News Blog

A city’s future is only as bright as the opportunities it provides for its youngest residents. In 2023, Learn to Earn Dayton, in partnership with the City of Dayton, embarked on an ambitious three-year initiative to transform how our community supports its youth. The goal was simple yet profound: center student voices to determine the true needs, priorities, and wishes of our young people. The culmination of this process is the Student Vision for Dayton—a master planning docu

When a family faces eviction, a child’s education faces a crisis. A few years ago, our data revealed a heartbreaking trend: too many students were missing school because their families were losing their homes. Moving mid-year meant changing schools, falling behind, and losing stability. As a backbone organization, Learn to Earn Dayton recognized a safety net was necessary. We brought together national experts and local champions to design a solution, built a secure data infra

Learn to Earn Dayton is currently hiring a Development Coordinator. The Development Coordinator is a foundational member of the philanthropic team, responsible for securing financial resources necessary to enhance the organization’s mission through grant writing and administration. The Development Coordinator focuses on end-to-end grant lifecycle: from identifying new funding prospects and drafting persuasive proposals to ensuring timely reporting and stewardship.

the event provided participants with practical tools, strategies, and collaborative planning time to strengthen high-quality career experiences across all K–12 grade levels.

Learn to Earn Dayton is currently developing Achieve 2035, an investable, community-wide strategy to advance student success and strengthen our future workforce. To make this plan a success, input from those closest to our students is essential.

To help families navigate the season, the Summer + Afterschool Collaborative has officially launched the 2026 Summer Youth Program Resource Guide.

At the Board of Trustees meeting on May 8, Learn to Earn Dayton welcomed two new board members. Allison Veryser, Program Director, Mathile Family Foundation Susan Bodary, Senior Advisor, Batelle Education

After 10 months of deep dives into community organizing, policy advocacy, and collaborative problem-solving, the journey has reached a defining milestone. This week, we gathered to witness the Impact Presentations, marking the official completion of our very first Civic Leadership Program (CLP) cohort.

The Data and Visualization Coordinator ensures Learn to Earn Dayton data infrastructure and products are accurate, timely, and compelling.

Del Mar Encore Fellow Kathy Rowell, Ph.D. led the Two Gen Collaborative Professional Development Workshop on Story Gathering last month.

Learn to Earn Dayton was recently featured in an article from Enterprise Community Partners on "Learnings from the Student Eviction Prevention Community of Practice."

To make the CLP a success, the Advisory Council provides their time and expertise in shaping curriculum, recruiting speakers, and ensuring meaningful and impactful experiences for all participants. As part of the founding Advisory Council, these dedicated members have been instrumental in the successful launch of CLP and supporting our first class. They continue to leverage their institutional knowledge to strengthen and grow the program.

The 2026-2027 Civic Leadership Program Cohort Sessions have been scheduled for the following dates.

Building on the momentum of its successful debut, Learn to Earn Dayton, in collaboration with an advisory council of expert community partners, is proud to announce the launch of the second year of the Civic Leadership Program (CLP). This transformative training academy is designed to empower local residents with the leadership skills and knowledge necessary to advocate effectively for students and families.

We have heard the need for a more coordinated strategy, and we are embarking on an effort to bring partners together to create a blueprint to put Montgomery County students on the path to lifelong success through Achieve 2035.

The Buckeye Afterschool Conference remains a vital resource for the Ohio educational landscape, and Learn to Earn Dayton’s participation underscores our commitment to staying at the forefront of OST policy and practice.

Learn to Earn Dayton facilitated a third and final round of the Community Investment Fund (CIF) in 2025, continuing its work with eight deeply-rooted, neighborhood organizations to implement projects in support of the resident-led Power of Place plan. In this report, we are pleased to share their success, express our gratitude for all partners who made it possible, and look forward to what’s ahead.

"With dedicated career navigators coordinating these partnerships, students get the advising, work experiences, and college access they need. This investment from the Pathways Impact Fund will help us further demonstrate the effectiveness of the model across different Ohio communities and create the conditions for statewide adoption."

For more than a decade, Learn to Earn Dayton's annual reports have provided a snapshot of student achievement in Montgomery County along a continuum of critical cradle-to-career milestones. Tracking these milestones allows our community to see where, together, we have made great strides and where we must do more to align efforts and resources to reduce outcomes disparities.

Learning from the Front Lines: Through expert panel discussions, cohort members explored what defines a successful district and the personal "whys" that drive educational leaders.