Belt from boom to decline, and also talks about the future and entrepreneurs who are doing creative things with very few resources."
Red, White and Blueprints will highlight the connections between small, hyperlocal efforts taking place in various Rust Belt cities to paint a coherent picture of a diverse, interconnected region. It will also suggest that Rust Belt cities could do a significantly better job sharing successes between various metropolitan areas, and in turn, furthering these connections for mutual benefit.
"All of these cities used to be connected by railroads," says Storey. "We're talking about the Rust Belt as a mega-region. We can digitally reconnect these cities in conversation."
Saving Cities has launched another Kickstarter campaign to fund the final leg of the documentary, including editing and duplication. Storey hopes to begin sending the film to festivals and organize a series of community screenings next year.
Now that the project is nearing fruition, Storey has a better understanding of why he needed to do it. "Maybe for good reason, we're the only people to do this. We were crazy enough to get in a car and drive around the region several times. In hindsight, I'm glad we did it, but it was a huge undertaking."
Source: Jack Storey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Todd Pownell of TAP Studios in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood has always purchased recycled gold. He fashions the raw material into unique wedding rings for Cleveland couples, or helps people to make their own through his unique, do-it-yourself workshop.
Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At the same time, there has been a steady uptick in general consumer awareness of supply chain issues, and a rising interest in where our gold comes from.
These two factors provide a unique opportunity for jewelers to highlight where their materials come from and educate consumers about sustainable sources, says Pownell. He is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths and involved in the "slow gold" movement, named after the sustainability-focused slow food movement.
This past summer, Pownell participated in a unique videography project. He traveled to South Dakota with another jeweler and a couple from New York City to try to mine enough gold for a pair of wedding rings. In the end, the weeklong trip yielded only about a dollar's worth of gold. It also shed light on the resource-intensive process of mining, exposing problems in the global supply chain.
Fellow jeweler Gabriel Craig documented the trip on a series of videos he posted on Vimeo, and participants spread word of their trip through social media websites and blogs. An article about the trip entitled "The Real Cost of Gold" also appeared in the March issue of American Craft Council magazine.
"As consumers, we need to be a little more aware of supply chain issues," says Pownell. "There's been a groundswell of change with the buy local movement, and with that, people are paying more attention to where products come from. Craftsmen are at the forefront of trying to look at supply chain issues."
Source: Todd Pownell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet as the price of gold has risen from $300 per ounce five years ago to more than $1,600 per ounce today, Pownell has also observed an increase in exploitative mining operations in various corners of the globe. At the same time, there has been a steady uptick in general consumer awareness of supply chain issues, and a rising interest in where our gold comes from.
These two factors provide a unique opportunity for jewelers to highlight where their materials come from and educate consumers about sustainable sources, says Pownell. He is a member of Ethical Metalsmiths and involved in the "slow gold" movement, named after the sustainability-focused slow food movement.
This past summer, Pownell participated in a unique videography project. He traveled to South Dakota with another jeweler and a couple from New York City to try to mine enough gold for a pair of wedding rings. In the end, the weeklong trip yielded only about a dollar's worth of gold. It also shed light on the resource-intensive process of mining, exposing problems in the global supply chain.
Fellow jeweler Gabriel Craig documented the trip on a series of videos he posted on Vimeo, and participants spread word of their trip through social media websites and blogs. An article about the trip entitled "The Real Cost of Gold" also appeared in the March issue of American Craft Council magazine.
"As consumers, we need to be a little more aware of supply chain issues," says Pownell. "There's been a groundswell of change with the buy local movement, and with that, people are paying more attention to where products come from. Craftsmen are at the forefront of trying to look at supply chain issues."
Source: Todd Pownell
Writer: Lee Chilcote
'voice your choice' project helps students articulate musical choices
Pop music is notoriously ephemeral. In fact, many of the hottest chart toppers from recent years already have faded into the dusty annals of stardom.
Yet, get into a conversation with the average 15-year-old and he or she will happily rave about their favorite artists. Still, while these young people may have strong feelings about which artists truly matter and have staying power, can they support their claims using a strong argument backed by analysis?
That's exactly what a new project launched this year by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum asks students to do. "Voice Your Choice," a national project that invites students to create their own inductee class, aims to help teach students to make aesthetic judgments and learn history through music.
"We try to teach kids in the 7th-12th grades how to articulate their own aesthetic standards," says Lauren Onkey, Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the Rock Hall. "That's really hard to do, because a lot of the time when we're talking about music we love, we just love it. But why? This project is about developing our own criteria and describing them in detail."
The project garnered video and essay submissions from 25 schools around the country, as well as one in Canada and Australia. This week, as a flurry of Induction Week activities happen in Cleveland, the Rock Hall will host a group of educators for a teacher development workshop focused around "Voice Your Choice."
"One of the things that teachers struggle with are content standards in different disciplinary subjects," says Onkey, who adds that the Rock Hall's on site educational programs reach 20,000 students each year and thousands more through distance learning offerings and curricula it shares with teachers. "They tell us this is a really great teaching tool for getting at those standards."
Voice Your Choice is also a great tool for reaching students in their own milieu. "An artist from the 1950s might as well be from the 1850s for many young people. Yet if music is presented in the right way, they'll embrace it from all over the map."
Source: Lauren Onkey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Yet, get into a conversation with the average 15-year-old and he or she will happily rave about their favorite artists. Still, while these young people may have strong feelings about which artists truly matter and have staying power, can they support their claims using a strong argument backed by analysis?
That's exactly what a new project launched this year by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum asks students to do. "Voice Your Choice," a national project that invites students to create their own inductee class, aims to help teach students to make aesthetic judgments and learn history through music.
"We try to teach kids in the 7th-12th grades how to articulate their own aesthetic standards," says Lauren Onkey, Vice President for Education and Public Programs at the Rock Hall. "That's really hard to do, because a lot of the time when we're talking about music we love, we just love it. But why? This project is about developing our own criteria and describing them in detail."
The project garnered video and essay submissions from 25 schools around the country, as well as one in Canada and Australia. This week, as a flurry of Induction Week activities happen in Cleveland, the Rock Hall will host a group of educators for a teacher development workshop focused around "Voice Your Choice."
"One of the things that teachers struggle with are content standards in different disciplinary subjects," says Onkey, who adds that the Rock Hall's on site educational programs reach 20,000 students each year and thousands more through distance learning offerings and curricula it shares with teachers. "They tell us this is a really great teaching tool for getting at those standards."
Voice Your Choice is also a great tool for reaching students in their own milieu. "An artist from the 1950s might as well be from the 1850s for many young people. Yet if music is presented in the right way, they'll embrace it from all over the map."
Source: Lauren Onkey
Writer: Lee Chilcote
After three years of fundraising -- and a generous last-minute gift from an anonymous donor -- a bronze statue of Dante Alighieri is now being crafted at Studio Foundry in Cleveland. It will be installed in the Italian Cultural Gardens in Rockefeller Park in June.
"I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Garden that included the Dante sculpture. "It brings back an urban space, and reflects the greatness of what Italy has given the world. We're all beneficiaries of what the Italians have done."
The statue, which costs $135,000, was designed by Italian sculptor Sandro Bonaiuto, who was originally born in Cleveland. It presents Dante in his 30s, around the time he wrote the Divine Comedy.
In the statue, Dante gazes out from where he sits in a Renaissance chair with the Divine Comedy in one hand and a pen in the other. The base of the statue portrays heaven, hell and purgatory, and a scroll located beside the statue includes the epic poem's most famous canto in Italian and English.
The Dante statue will be dedicated on June 29th, and Mariani will host Opera in the Garden, a free performance, on Sunday, July 29th beginning at 6 pm.
Source: Joyce Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"I view this as a Cleveland project," says Joyce Mariani, Executive Director of the Italian Cultural Gardens Foundation, who championed the project after discovering unfinished plans for the Italian Garden that included the Dante sculpture. "It brings back an urban space, and reflects the greatness of what Italy has given the world. We're all beneficiaries of what the Italians have done."
The statue, which costs $135,000, was designed by Italian sculptor Sandro Bonaiuto, who was originally born in Cleveland. It presents Dante in his 30s, around the time he wrote the Divine Comedy.
In the statue, Dante gazes out from where he sits in a Renaissance chair with the Divine Comedy in one hand and a pen in the other. The base of the statue portrays heaven, hell and purgatory, and a scroll located beside the statue includes the epic poem's most famous canto in Italian and English.
The Dante statue will be dedicated on June 29th, and Mariani will host Opera in the Garden, a free performance, on Sunday, July 29th beginning at 6 pm.
Source: Joyce Mariani
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Having birthed 25-plus new businesses within the past few years, Ohio City is on a roll. Leaders here hope to continue that progress this year as they launch the second round of the Small Business Development Grant Competition, an initiative that aided at least five new retail businesses in 2011.
The competition, which is being managed by Ohio City Inc. and funded by Charter One Growing Communities, offers grants of $5,000 to $20,000 to retail businesses that open or expand in the Market District along W. 25th or Lorain. Entrepreneurs can use the funds for rent payments of no more than one year, purchase of equipment for business operations or interior build out.
Community leaders are focusing solely on retail ventures this year, having overseen a boom of new restaurants and small boutique shops in 2011.
"The Charter One Growing Communities initiative has catalyzed tremendous growth in the Market District," said Eric Wobser, Director of Ohio City Inc., in a release. "We are very excited to launch year two of the competition."
Applicants can download the RFP from OCI's website and submit it along with a short essay and business plan. They'd better hurry, though -- according to Wobser, there are only five vacant storefronts remaining in the Market District.
Community leaders are also hoping that the Market District's considerable momentum will spill over onto Lorain Ave. Within the past two years, the down-on-its-heels main street that has begun to flicker with new life. OCI has created a community planning effort, Launch Lorain, to chart its future.
Source: Eric Wobser
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The competition, which is being managed by Ohio City Inc. and funded by Charter One Growing Communities, offers grants of $5,000 to $20,000 to retail businesses that open or expand in the Market District along W. 25th or Lorain. Entrepreneurs can use the funds for rent payments of no more than one year, purchase of equipment for business operations or interior build out.
Community leaders are focusing solely on retail ventures this year, having overseen a boom of new restaurants and small boutique shops in 2011.
"The Charter One Growing Communities initiative has catalyzed tremendous growth in the Market District," said Eric Wobser, Director of Ohio City Inc., in a release. "We are very excited to launch year two of the competition."
Applicants can download the RFP from OCI's website and submit it along with a short essay and business plan. They'd better hurry, though -- according to Wobser, there are only five vacant storefronts remaining in the Market District.
Community leaders are also hoping that the Market District's considerable momentum will spill over onto Lorain Ave. Within the past two years, the down-on-its-heels main street that has begun to flicker with new life. OCI has created a community planning effort, Launch Lorain, to chart its future.
Source: Eric Wobser
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Photo: Bob Perkoski
This is the kind of downsizing we can all cheer about. PNC has launched an effort to reduce the amount of waste coming out of its downtown Cleveland office building to "near zero," becoming one of the first downtown buildings to achieve this ambitious goal.
The employee-led effort is reducing the amount of trash going to landfills to 40 percent of the total waste coming out of the building. The remaining 60 percent is being recycled or composted. PNC is not stopping at this laudable goal, and has made a commitment to reduce its waste by 90 percent, hopefully by this summer.
"We wanted PNC's offices to be among the first near-zero buildings in downtown," says Paul Clark, Regional Vice President for PNC Bank. "This is a local application of the sincerity of PNC's commitment to green building."
To achieve its goal, PNC designated an employee "green ambassador" on every floor of its downtown building. The company also removed common area trash cans, replacing them with quart-sized containers at employee desks. A partnership with Brooklyn-based Rosby's Resource Recycling allows PNC to recycle organic materials, which are composted into mulch for gardens.
"The change in my life only took about two minutes, and I also get a little exercise on my way to compost bin," quips Clark. "The other side of change is fabulous."
Benson Gabler, Manager of Corporate Sustainability for PNC, adds that Cleveland's near zero program takes the company's sustainability efforts to a new level that he hopes to widely replicate. "We'd already been looking at waste reduction in all PNC buildings, yet Cleveland has composting on every floor, and that's new. This is something we'd like to roll out at other locations."
Click here to check out a Youtube video about PNC going green in Cleveland.
Source: Paul Clark, Benson Gabler
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The employee-led effort is reducing the amount of trash going to landfills to 40 percent of the total waste coming out of the building. The remaining 60 percent is being recycled or composted. PNC is not stopping at this laudable goal, and has made a commitment to reduce its waste by 90 percent, hopefully by this summer.
"We wanted PNC's offices to be among the first near-zero buildings in downtown," says Paul Clark, Regional Vice President for PNC Bank. "This is a local application of the sincerity of PNC's commitment to green building."
To achieve its goal, PNC designated an employee "green ambassador" on every floor of its downtown building. The company also removed common area trash cans, replacing them with quart-sized containers at employee desks. A partnership with Brooklyn-based Rosby's Resource Recycling allows PNC to recycle organic materials, which are composted into mulch for gardens.
"The change in my life only took about two minutes, and I also get a little exercise on my way to compost bin," quips Clark. "The other side of change is fabulous."
Benson Gabler, Manager of Corporate Sustainability for PNC, adds that Cleveland's near zero program takes the company's sustainability efforts to a new level that he hopes to widely replicate. "We'd already been looking at waste reduction in all PNC buildings, yet Cleveland has composting on every floor, and that's new. This is something we'd like to roll out at other locations."
Click here to check out a Youtube video about PNC going green in Cleveland.
Source: Paul Clark, Benson Gabler
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Every time a young person leaves Northeast Ohio for another part of the country, Greater Cleveland loses 120 percent of their salary in actual economic value, says Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald.
That's why he recently created the Next Generation Council, a group that is intended to stem brain drain by giving young people a voice in helping the county attract and retain young talent in the region.
Recently, FitzGerald selected 15 council members from a diverse pool of 125 applicants between the ages of 20 and 35. The group began meeting last month and is working to develop a strategic plan.
“The Next Generation Council will provide an opportunity for my administration to get input from young professionals on how the county can develop the right conditions to engage the creative class,” said FitzGerald in a news release. “We are lucky to have such a diverse group to begin this important initiative.”
She adds, "My aim is to help identify or establish pathways to boost the engagement of young professionals in the public sector, ensuring our voices are consistently represented at the highest level."
Each member of the council serves two years. The group is part of a broader effort by FitzGerald to make Cuyahoga County "a more inclusive and competitive region."
Source: Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
That's why he recently created the Next Generation Council, a group that is intended to stem brain drain by giving young people a voice in helping the county attract and retain young talent in the region.
Recently, FitzGerald selected 15 council members from a diverse pool of 125 applicants between the ages of 20 and 35. The group began meeting last month and is working to develop a strategic plan.
“The Next Generation Council will provide an opportunity for my administration to get input from young professionals on how the county can develop the right conditions to engage the creative class,” said FitzGerald in a news release. “We are lucky to have such a diverse group to begin this important initiative.”
"I joined the NGC because I admired Ed FitzGerald's willingness to take a very visible step to engage the region's emerging leaders," says council member Hermione Malone, who works at University Hospitals and lives in Detroit Shoreway. "I knew this would allow me to meet a new cadre of smart, creative, passionate, networked peers."
Each member of the council serves two years. The group is part of a broader effort by FitzGerald to make Cuyahoga County "a more inclusive and competitive region."
Source: Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Energy efficiency is no longer simply an option for tenants seeking office space downtown, says Donald Rerko of ka Architecture Inc., one of Cleveland's leading sustainability-minded architecture firms. Instead, it's often a critical "go/no go" decision-making factor that can make or break a deal.
"Tenants want sustainable buildings, and they'll often take the building off their list if it's not energy-efficient," he says. "It's really at the top of their criteria."
Rerko is Chairman of the Cleveland 2030 District, an effort to make downtown office buildings carbon neutral by the year 2030. The group emerged out of the first Sustainable Cleveland 2019 conference and has aligned itself with Architecture 2030, a national group with similar goals. Rerko says the group has targeted 75 million square feet of downtown office space, and has gained soft commitments from 25 percent of owners to make their buildings green.
"Retrofitting a building saves the owner on utility costs, reduces tenants' overall costs and makes the building more competitive," says Rerko. "There are a lot of different funding programs now, such as performance contracting and government programs, that allow owners to retrofit without any money out of pocket."
Comprehensive building retrofits typically include sealing the envelope to reduce energy consumption as much as possible, examining energy usage to find ways to reduce it, automating systems, and investing in renewable energy sources.
As examples of successful retrofits, Mohr cites Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Forest City Enterprises, which has made substantial energy-efficiency improvements to the Tower City complex.
Next steps for the Cleveland 2030 District group include obtaining signed letters from owners representing their commitments and raising funds to hire an Executive Director and Program Manager. The group is also holding a kickoff party on May 10th at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It will feature keynote speaker Edward Mazria, architect and founder of Architecture 2030.
Source: Donald Rerko
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"Tenants want sustainable buildings, and they'll often take the building off their list if it's not energy-efficient," he says. "It's really at the top of their criteria."
Rerko is Chairman of the Cleveland 2030 District, an effort to make downtown office buildings carbon neutral by the year 2030. The group emerged out of the first Sustainable Cleveland 2019 conference and has aligned itself with Architecture 2030, a national group with similar goals. Rerko says the group has targeted 75 million square feet of downtown office space, and has gained soft commitments from 25 percent of owners to make their buildings green.
"Retrofitting a building saves the owner on utility costs, reduces tenants' overall costs and makes the building more competitive," says Rerko. "There are a lot of different funding programs now, such as performance contracting and government programs, that allow owners to retrofit without any money out of pocket."
Comprehensive building retrofits typically include sealing the envelope to reduce energy consumption as much as possible, examining energy usage to find ways to reduce it, automating systems, and investing in renewable energy sources.
As examples of successful retrofits, Mohr cites Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College and Forest City Enterprises, which has made substantial energy-efficiency improvements to the Tower City complex.
Next steps for the Cleveland 2030 District group include obtaining signed letters from owners representing their commitments and raising funds to hire an Executive Director and Program Manager. The group is also holding a kickoff party on May 10th at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. It will feature keynote speaker Edward Mazria, architect and founder of Architecture 2030.
Source: Donald Rerko
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Small business owners are often the very first to turn the lights on in the morning and the last to leave at night. So when an owner doesn't show up for work until midmorning, that's typically something his or her employees take notice of right away. They may gossip and joke that the boss is out playing hooky.
"They'll look around and wonder where the boss is," says Ginny Hridel, Product Manager of Health Insurance and Wellness Programs with the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). "Taking an hour and a half a week is not something owners are used to."
Yet, dedicating such time to health and wellness is what's expected of participants in Wellness Tracks, a COSE program that's geared towards helping Cleveland's small business owners become healthier. Throughout the 12-week program, owners learn how to integrate nutrition and wellness into their lives. The result, says Hridel, impacts not only the owners' fitness levels but also their companies' bottom line.
"Think about the sustainability of small businesses," she says. "If the owner gets sick, there's a big impact on the business. If they're able to stay healthy, they can focus on the business and be more productive. There are so many wellness programs for big companies, but it's harder to achieve for small businesses."
To that end, COSE set up its program to make it easy and affordable for small business owners to participate. The program requires a manageable chunk of time and is free for anyone covered by COSE's Medical Mutual plan. Owners not covered by that plan can still attend Wellness Tracks for a small fee.
"There are so many individual success stories," says Hridel. "This is not just about pounds lost but about the business owner making a personal transformation."
In the past two years, Wellness Tracks has graduated more than 300 individuals. The next program kicks off April 19th and classes start the week of April 23rd.
Source: Ginny Hridel
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"They'll look around and wonder where the boss is," says Ginny Hridel, Product Manager of Health Insurance and Wellness Programs with the Council of Smaller Enterprises (COSE). "Taking an hour and a half a week is not something owners are used to."
Yet, dedicating such time to health and wellness is what's expected of participants in Wellness Tracks, a COSE program that's geared towards helping Cleveland's small business owners become healthier. Throughout the 12-week program, owners learn how to integrate nutrition and wellness into their lives. The result, says Hridel, impacts not only the owners' fitness levels but also their companies' bottom line.
"Think about the sustainability of small businesses," she says. "If the owner gets sick, there's a big impact on the business. If they're able to stay healthy, they can focus on the business and be more productive. There are so many wellness programs for big companies, but it's harder to achieve for small businesses."
To that end, COSE set up its program to make it easy and affordable for small business owners to participate. The program requires a manageable chunk of time and is free for anyone covered by COSE's Medical Mutual plan. Owners not covered by that plan can still attend Wellness Tracks for a small fee.
"There are so many individual success stories," says Hridel. "This is not just about pounds lost but about the business owner making a personal transformation."
In the past two years, Wellness Tracks has graduated more than 300 individuals. The next program kicks off April 19th and classes start the week of April 23rd.
Source: Ginny Hridel
Writer: Lee Chilcote
cleveland's warm-hearted cash mob concept goes viral
Clevelanders are becoming familiar with the cash mob experience, which encourages consumers to converge and spend at locally owned stores. But the warm-hearted initiative is spreading to other parts of the nation, reports Reuters.
"After the original Cash Mob in Cleveland, [Andrew] Samtoy's Facebook friends in other cities picked up on the idea and organized their own gatherings. Samtoy can rattle off a list of friends from Los Angeles to Boston who were the ‘early adapters' of the Cash Mob phenomenon," the article reports.
“Flash mobs have been blamed as a factor in looting during urban riots. But now a group of online activists is harnessing social media like Twitter and Facebook to get consumers to spend at locally owned stores in cities around the world in so-called Cash Mobs.”
The concept of a cash mob is simple, you are required to spend at least $20 at the chosen location (usually a small independently owned local establishment) and meet three people you have never met before, according to Samtoy, the concept’s founder.
“The 32-year-old dreamed up the Cash Mob idea last year after spending time in Britain during summer riots that unleashed looting in cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham.”
Read the full inspirational story here.
"After the original Cash Mob in Cleveland, [Andrew] Samtoy's Facebook friends in other cities picked up on the idea and organized their own gatherings. Samtoy can rattle off a list of friends from Los Angeles to Boston who were the ‘early adapters' of the Cash Mob phenomenon," the article reports.
“Flash mobs have been blamed as a factor in looting during urban riots. But now a group of online activists is harnessing social media like Twitter and Facebook to get consumers to spend at locally owned stores in cities around the world in so-called Cash Mobs.”
The concept of a cash mob is simple, you are required to spend at least $20 at the chosen location (usually a small independently owned local establishment) and meet three people you have never met before, according to Samtoy, the concept’s founder.
“The 32-year-old dreamed up the Cash Mob idea last year after spending time in Britain during summer riots that unleashed looting in cities including London, Manchester and Birmingham.”
Read the full inspirational story here.
It was exciting enough for Ruk and Leela, Butanese refugees who settled in Cleveland a few years ago without knowing a soul, to press their garage opener and watch the door magically lift open. So imagine their surprise and joy when they found a shiny new tricycle also waiting inside for their toddler son.
Thanks to the Cuyahoga Land Bank's Discover Home program, a new partnership with the International Services Center, this immigrant couple will soon become proud homeowners. The Land Bank partnered with the ISC to renovate a three bedroom home on Hopkins Ave. in Lakewood and sign a lease-purchase agreement with this young family.
"We're helping to repopulate the city with immigrants, and they're contributing to the neighborhood, just as my relatives did when they came here from Greece," says Gus Frangos, President of the Land Bank. "We have such a surplus of vacant properties that we need to collaborate with everyone that we can."
The yellow, cottage-like house feels like "some kind" of home, adds Ruk Rai. He now works at ParkOhio and his wife works at Mold Masters. The couple spent 18 years in a refugee camp after they were forced from their country following a violent revolution because of their Nepali ancestry. They eventually won the immigrant "lottery" and became one of 40,000-75,000 refugees who are allowed into the U.S. each year. They resettled in Cleveland because of the ISC.
"The program came out of a need," says Karen Wishner, Executive Director of the ISC. "It was a way to solve two problems -- vacant properties and people in need of housing."
The house, which was previously bank owned, was renovated using a $20,000 grant from Fannie Mae. An additional $20,000 was invested by the ISC, and donations and sweat equity from the new owners covered the rest. The Land Bank and ISC hope to renovate 5-7 more dwellings like this by the end of the year.
The Land Bank is also pioneering additional partnerships, including efforts to work with veterans' groups and disability organizations. "The nonprofits bring the capacity and possibly the funding, and we have the properties," says Frangos.
Source: Gus Frangos, Rook, Karen Wishner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Thanks to the Cuyahoga Land Bank's Discover Home program, a new partnership with the International Services Center, this immigrant couple will soon become proud homeowners. The Land Bank partnered with the ISC to renovate a three bedroom home on Hopkins Ave. in Lakewood and sign a lease-purchase agreement with this young family.
"We're helping to repopulate the city with immigrants, and they're contributing to the neighborhood, just as my relatives did when they came here from Greece," says Gus Frangos, President of the Land Bank. "We have such a surplus of vacant properties that we need to collaborate with everyone that we can."
The yellow, cottage-like house feels like "some kind" of home, adds Ruk Rai. He now works at ParkOhio and his wife works at Mold Masters. The couple spent 18 years in a refugee camp after they were forced from their country following a violent revolution because of their Nepali ancestry. They eventually won the immigrant "lottery" and became one of 40,000-75,000 refugees who are allowed into the U.S. each year. They resettled in Cleveland because of the ISC.
"The program came out of a need," says Karen Wishner, Executive Director of the ISC. "It was a way to solve two problems -- vacant properties and people in need of housing."
The house, which was previously bank owned, was renovated using a $20,000 grant from Fannie Mae. An additional $20,000 was invested by the ISC, and donations and sweat equity from the new owners covered the rest. The Land Bank and ISC hope to renovate 5-7 more dwellings like this by the end of the year.
The Land Bank is also pioneering additional partnerships, including efforts to work with veterans' groups and disability organizations. "The nonprofits bring the capacity and possibly the funding, and we have the properties," says Frangos.
Source: Gus Frangos, Rook, Karen Wishner
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Just as the U.S. Supreme Court this week begins to hear arguments about the constitutionality of the federal Affordable Care Act, several Northeast Ohio foundations have banded together to provide nonpartisan, consumer-friendly information to help citizens navigate this complex new law.
The public education effort takes place as liberal and conservative groups across the country launch a fight not only over the constitutionality of the law, but also over how it's perceived by the general public. While the Obama campaign and other Democratic groups are trying to demonstrate how the law is already improving people's lives, Republican groups, on the other hand, are trying to cast the law as a job-killing, top-down mandate.
For Kim St. John-Stevenson of the Saint Luke's Foundation, ensuring that ordinary citizens have the information they need to navigate this complex law -- which will affect their lives, whether they know it yet or not -- is by far the most important objective.
"There's a huge education gap, and we need to be proactive about plugging that gap," says St. John-Stevenson. "Whether you like the legislation or not, right now it's the law of the land, and it's in everybody's best interests to understand it."
The new website, www.affordablecareactneo.org, was launched by the George Gund Foundation, Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and Saint Luke's Foundation. Modeled after a similar effort in Cincinnati, it provides information about costs, private insurance, Medicare, mental health coverage, coverage for kids and more.
The website is available in English and Spanish, and there is also a wallet card that can be printed out. The foundations will be working over the coming months to spread the word about the website through their nonprofit partnerships.
Source: Kim St. John-Stevenson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The public education effort takes place as liberal and conservative groups across the country launch a fight not only over the constitutionality of the law, but also over how it's perceived by the general public. While the Obama campaign and other Democratic groups are trying to demonstrate how the law is already improving people's lives, Republican groups, on the other hand, are trying to cast the law as a job-killing, top-down mandate.
For Kim St. John-Stevenson of the Saint Luke's Foundation, ensuring that ordinary citizens have the information they need to navigate this complex law -- which will affect their lives, whether they know it yet or not -- is by far the most important objective.
"There's a huge education gap, and we need to be proactive about plugging that gap," says St. John-Stevenson. "Whether you like the legislation or not, right now it's the law of the land, and it's in everybody's best interests to understand it."
The new website, www.affordablecareactneo.org, was launched by the George Gund Foundation, Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation and Saint Luke's Foundation. Modeled after a similar effort in Cincinnati, it provides information about costs, private insurance, Medicare, mental health coverage, coverage for kids and more.
The website is available in English and Spanish, and there is also a wallet card that can be printed out. The foundations will be working over the coming months to spread the word about the website through their nonprofit partnerships.
Source: Kim St. John-Stevenson
Writer: Lee Chilcote
For years, staff at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (CRCC) have watched as rape crisis programs throughout the state have either closed or downsized. The combination of a poor economy and lack of dedicated funding have put many of these programs out of existence -- and left sexual assault victims in less populated counties without services.
A new partnership between the CRCC and the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV) hopes to change that by serving as a voice for services in Ohio. The two groups recently signed a support and services agreement to work together on building a statewide voice for sexual assault survivors.
"What we realized in working with our sister organizations across the state is that many counties are unequipped to handle the problem of sexual assault, and it's difficult to organize for more resources without a unified voice," says Megan O'Bryan, Executive Director of the CRCC. "Our goal is to bring rape crisis organizations around the state together to work on policy advocacy."
In addition to sharing information and programming ideas across its statewide network, the OAESV is working to create a pool of statewide funding for rape crisis programs. About half of the states in the U.S. have such dedicated funding, but Ohio does not. The Ohio Rape Crisis Fund bill, or H.B. 48, would increase court costs for both felony and misdemeanor cases involving a sexually oriented offense, and deposit fees into a Rape Crisis Program Trust Fund administered by the Office of the Attorney General.. The group is also working at the federal level to advocate for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Since the creation of the OAESV several years ago, the group has received a growing number of calls from sexual assault survivors throughout the state. O'Bryan says that this is a sign that the organization is not only doing important work, but also that more survivors feel comfortable telling their stories.
"The more we talk about this issue, the more people come forward. We need more programs that support survivors and make the environment safer for others."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
A new partnership between the CRCC and the Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence (OAESV) hopes to change that by serving as a voice for services in Ohio. The two groups recently signed a support and services agreement to work together on building a statewide voice for sexual assault survivors.
"What we realized in working with our sister organizations across the state is that many counties are unequipped to handle the problem of sexual assault, and it's difficult to organize for more resources without a unified voice," says Megan O'Bryan, Executive Director of the CRCC. "Our goal is to bring rape crisis organizations around the state together to work on policy advocacy."
In addition to sharing information and programming ideas across its statewide network, the OAESV is working to create a pool of statewide funding for rape crisis programs. About half of the states in the U.S. have such dedicated funding, but Ohio does not. The Ohio Rape Crisis Fund bill, or H.B. 48, would increase court costs for both felony and misdemeanor cases involving a sexually oriented offense, and deposit fees into a Rape Crisis Program Trust Fund administered by the Office of the Attorney General.. The group is also working at the federal level to advocate for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Since the creation of the OAESV several years ago, the group has received a growing number of calls from sexual assault survivors throughout the state. O'Bryan says that this is a sign that the organization is not only doing important work, but also that more survivors feel comfortable telling their stories.
"The more we talk about this issue, the more people come forward. We need more programs that support survivors and make the environment safer for others."
Source: Megan O'Bryan
Writer: Lee Chilcote
The founders of a Cleveland technology startup company have joined together with the Cleveland chapter of Kids Against Hunger to present "Celebrating Sustainability and Entrepreneurship," an event aimed at promoting sustainable social enterprises. All event proceeds will go towards providing nutritious meals to local families in need.
"The Cleveland chapter of Kids Against Hunger was founded by a Case Western Reserve University freshman named Aditya Rengaswamy," says Michael Giammo with Lorktech, a company that was founded by CWRU graduates. Lorktech is developing an electronic shelf label that does not require a battery for use in stores. "We're very excited about sustainability and entrepreneurship, so we said, 'Why not use the energy of our startup company to spark this charity event?'"
The event takes place on Monday, April 2nd at Thwing Ballroom on the CWRU campus. Each ticket costs $40 and purchases 200 meals for kids, Giammo says.
Speakers include Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland; Cathy Belk, Chief Relationship Officer at Jumpstart; Ian Charnas, Operations Manager at think[box]; Stephanie Corbett, Sustainability Manager at CWRU; and representatives of Lorktech and Kids Against Hunger.
"We wanted to create a company-wide culture of social entrepreneurship," says Giammo of Lorktech's decision to spearhead the event. "It's part of our business model."
Source: Michael Giammo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
"The Cleveland chapter of Kids Against Hunger was founded by a Case Western Reserve University freshman named Aditya Rengaswamy," says Michael Giammo with Lorktech, a company that was founded by CWRU graduates. Lorktech is developing an electronic shelf label that does not require a battery for use in stores. "We're very excited about sustainability and entrepreneurship, so we said, 'Why not use the energy of our startup company to spark this charity event?'"
The event takes place on Monday, April 2nd at Thwing Ballroom on the CWRU campus. Each ticket costs $40 and purchases 200 meals for kids, Giammo says.
Speakers include Jenita McGowan, Chief of Sustainability for the City of Cleveland; Cathy Belk, Chief Relationship Officer at Jumpstart; Ian Charnas, Operations Manager at think[box]; Stephanie Corbett, Sustainability Manager at CWRU; and representatives of Lorktech and Kids Against Hunger.
"We wanted to create a company-wide culture of social entrepreneurship," says Giammo of Lorktech's decision to spearhead the event. "It's part of our business model."
Source: Michael Giammo
Writer: Lee Chilcote
Like most of the country, Northeast Ohio was slammed hard by the tidal wave of the most recent recession. But thanks to an increasingly diversified economic strategy -- one that saw a transition from traditional manufacturing (steel, tires) to modern forms of manufacturing (healthcare equipment, polymers) -- the region is emerging from those damaging waters stronger than it has in the past, say area advocates.