Economic distress, unemployment or underemployment, poverty, homelessness, and educational success and social emotional health are known to be intricately intertwined. The Ohio Department of Education’s 2019 strategic plan makes it very clear that educational success for Ohio’s children must be approached by addressing and supporting the needs of the whole child through multi-faceted community efforts.

Two of the major institutional efforts to provide additional family-centered, collaborative educational support opportunities for residents of Dayton have led to a deepening and broadening of services at the Dayton Metro Library and a refocusing of the Dayton Public School’s’ Neighborhood School Centers. The Library’s Family Engagement staff and the schools’ Family Resource Coordinators are tasked with providing a range of educational support efforts, diverse family and community support services, and a broad range of out-of-school programming. Research suggests that such full-service community supports are tied to a range of benefits including academic improvement, family empowerment, a reduction in children’s disruptive behaviors and suspensions, more positive attitudes about school, and more consistent attendance.

The University of Dayton Community Corps will provide an expanded avenue for one-on-one family and child educational support, the capacity to garner additional community resources for those families, and undertake additional enrichment events to help Dayton’s children and their families reach their full potential.

The benefits of engagement in this program include:

• Student loan deferment
• Skills and training
• Living allowance
• Eligible for Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon satisfactory completion of service to help pay for college, graduate school, or vocational training, or to repay student loans
• Potential career opportunities
• A community of members and friends