Nov. 18 BOE Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee meeting
Covered by Documenter Christina Brunson (see her notes here) and Emma Lassailly (see her notes here)
This year, more than 10,000 Akron Public Schools‘ students in pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade will participate in field trips outside the classroom designed to ignite imaginations and support educational outcomes.
The GAR Foundation and APS have partnered since 2019 to send students on inquiry-based “Essential Experiences” at regional arts and cultural destinations for programming aligned with Ohio Learning Standards. Each year students participate in grade-level-appropriate programming at a different partner institution, including those in the table below.
| Pre-K | ArtSparks |
| Kindergarten | Akron Children’s Museum |
| First grade | Akron Zoo |
| Second grade | Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center |
| Third grade | Hale Farm & Village |
| Fourth grade | Akron Art Museum |
| Fifth grade | Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens |
During the Nov. 18 meeting of the APS Board of Education’s Instructional Policy & Student Achievement Committee, Marcie Ebright, director of the district’s College & Career Academies, shared updates on the Essential Experiences program. She also talked about the 2024 Summer Adventure camps for middle-schoolers.
Students connect to local culture and history
Laura DiCola, GAR senior program officer for Education, noted that the award-winning Essential Experiences collaboration “is one of our most proud partnerships.” The program draws on $1.3 million of APS funds to cover transportation, lunches and a dedicated staff coordinator. GAR commits $3.1 million to support the experience and providers who create a curriculum, train people and staff the field trips.
DiCola explained that plans for round three of Essential Experiences (covering 2025-2028) are in progress now. GAR is talking to current and potential cultural partners regarding new or adjusted programming for the next three years of field trips.
Summer Adventures for APS middle-schoolers
Ebright also introduced reports on two Summer Adventure programs offered by APS’ College and Career Academies.
Nonprofits Akron Sneaker Academy and Students Wtih a Goal (SWAG) collaborated on The Sneakers! Adventure. The program brought 34 students together to study, design, test and present a custom sneaker design to Lucky Shoes. Students engaged in scientific thinking and technical design to study structures and materials (including polymer innovations in Akron) on their way to designing their custom shoe.
In the Architect! Adventure, 19 students worked with The Vincent House, a Middlebury nonprofit providing after-school, recreation and summer programming. Dameon Jackson, youth programming guide at The Vincent House, explained the program: Students were challenged to repurpose an unused space for the benefit of the community.
Students sought community input by interviewing patrons at 647 Coffee and studied various sites to see how spaces are used. They learned from practicing architects and worked together to create blueprints for a redesigned space.
Ebright reported positive results for the programs, including student attendance rates of more than 90% for both programs. Summer 2025 programs will be announced next spring.
