Inner City Youth Opportunities
1821 Summit Road
Cincinnati, OH 45237
Academic Intervention and Youth Development Program
Grant Application:
Academic Intervention is a year-round after school and summer literacy and tutorial program for children in various Cincinnati Public Schools who show financial need and struggle to meet grade level benchmarks. Early childhood literacy is the focus for K - 3rd graders while skill practice and homework support is the focus for 3-8th grades. The program also provides a safe, stable environment, caring staff and volunteers, meals and snacks, transportation to and from the program, and social and youth development opportunities. All of this support is fully subsidized thanks to community financial support.
Program Goals:
- All children passing to the next grade
- All children meeting grade-level benchmarks in key indicators like reading fluency, reading comprehension and math
- All children follow the rules of the program, demonstrating positive, respectful behavior to volunteers, staff and their peers
- Graduation for 12th grade participants
- Regular school attendance
- Regular attendance in ICYO programs
- Students who age up volunteer and work with the smaller children in the program
- Increase in self-confidence
Grant Evaluation Report:
ICYO continues to pour into the community of children and families who are most vulnerable and face many challenges from educational to the ability to meet basic needs. This past grant cycle and school year, students are still digging out from the effects of the pandemic on their education as well as family's resources and ability to make ends meet with all of the economic and health challenges. The schools are working to close the gap for nearly the entire population of students and focusing on the groups that are so far behind is going to take additional resources - this is where ICYO steps in.
ICYO is able to identify individual needs of not only the students, but the entire family and work on specific skills, throughout the year, to help improve their overall success. The success of the program/project is the unique approach and ability to connect holistically to serve a broad range of needs. Progress is seen in different ways - through new skills, self-confidence, grades, test scores, participation in other activities, even the ability to get up in front of the classroom to deliver a report project.
ICYO continues to see success in all of these ways as the children learn and grow and have consistent participation in the program and activities throughout the school year and the summer.
Results:
During the 2021-22 School year, ICYO served a total of 47 children. All students passed to their next grade level except one student who attends a charter School and was experiencing family issues at home which affected her school work. Most of this has mostly been addressed and somewhat worked through with mom so the student is now happier and more focused. ICYO continues to offer help to mom with more positive parenting strategies and offering help with a younger sibling in our program.
Overall tutoring attendance was consistent with students that attended ICYO from September 2021 to May 17 2022 unless they were ill, or played an after-school sport or other activity from time to time.
The focus throughout the program was on educational immersion using Summer Bridge workbooks, Rebecca Sitton spelling and grammar workbooks and working on math skills with flashcards and educational software on the computer.
ICYO was able to offer one Spring field trip on May 14, 2022 to the Cincinnati Nature Center that included:
CNC picnic lunch, hike to Lotus Pond and Matts Pond for pond studies with nature journals given to each child to record their observations. The day wrapped up with time at the Marge & Charles Schott Playscape.
14 ICYO students made the A or B honor roll!
Website:
http://www.icyocincinnati.org Amount: $20,000
Date: October 2021
