1999-2000 Akron-Summit PreK-16
School-University Collaboratives
Adopt-A-School
The
Adopt-A-School program is designed to help students at the Leggett Elementary
School. Students from the Greek
community act as mentors and role models for the students and assist with
homework and other school activities. The
program has two components: Adopt-A-School takes place during the school day and
focuses on academics. Greek Bothers
and Sisters occurs after school and focuses more on extracurricular activities.
The Office of Greek Affairs provides nominal financial resources for the
program. The students from the
University are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the program.
Adventure
of Math and Science for Girls
The
program consists of a two-weekend workshop, with each week representing some
different aspect of math and science. The
U of A female engineering students were responsible for organizing,
administering, and delivering the project.
Undergraduate and graduate students worked with practicing engineers
during the workshops. “Think
Tanks” or reflective sessions regarding important concepts are conducted
throughout the workshop. The
responses are prompted in their individual groups, as the engineering student
mentor is continuously explaining and pointing out important concepts.
The
Adult Resource Center (ARC)
The
Adult Resource Center (ARC), which has been part of the Admissions Office since
1994, is an educational/career guidance unit that provides pre-admissions
services to an adult population 25 years and older. The staff of the Adult Resource Center also administers the
University’s Sixty Plus Program. This
program is state-mandated and has been designed to allow persons over sixty
years of age to attend University courses without having to pay tuition or the
general service fee.
The
main function of the Adult Resource Center is to provide adult learners with
assistance in accessing higher education appropriate to choosing a career or
changing careers. ARC staff members
advise prospective students in regard to admission procedures, majors and areas
of study, financial assistance, career planning and more.
On-campus individual and group appointments are available six days a
week. ARC hosts several visitation
events a year at which students can complete advising, administration and
registration in one day. In
addition, ARC conducts outreach to business and industry sites and community and
social agencies to bring information to the public on admission for adult
learners. The Adult Resource Center
is a member of the Cleveland Area College Consortium, which helps to facilitate
ARC’s additional outreach goal of providing pre-admission or re-entry advising
to employees on site at businesses and industries in Summit, Portage, Cuyahoga,
and Medina Counties. This outreach
unit of the University serves its client base with concern for individuals and
commitment to the idea that learning is life-changing.
Akron
Achieving Math Proficiency (AAMP) Transition
Akron:
Achieving Mathematical Proficiency (Project AAMP) is a partnership between The
University of Akron and Akron Public Schools for the purpose of increasing
student achievement in mathematics by implementing National Council of Teachers
of Mathematics Standards-based curricula. Funded by a John S. and James L.
Knight Foundation Excellence in Education Grant since 1994, Project AAMP has
provided 80+ hours of training annually for a total of 125+ middle and high
school mathematics teachers. Teachers received training in the areas of content,
methodology, technology, and assessment and could receive graduate credit for
these professional development workshops through The University of Akron. Now in
its second phase, Project AAMP is currently providing workshops for building
administrators and counselors to assist them in understanding NCTM
Standards-based curricula and to help them incorporate mathematical literacy
into their standards-based building improvement plans. Workshops for parents and
other community/business leaders are also being held. Beginning Fall 1999, the
model for systemic change that has been developed as a result of Project AAMP
will be extended to other school systems within Summit County under the umbrella
of another Knight Foundation Grant secured by a local, community-based
non-profit organization, Summit Education Initiative.
Akron Area Tech Prep Consortium
Tech
Prep is a competency-based program of combined secondary education and
occupational experience that includes a common core of
required proficiency in mathematics, science, communications, and
technologies designed to lead to an Associate’s Degree or two-year
post-secondary certificate in specific career fields.
Akron
International Friendship--Bridges to Understanding
International
students from The University of Akron speak to school children in Akron and the
surrounding area about the international student's national and cultural
heritage. The goal of this program
is to help children learn about other people and cultures as well as global
issues.
Akron
Public Schools Integrated Preschool Program
This
program was for preschool age children from the Akron Public School district
with identified special needs or who had been identified as "at risk."
The Center provided the facilities, food service, and administrative
support. This program offered an internship opportunity to a
student enrolled in the Department of Counseling and Special Education.
The
Akron-Summit PreK-16 Initiative
The
Akron-Summit PreK-16 Initiative serves as an umbrella advisory and support group
for existing and potential school-university collaborations between The
University of Akron and area PreK-12 schools.
The Council’s Steering Committee is chaired by a university advocate of
school-university collaboration. To
date, accomplishments include establishment of a comprehensive inventory of
school-university collaborative partnerships,
a bi-annual school-university resource directory of school-university
collaboratives, collection and analysis of PreK-16 student trend data for
purposes of strategy development, discipline/content specific focus group
sessions, dissemination of a semi-annual newsletter, and model initiatives
including an Honor Students’ PreK-3 Reading Initiative implemented at six
sites, a Summer Institute for Gifted and Talented High School Students, and a
2+2 Program for Minority Students.
Business Education
Collaboration on Minorities in Education (BECOME)
The BECOME program is designed to increase the
ethnic and cultural diversity of teachers within the Akron Public Schools.
It is a collaboration among The University of Akron, Kent State
University, Akron Public Schools, and the Ohio Department of Education with
businesses and organizations in the Akron community.
Scholarships are awarded for up to $2000.00.
Upon graduation, BECOME scholars will receive first priority for
employment for teaching positions in their field.
Careers
Program
The
Arts & Sciences Careers Program sponsors internships for undergraduate
students in our nine member departments: Economics, English, Geography, History,
Modern Languages, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
Several of these internships are with local educational institutions,
including Our Lady of the Elms, St. Vincent-St. Mary, and Walsh Jesuit.
During the past year, we have placed interns at these schools.
Caring
Communities of Summit County
Caring
Communities of Summit County is a consortium of human service agencies concerned
about developing new ways to deliver human service intervention.
Agencies, churches, businesses, organizations and residents join forces
and determine how existing services can be made more accessible and better
address the needs of the community. Currently,
there are two sites in operation: Crouse Caring Community, located in the Crouse
Elementary School and Erie Island Caring Community, located in the Erie Island
Elementary School.
Child
Development
The
major objective of the partnership between the School of Family and Consumer
Economics and the Akron Board of Education Head Start Program is to allow
students in child development to observe and teach children in early childhood
programs. Lead teachers in the Head
Start classrooms serve as field supervisors and assist students in lesson
preparations, procedures and use of effective teaching strategies.
The teachers complete several evaluations on the student’s performance
which are incorporated into the total assessment of students in the course.
It is felt that this partnership enables University of Akron students to
observe models of effective early childhood educational practice in application
of theory to educational practices.
Children's Concert
Society (CCS)
The
Children's Concert Society (CCS) has 3 main operations:
In-School Program
The
University of Akron's Graduate Ensembles listed below perform sixteen -
forty-five minute concerts for area elementary schools.
Members of the groups talk about their instruments, their music and
encourage the students to participate in the program.
The University of Akron ensembles participating in the in-school program
described above are as follows.
E.
J. Thomas Hall Performances
The
Children's Concert Society presents at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall in
alternative years Ballet (for 3rd and 4th graders) and Opera (for 5th and 6th
graders). The UA Opera/Musical Theater has performed every other year
since 1985. The Repertory Dance
Company has performed in 1988, 1990, and 1994.
Scholastic
Composers Contest
In
an effort to encourage music creativity, Children's Concert Society invites all
students in Summit County in grades K-12 to submit original compositions.
First Place winners perform at the Premiere Performance in April.
The manuscripts are judged by the composition/theory faculty at The
University of Akron's School of Music.
Clinic
for Child Study and Family Therapy
The
Clinic for Child Study and Family Therapy, located within The University of
Akron's Department of Counseling and Special Education, provides counseling
services for individuals of all ages (children, adolescents, teens, and adults),
as well as for couples and families in the Akron-Canton-Cleveland metropolitan
area. Staffed by masters' and
doctoral-level counselors-in-training, the Clinic provides an extensive array of
counseling services under the supervision of a clinical team comprised of
experienced, licensed faculty. All
counseling services are provided free of charge.
College
Work-Study Program: America Reads Challenge
Students
awarded College Work-Study (CWS) with a minimum 2.5 or higher grade point
average are given the opportunity to tutor Akron elementary students in math,
reading and writing. Interested
students undergo a criminal background check by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal
Investigation (BCI&I) and attend two six-hour training workshops prior to
placement in the schools. Teachers
whose students will be tutored and principals of the participating schools
attend training sessions as well. Training
focuses on tutoring and learning skills and strategies, and issues of cultural
diversity. Nine students currently
tutor young students at Leggett and Portage Path Elementary Schools.
Communicating
Partners
The
project is designed to provide communication device assessments to non-speaking
and minimally verbal multi-handicapped students in Akron Public Schools.
Supervised graduate students from The University of Akron's School of
Speech-Language Pathology Program conduct the assessments and complete reports.
Akron Public Schools submit the reports for funding the devices to public
agencies such as Ohio Medicaid, Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation, and Summit
County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities.
Graduate students provided consultation to families, teachers, and
speech-language pathologists to assist in implementing communication device use
in classrooms, homes, and community environments.
Crouse
Caring Communities Project
Crouse
Caring Communities is a consortium of human service agencies concerned about
developing new ways to deliver human service interventions.
Essentially these agencies feel that the focus should be the person in
need; that artificial boundaries should not exist between agencies, but that
services be holistic in delivery. This
pilot project has selected Crouse School as the site for the first test of this
model. This is not an education project per se, but is using an
educational site (Crouse School) for the implementation of its program
philosophy. Six goals established
for Crouse Caring Community include community outreach activities, supplemental
education and after-school recreational activities for children, family support,
mentoring for boys and girls, and peer support for single mothers.
Dance
Institute
The
Dance Institute, in existence for thirty years, is committed to providing the
highest quality of dance training to students in the Northeast Ohio area.
The program is designed to cover fourteen years of a young dancer’s
development beginning at the pre-ballet level (age four) through the advanced
level (age eighteen). The Dance Institute prepares students to either enter the
professional world of dance as a career in a classical or modern dance company,
or to enter a strong university dance major program and pursue a degree in
higher education.
Decker
Family Development Center
The
Decker Family Development Center is a collaborative among The University of
Akron, Barberton City Schools, and Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron.
Strong cooperative support is also provided by an additional 21 Summit County
(Ohio) agencies who are charged with providing services to at risk families with
preschool children. The Decker
Center opened in August of 1990 and currently serves 275 parents and their 325
preschool children. Staff from the
three collaboratives and 23 support agencies moved into a former elementary
school and transformed it into a "one-stop" family support and early
childhood intervention program. The
staff from these agencies provide comprehensive social, medical, educational and
mental health services to low-income, at-risk parents and their preschool
children. The family is the focal
point of service at the Decker Center and family members may participate in any
of the programs.
Early
Childhood Education
The
Center for Child Development serves as a job training site for students enrolled
in the Akron Public Schools Early Childhood Education Programs located at Ellet
High School and North High School. The
students work directly with children in a preschool classroom and are supervised
by the classroom head teacher. The
high school students develop and prepare lesson plans and teaching aids, which are approved by the
high school teacher. The plans are
then implemented in the preschool classroom.
Along with child development, the high school curriculum includes
psychology, sociology, nutrition, and job attitude.
Emphasis is placed on learning and developing skills in the care and
guidance of children.
Early Field
Experience for Elementary Math and Science Methods
University
of Akron faculty members teach one section of the courses, teaching Elementary
School Mathematics and Science in Early Childhood and Middle Grades at Crouse
Elementary School. In this field
setting, the university students observe instruction in the classroom; apply
learning theory in practice; design and teach science and math lessons to
students; and perform volunteer service activities in the school community.
University faculty also serve as advisors on school projects; offer
teacher enhancement opportunities; and work with parents to assist them with
their child’s learning.
Educational
Talent Search
Educational
Talent Search provides services to 1,025 youth and adults, assisting in
preparing them for postsecondary education.
It serves Akron Public School students in grades 6 through 12 and adults
from the community, via in-school workshops, newsletters, field trips and
personal appointments. Services
include assistance with academic preparation, college selection, admissions and
the financial aid application process, as well as setting goals, time
management, study skills, and self-esteem.
Two thirds of our participants are both low income and first generation
college bound, meaning neither parent earned a four year degree.
ETS has collaborations/partnerships with Akron Public Schools, ALADIN
(Academic Language Assessment and Development of Individual Needs), Volunteer
Center of Akron, and The University of Akron, and is in contact with a host of
other service providers and community agencies on an as-needed basis.
Financial
Aid Awareness Month
Financial
Aid Awareness Month occurs annually in January.
The purpose is to provide financial aid information and its availability
along with the application process to high school seniors and their parents.
Fun
with Electricity and Magnetism
This
initiative involves faculty from the Department of Electrical Engineering in
making presentations on electricity and magnetism at area schools, science
fairs, public libraries, and the Inventure Place.
Graduate
Outreach Teachers Masters Program
The
Counseling, Testing and Career Center administers the Millers Analogy Test as
part of an outreach program for Continuing Education and the College of
Education. We set up
administrations of the test at the high schools in hopes that if we remove every
obstacle, teachers will enroll in University of Akron programs.
The outreach program is coordinated by Dr. Bonnie Williams in Continuing
Education.
Graphic
Arts Co-op Program
The
objective of the Graphic Arts Co-op Program is to train students interested and
enrolled in Central Hower’s Graphic Arts program in an actual work
environment; to expose them to all facets of printing production, both offset
and digital; to increase their skill sets and job knowledge to better prepare
them when entering the workforce.
Greek
Brothers/Greek Sisters
The
program is designed for second through fifth grade students. Members of the fraternity and sorority community got to
Leggett Elementary School to engage the students in games and sporting
activities. The purpose of this
interaction is to provide role models for these children, to encourage good
citizenship, and to show the importance of gaining an education.
The UA students also assist with homework (reading, math, computer) on an
"as needed" basis.
High
School Financial Aid Presentations
Staff
from the financial aid office give presentations on aid availability and the
application process to families from area high schools.
January is National Financial Aid Month. The presentations are done during this time to coincide with
the national program. Approximately
40 schools are visited. The
counties that are visited during this period are Summit, Portage, Stark, Medina
and Wayne.
International
Speaker’s Service
As
one facet of the program with International Students enrolled at The University
of Akron, we promote a program to ask those students to serve our community by
going to schools to talk about their countries.
Volunteers serve to transport these students to the schools and any
expenses incurred in carrying out the program are taken from volunteer
contributions. Our program with the
United States Information Agency also provides opportunities for our
distinguished guests to occasionally talk to students in the schools.
The
Manufacturing Challenge - Technical Career Awareness
Focus:
9th/10th grade. Initial work: Akron Public Schools, Field Local Schools.
-
Work
with secondary teachers to develop units/curriculum for math, English, and
science that are "cross-curricular/industry related."
-
In-class
exercise for students includes an activity where a
"competitive manufacturing situation" is created for them. Portable robotics equipment, computers, etc., are taken to
the school site. Students divide
into two companies and make a product. They
compare product/results.
-
Also
includes a summer workshop that expands on above concepts including CAD, CNC, and robotics, etc., for students that are interested.
Music
in the Schools, Graduate Woodwind Quintet
The
major objective of this collaborative is to develop an interest in, and better
understanding of chamber music among elementary and junior high school age children.
This is accomplished by means of 45-minute presentations that are both
entertaining and didactic. The
other important objective is to provide students at The University of Akron
School of Music experience in this type of presentation.
Pre-Engineering
- Academic Achievement Programs
The University of Akron, Academic Achievement Programs, Pre-Engineering
Project serves forty 9-12 grade participants from the Upward Bound Program, The
Educational Talent Search Program and the Upward Bound Math and Science Program.
The purpose of the Pre-Engineering Project is to inform, encourage and
build confidence of students who have expressed interest or demonstrated skills
in engineering to pursue post-secondary studies and careers in engineering. The project design addresses this country’s significant
shortage and under-representation of disadvantaged and low-income students
preparing for engineering careers.
The Summer component consists of six weeks of daily, hands-on classes
conducted by university professors and graduate students from the College of
Engineering. These classes consist of lecture demonstrations, building
projects, conducting experiments and student involvement in other opportunities
for hands-on application of mathematics and science principles necessary for a
deeper understanding of engineering.
The academic year component includes three unique activities: hands-on
workshops and tutorials, career visits and workshops at local firms, and special
projects including an internship program.
Pre-Nursing
Club: A Recruitment Program for
Minority and Disadvantaged School Age Children
The
Pre Nursing Club for elementary school age children has been conducted at
Lincoln Elementary School since 1987. The
purpose of the club is to encourage minority and disadvantaged children to think
about health related careers. Club
meetings are conducted on a weekly
bases by senior nursing students and one faculty person from the College of
Nursing. Learning experiences
include a variety of topics and activities that focus on health, being a nurse
and selected systems of the body. A
field trip to the College of Nursing is the culminating experience each spring
where the children and their parents spend time with nursing students and
faculty. Time is spent in the
learning resource center where "club members" are given hands on
experiences learning how to care for patients.
Project
SEED (Summer Educational Experience for the Disadvantaged)
Project
SEED enables financially disadvantaged high school students to work in a
chemistry research laboratory for 8 weeks during the summer. The students are involved in actual research work under the
direction of a professional chemist.
Each student is paid a stipend of approximately $1750 - $2000.
The chemist volunteers his/her time as well as laboratory space,
chemicals, equipment, etc. The goal of the program is to increase the participation of
under-represented groups in the sciences, especially chemistry.
Respiratory
Care Collaborative
This
collaborative represents a partnership between The University of Akron and the
Medina County Career Center. The
purpose of this partnership is to provide programming for the Tech Prep
Respiratory Care Medical Strand.
RIF
Book Party (Reading Is Fundamental)
The
Wayne Area Literacy Coalition and the Orrville United Way provided funds for a
RIF (Reading Is Fundamental) project for preschoolers. The funds provided
the means for creating interest in literacy for parents as well as preschoolers
in the community's low income population. The
University of Akron Wayne College's Understanding Language Literacy class met
with children in Head Start, Even Start, and WIC (Women, Infants, Children)
Program and Ida Sue students twice during Spring Semester, 1999.
The purpose of this collaboration was for college students to interact
with the children using books while the parents in attendance observed for ideas
in sharing books with their children. Also
at each meeting, the children chose books from RIF for their own collections.
RN-MSN
and RN-BSN Outreach Program
Lorain
County is the largest county in Ohio without access to baccalaureate education.
The University of Akron College of Nursing responded to this need in the
community. In the summer of 1995,
the College of Nursing started an outreach program to the Registered Nurses
(RNs) in Lorain County which offered all bridge courses in the RN-MSN sequence
on the Lorain County Community College (LCCC) campus.
Two of the core courses in the Masters sequence were also offered on the
LCCC campus. This reduced the
number of semesters LCCC students had to travel to The University of Akron for
classes. Travel time is a major
issue for the working RN, who most often also has a family.
This program has made professional growth possible for a very underserved
population. In 1997, the RN/BSN
program started and ended with 29 students. The 1998 class had 25 students and the current class, which
started summer 1999, has 8 students. The MSN courses are offered via distance learning and vary in
size. Five students will have
completed all the MSN offerings at LCCC and start their specialty tracks courses
in Akron this spring semester.
School
To Work Program for the State of Ohio
The
mission of Ohio's School to Work system is to ensure that every Ohio student
graduates from high school and beyond with the knowledge and skills needed to
succeed in the ever-changing world of work - and to be prepared for lifelong
learning.
School to Work (STW) represents a system change strategy.
It aims to close the gap between the skills that students are acquiring
versus the skills employers need. This
necessitates creating public-private partnerships to get educators, employers,
students, labor, community organizations and public officials involved.
STW is a new commitment to make Ohio's education/workforce development
systems seamless, community-based, client driven and results oriented.
It targets kindergarten to 12th grade, and postsecondary students, and
contains three basic elements: (1)
school-based learning which included career options, career preparation and
applied academics; (2) work-based learning which provides workplace experiences
and is coordinated with learning in school; and (3) connecting activities -
active partnerships among high schools, vocational schools and higher education
with the local business commitment.
Strive
Toward Excellence Program (STEP)
The
Firestone Strive Toward Excellence Program is a pre-college preparatory program
designed to assist students who aspire to attend college. STEP selects students in grade six. Designated as Firestone Fellows, they participate in STEP for
two years then move into the University's Upward Bound Program which assists
them through high school. Program
graduates are guaranteed admission to the University and granted scholarship
assistance. This program serves
students who attend Akron Public Schools for the following objectives:
-
To
assist students approaching adolescence in developing positive self-identities necessary to resist peer pressure that devalues academic
excellence.
-
To
assist students in selecting appropriate college preparatory courses.
-
To
monitor the progress of the targeted students throughout their junior
and senior high school career.
-
To
provide the necessary career information so that students can
adequately prepare for their future and to help make the idea of college a
reality.
A
total of forty students for the Akron Public School system participate in the
year round program. Students must
have college potential and meet U.S. Department of Education low income criteria
and/or be a prospective first generation college student.
Student
- Teacher Entry Year Teacher Collaboration
Representatives
from Akron Public Schools, The University of Akron and Kent State University
meet to discuss issues related to mentoring, entry year teachers, and providing
experiences for pre-service teachers, mentor training, and entry year support,
as well as the creation of extending pre-service/in-service opportunities and
seeking funding to support our work on the goals of this collaborative.
A
Structured Cohort Approach to NBPTS Certification
This program
utilizes both university personnel and National Board certified teachers to
facilitate and support N.E. Ohio teachers during the year they are candidates
for National Board Certification.
Both large and small group meetings are held at least monthly.
The program also provides support to teachers who are involved in the
“banking” process to achieve National Board certification.
The Summer Honors Institute for Gifted High School Students--A Renaissance
Learning Experience
The
purpose of this collaborative is to make available to high school honor students
opportunities to work, study, research and learn with outstanding university
professors in several areas of academic professional studies and/or performing
arts. The educational experience options are wide ranging, dynamic, and current.
Participants meet other honor students from surrounding communities,
learning to work collaboratively on a variety of projects.
This
three-week, tuition-free summer day program is offered to highly motivated
sophomore and junior high school students who have been identified as gifted and
talented and have demonstrated high academic achievement.
Past programs have included courses such as Discovering Polymers,
Engineering Technology, Web Page Design, Basic Criminal Investigation, and
Cultural Aspects of Chinese Civilization. Students are also invited to
participate in tours and learning activities during the lunch hour as an
additional dimension to their experiences.
Surgical
Assisting Technology Program
The
Surgical Assisting Technology Program at The University of Akron is associated
with the Allied Health Strand which addresses the educational needs and promotes
higher learning in Medina County’s Joint Vocational Center.
Technology
and Invention in Elementary Schools (TIES)
The
University of Akron's College of Education and College of Engineering plus the
Akron Public Schools and Inventure Place (Home of the National Inventors Hall of
Fame) are collaborating in TIES to:
-
Institute
teaching procedures in Akron that encourage young girls
and minority students in science, especially the physical sciences and technology.
-
Train
Akron Public School teachers in grades 3-6 to better teach science
with a special emphasis on technology. For
example, TIES will enable 24 Akron Public School teachers in grades 3-6 to
receive training on the use of Inventure
Place as a teaching resource.
Training
Administrators and Pre Service Administrators in Special Education Model
Policies and Procedures
This
collaborative is a $25,000 grant training administrators, teachers, and parent
in model practices for educating students with special educational needs and in
developing a school community in which all students learn.
2
+ 2 Together: Partners in Recruiting for a Diverse Teaching Workforce
Ohio, like
other states, is in dire need of a teaching population that reflects the growing
number of diverse students in schools. The
need for underrepresented teachers in the diverse urban and metropolitan areas
is crucial, as all children benefit from the opportunity to interact with
educators from diverse backgrounds.
To meet this challenge, the goal of The 2 + 2 Together Collaborative is
to identify, recruit, enroll, and retain 15 candidates from underrepresented
groups in the elementary teacher preparation program.
Upon completion of the program, these candidates will be assisted in
securing teaching positions in local school districts.
The program will run from June, 1997 through August, 1999.
UA
Opera Theatre
The
Akron Children’s Concert Society pays money into our scholarship fund.
In return each year, usually early in the second semester, we tour a 45
minute program of Opera into the Akron Public Schools, Grades 1-6.
University
of Akron Honor Students’ K-3 Reading Initiative
Based
on recommendations by the University of Akron’s P-16 Council Steering
Committee, the U of A Honor Students’ K-3 Reading Initiative was initiated to
prepare Honor Students to become “readers” for selected area sites to
children in grades K-3. This
program coincides with President Clinton’s Help America Read and Governor
Taft’s OhioReads.
University of Akron Honor Students serve as volunteers reading to and
with children, kindergarten through third grade.
The purpose of this collaborative is to encourage children’s desire to
read and to help them read at an early age.
After attending tutor training sessions, participating University Honor
Students work a minimum of 25 hours, and upon completion, are provided with a
$250.00 book voucher, a free sweatshirt which reads, “College Begins in
Kindergarten,” and a Level I Reading Certificate.
This collaborative serves to model implementation of the P-16 concept for
the Akron-Summit community and beyond.
University
of Akron - School Partnership
This
program was designed to place pre-service teachers with selected mentor teachers
during the semester prior to student teaching.
Working with mentors in Barberton, Akron, and Green schools, students
spend two days learning about teaching and learning from the teachers with whom
they will be doing their student teaching.
Through on-site classes focusing on planning integration, technology and
professional issues, and through weekly observations and feedback from site
coordinators, students learn to reflect on their practice and develop as
professionals. Mentor teachers
provide ongoing feedback and opportunities to learn.
Several also provide mini-workshops on "best practices" such as
a reading-writing workshop, multiage classrooms, literature circles, and
learning styles.
University
Partnership
The
College of Nursing started offering RN completion programs on the LCCC campus in
the summer of 1995. Lorain County
voters passed a levy in fall 1995 that made the University Partnership a
reality. The partnership supplies
residents access to various majors from a number of private and public
universities in the State of Ohio, all on the LCCC campus.
The University of Akron offers two programs: C & T offers one and the
College of Nursing offers RN/BSN, RN/MSN and MSN programs. The core courses for the MSN program began in 1999 with 2
courses in the spring, one in the summer and 3 in the fall. The sequence will be repeated starting Spring Semester 2000.
Upward
Bound Program
Upward
Bound is a federally funded academic program targeted to high school age
students who are involved in college preparatory courses and planning on
attending college. Upward Bound
provides academic, social, and cultural experiences that aid the students in
their college preparation process while exposing them to the university campus
environment.
Upward
Bound Math/Science Program
The
Upward Bound Math/Science Program is one of the “TRIO” programs funded by
the U.S. Dept. of Education and operated in partnership with The University of
Akron. The program began its first
year of a four-year funding cycle on October 1, 1995.
Focusing on polymer science, the program has two interrelated components:
a six-week summer residential program and an academic
year follow-up program. The
program is funded to serve forty high school students, in grades 10-12 from the
target states of Indiana, Pennsylvania, Ohio. and Michigan. Integrated academic offerings include instructional classes,
hands-on lab courses, independent research projects, and mentoring using the
Internet and World Wide Web. Field
trips, cultural experiences, recreational activities and college visits
reinforce the academic courses. Located
in the heart of “Polymer Valley” on the campus of The University of Akron
and utilizing the state-of-the-art resources of the Polymer Science Building,
the program is believed to be the only pre-college polymer program in the entire
country.
Wayne
College and Orrville City Schools
The
Office of Continuing Education and Workforce Development has been involved with
Orrville City Schools in the area of Technology Training and School-to-Work.
We have provided all their technology training needs for the last 3
years. Recently we have provided
Internet training, PowerPoint, Windows 95, Works, PrintShop and Hyperstudio.
Wayne College was the host for their annual inservice day workshop and
provided two of the breakout sessions in the fall of 1997. Over 150 teachers
attended. It was well received and
the College was sent a personal thank you from the teachers.
The College continues to work with Orrville in the area of
School-to-Work. In August of 1997,
we worked with them to develop a week long workshop for teachers called,
“Connecting Learning to Life.” Akron’s
College of Education awarded 31 teachers two graduate credit hours.
In the spring/summer of 1998, we partnered with them to bring Increasing
Human Effectiveness by Edge Learning to teachers and students of Orrville
Schools. This was a continuation
for the previous School-to-Work project. This
training focuses on affective learning. The teachers were trained in the fall of 1998 and began
implementing it into the curriculum in 1999.
A
World In Motion I
The
objective of this collaborative is to promote engineering and science for
elementary students (3rd - 6th graders). The
program involves hands-on experiments using materials from the World In Motion
engineer/teacher partnership. The
projects undertaken focus on the design and development of a "Skinner
Regatta" and "Option Carton Derby" where each experiment consists
of exploratory and investigative segments.
A
World In Motion II
The
College of Engineering in partnership with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
and the Woodridge Middle School System has collaborated to expose middle school
students to engineering, math and science, and design concepts.
The SAE program, A World in Motion II (AWIMII): The Design
Experience-Challenge 2 projects, is a carefully planned and integrated language
art, English, math, technology, and science curriculum.
Its modular design provides versatility, invites and supports agreement
and partnership among universities, schools, industry, community organizations,
teachers, volunteers, and students.
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