In 2023, Akron Community Foundation awarded $698,400* in competitive Education cycle grants to programs that provide mentoring and enrichment activities for local children, workforce development opportunities for area students, and more.
- ACE Mentor Program of Greater Akron-Canton, to support a mentorship program that introduces students to careers in architecture, construction and engineering, $4,000
- Akron Children's Museum, to support the Mobile Museum in a Box program, which brings interactive learning experiences to Head Start classrooms throughout Akron, $12,000
- Akron Fossils & Science Center, to support the Science Adventure Club program, a five-week STEM program for local schools that includes interactive, hands-on lessons, $500
- Akron Inner City Soccer Club, to support youth academic and social development through after-school soccer programming for low-income families in Akron, $11,000
- Akron Promise, to support the social and emotional health of students and families at Garfield and Innes CLC, $6,000
- Akron Public Schools, for its middle school partner liaison position, which connects nonprofits and students with service learning and career exploration opportunities, $75,000
- Akron Zoo, to provide in-school programming for Akron Public Schools kindergarten students, $7,850
- Alchemy Inc., to support an in-school group mentoring program for urban adolescents in Akron that features mythological storytelling, drumming circles, mentors, journaling and other activities, $7,500
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina & Stark Counties, to support one-to-one mentoring for children in Summit County, $12,500
- Boy Scouts of America, Great Trail Council, to support career exploration and workforce development opportunities for youth in Greater Akron, $10,000
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio, to support academic success for under-resourced youth in Greater Akron, $65,000
- Bright Star Books, to support children's book-giving programs in Summit County, $10,000
- Building for Tomorrow, to support early childhood home visits for residents of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority focusing on parents' engagement in their child's education with an emphasis on social-emotional and early math and literacy skills, $92,500
- Child Guidance & Family Solutions, for the Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding Program, which offers training and on-site support for teachers, students and families to increase the social and emotional well-being of young children in preschool programs, $81,000
- Citizens Akron Church, to support the Vincent House, a hub for after-school programming, youth development and community events in Akron's Middlebury neighborhood, $5,000
- Cleveland Museum of Natural History, to support third-grade reading success in Akron Public Schools through Dig In, Akron!, a multifaceted, multidisciplinary science, literacy and math learning program, $7,500
- The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio, to support equity and inclusion education for students in Akron Public Schools, $8,000
- Dreams Academy, to provide mentorship programs at East CLC, $6,000
- Economics Center for Education and Research, to support financial education for students in Summit County, $7,500
- Girl Scouts of North East Ohio, to support leadership development and STEM programming for girls in Akron Public Schools, $11,850
- Global Ties Akron, to support global education and cultural diversity programs in Summit County schools, $12,500
- Greater Akron Chamber, to connect high school and college students to work opportunities through the creation of a portal where local employers can post job opportunities, $10,000
- Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, to support the development of a three-year strategic plan to help them gain a holistic perspective of how this student support organization fits into the workforce, entrepreneurship and financial literacy space, $10,000
- Kent State University Foundation, to provide summer enrichment activities to students impacted by foster care in Summit County, $5,000
- Law & Leadership Institute, to support a college pipeline for local high school students interested in pursuing law careers, $6,000
- Leadership Influencing Teen Empowerment, to provide emotional intelligence and leadership programs for students in Summit County, $3,500
- Limitless Ambition, to empower teen girls in Summit County through an art enrichment entrepreneurship program, $8,500
- National Inventors Hall of Fame, for Camp Invention, a weeklong summer enrichment STEM program for kindergarten to sixth grade students, $10,000
- Project GRAD Akron, for the Bridge to Kindergarten program, which prepares children for kindergarten through a summer academy, parent engagement activities, and family support services throughout the school year, $24,350
- Project Learn of Summit County, to support a high school equivalence (HSE+) course in West Akron, $18,850
- Proyecto RAICES, for programming that supports Hispanic and Latine youth in the Greater Akron area academically, emotionally and culturally, $10,000
- Shanti Community Farms, to support the Yard Corps Youth program, which provides agricultural, academic and cultural programming for refugee/immigrant APS students in North and West Akron, $5,000
- South Akron Youth Mentorship, to support academic mentoring programs for students in southeast Akron, $7,000
- Springfield Assembly of God, to support the Power Up after-school program for students in the Springfield Local School District, including academic support, physical activities and healthy snacks, $5,000
- Students With A Goal (SWAG), to provide after-school mentoring programs, tutoring, and other enrichment activities for middle school and high school students in Akron, $12,500
- Summit Education Initiative, to support Readiness Coalitions, which promote community collaboration and kindergarten readiness in Summit County, $31,000
- Tri-County Jobs for Ohio's Graduates, to support work-based learning opportunities for youth, $12,500
- University of Akron Foundation, to support Summit County K-3 teachers in evidence-based reading instruction for at-risk readers, $10,000
- Urban Vision, for the Set On Success after-school enrichment program, which provides academic support and life skills classes for students in Akron's North Hill neighborhood, $13,500
- Young Entrepreneur Institute at University School, to support K-12 Akron educators through the YIPPEE entrepreneurial platform, which allows educators to "shop" for classroom resources at no cost, $5,000
- Young Men's Christian Association of Akron Ohio (YMCA), to support high-quality, affordable early care and education programming, $37,500
*Includes contributions through Akron Community Foundation's co-investment program, which enables donor-advised fundholders to review the board's competitive grant applications and support initiatives that align with their charitable interests.