Grants will fund organizations deeply invested in improving the quality of life for residents in Northwest Dayton
The Northwest Dayton Partnership Steering Committee, with support from Learn to Earn Dayton, today announced they are investing up to $1.45 million in community-based organizations’ work to improve outcomes in education, community well-being, racial equity, and economic mobility for Northwest Dayton’s children and families.
“Through the grant making process, we want to help community-based organizations grow stronger and make faster progress on the complex issues facing families in Northwest Dayton. Our goal is to distribute resources equitably and to build a community where all people have the resources and relationships they need to thrive,” said Northwest Dayton Steering Committee Member Cheryl Garrett.
Organizations located in Northwest Dayton Partnership boundaries or serving the people of the Northwest Dayton Partnership area are invited to apply.
Projects should be consistent with one or more of the Northwest Dayton Partnership’s initiatives and core goals:
Building high-quality early childhood education for children birth to age five,
Supporting high-performing public K-12 schools that serve students’ academic and social needs,
Aligning, supporting, and implementing place-based community revitalization activities, particularly those that address the social determinants of health (such as economic status, social factors, food access, health access, educational attainment and environment),
Increasing racial equity and economic mobility in Northwest Dayton.
Community residents and other stakeholders helped create the grant application, and they will participate throughout the grantmaking process, including deciding which applications to fund.
“The Northwest Dayton Partnership and Learn to Earn Dayton want to help solve some of our communities’ stickiest problems, and we think the best way to do that is by asking residents to decide which proposals they want to fund,” said Learn to Earn Dayton CEO Kristina Scott. “Northwest Dayton is a robust and diverse community, and residents understand their neighborhoods’ assets and opportunities. We have seen that when community members make funding decisions, they stay invested in the results long beyond any single grant cycle.”
These grants are part of a large-scale $8.1 million effort to use a two-generation approach to build economic and racial equity in Northwest Dayton and will enhance the Northwest Dayton Partnership’s investments in Dayton Public Schools, Omega CDC and Preschool Promise.
Dayton Public Schools will receive support for school improvement efforts at six DPS schools serving Northwest Dayton students, including designing wraparound services and supports for students and their families.
"The enrichment and support opportunities being explored through the NWDP effort offer incredible possibilities for the students and families in this sector of the city,” said Dr. Elizabeth Lolli, Superintendent of the Dayton Public Schools. “If the work being explored and planned can be fully implemented and sustained, it would and should be truly transformational for the impacted neighborhoods and schools."
Omega CDC will receive support for the Hope Center for Families’ work modeling a two-generation facility to support workforce development and career credentialing for adults, family economic stability, children’s health and wellness, and capacity building in education from cradle to career.
“The Omega CDC is pleased to receive the NWDP catalytic investment, which will accelerate the Hope Center for Families' efforts to build economic and racial equity in a region of the city that has experienced disinvestment for years. It is great to be a part of something that promises change for families in Northwest Dayton,” said Omega CDC CEO Rev. Vanessa Ward.
Preschool Promise will receive $2.2 million to help families afford child care for infants and toddlers, to implement a pilot program to increase wages for child care teachers working at sites in Northwest Dayton, and to understand what kind of parenting classes and resources parents of young children would most appreciate.
“We are excited to partner with Learn to Earn Dayton to help families access high-quality early childhood education in the Northwest Dayton Partnership zone. We know that teachers deserve respectable wages for the important work they do and that families need help paying for high-quality child care and preschool,” shared Robyn Lightcap, Executive Director of Preschool Promise, Inc.
Organizations interested in learning more can visit the Northwest Dayton Partnership website.The RFP, eligibility quiz, frequently asked questions, and other resources are available online.
Learn to Earn will host an information session for potential applicants on Friday, January 21, from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom. Space is limited, and registration is strongly recommended.
Interested applicants must complete the eligibility quiz by January 28, and the full applications are due on February 25.
About Northwest Dayton Partnership The Northwest Dayton Partnership (NWDP) brings together people and public and private sector organizations to dramatically improve results at a population level and reduce racial disparities. NWDP aligns opportunities, bolsters the infrastructure critical for the community's success and equips families to pursue their goals and thrive. The Northwest Dayton Partnership community steering committee guides the work. Current members include Cheryl Garrett, Geraldine Pegues, Chad Sloss, Sharon Taste and Lauretta Williams, who all live or work in Northwest Dayton.
About Learn to Earn Dayton Learn to Earn Dayton fosters the success of all Montgomery County children from birth until they graduate from college or earn a high-quality credential. Our big goal is for 60 percent of Montgomery County's working-age adults to have a 2-year or 4-year college degree or a high-quality credential by 2025.
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