Center for Arts-Inspired Learning extends Academic Learning Pod for Cleveland Metro students from Glenville and Hough; adds partnership with Cleveland Heights University Heights Pod.
With the district maintaining a virtual school format for the second quarter of the 2020-2021 school year, the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning (CAL) announces its extension of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Academic Learning Pod (ALP) resulting in continued full-day, in-person support to students and families from Glenville and Hough for the second quarter of the school year. Additionally, CAL has forged a new partnership with Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District (CHUH), to fund nine student scholarships and provide arts enrichment programming to the academic learning pod at Wiley School.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District Academic Learning Pod
In September, CAL was selected as one of 24 providers in the CMSD ALP initiative, a partnership among The Cleveland Foundation, the United Way of Greater Cleveland and CMSD. This initiative serves more than 800 CMSD students who are academically vulnerable, homeless, without internet or have guardians who are essential workers. In addition to in-person educational support and on-site enrichment, pods provide reliable internet and meals while students are unable to access their school classrooms.
“When we saw the positive impact of the learning pod for students and families, we were thrilled to be able to continue the initiative,” said Marsha Dobrzynski, CAL’s President and CEO. “Not only are the students benefitting from the added arts enrichment and the ability to socialize with their peers but families too are getting the support they need to ensure their children’s learning needs are met. It is so important to us to be able to serve our community at this critical time.”
Held at the Inspiration Center, CAL’s ALP is able to serve nine students in grades 2-6 from the Glenville and Hough neighborhoods. Offered from 8am-4pm, Monday through Friday, the children spend the school day with CAL Teaching Artists who assist students with their virtual classroom assignments, and engage them in arts enrichment and creative projects to fill any down-time in their class schedule: including theater and poetry with Resident Teaching Artist Kalim Hill, Dance with Rachel Torowski, and Visual Arts with Claudio Orso-Giacone and Mark Yasenchack.
Enrollment is limited to nine children in order to ensure the safety of both the students and artists. Each student has their own work station which is spaced out to ensure social distancing and masks are required at all times. The extended learning pod session will run through the end of the second quarter on Friday, December 18.
Cleveland Heights-University Heights Academic Learning Pod
In October, CAL was awarded funding from MYCOM and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health to provide services to youth in Cleveland Heights through the CHUH ALP at Frank L. Wiley School. This new funding supports scholarships for nine children who joined the learning pod on October 12. Additionally, this partnership brings CAL teaching artists to provide arts enrichment to all students currently enrolled in this pod. During the week of November 9-13, Dancing Wheels provided an in-person residency for the students working with two groups each day, students in K-2 and 3-5. A second artist residency is being planned and will take place prior to winter break.
Funding Partners
Funding support for both Academic Learning Pods is provided by MYCOM Cleveland, United Way of Greater Cleveland, The Cleveland Foundation, Cuyahoga County Board of Health, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Say Yes Cleveland, The Sam J. Frankino Foundation, Whole Food Markets, and the Children’s Hunger Alliance.