TOLEDO, Ohio — Community Learning Collaboratives (CLCs) are part of a new partnership with TPS and community groups. The CLCs are locations across the district where kids can get in-person support.
"They will be able to report to these centers in each of their learning communities and get ongoing support, despite outside the days that they may not be in TPS, in our schools or during the days they're in remote and need someone in front of them to help support them along with the parents," TPS superintendent Dr. Romules Durant said.
One of those locations is The Tabernacle in central Toledo.
The Church and Junior Achievement of Northwest Ohio has teamed up with TPS to provide services and tools to help meet the needs of students.
They say this partnership came out of a want to turn the negative things happening in society to positive ones.
"How can we start to tell a more positive story, how can we create a space where students can go in-person and still have that personal interaction and engagement?" President of Junior Achievement NWO Jim Pollock explained, listing the concerns the partnership hopes to address.
By opening The Tabernacle's doors and providing these services, Pastor Calvin Sweeney says it puts kids in a structured environment and helps relieve some of the stress families may be feeling.
"We get a chance to be the neighbor. We've already encountered grandmothers and parents who don't have an idea of how to keep their kid on the Chromebook. They don't know how to get them logged in, they don't know how to navigate," Sweeney said.
The Tabernacle will be able to hold up to 50 students everyday. They start their services on Oct. 5.
TPS is asking families to sign their kids up to make sure there are enough meals to feed everyone while they are at the locations.
Although, he says, they will not turn anyone away that need help during this time.
The partners and locations are below:
- Bowsher Learning Community, ANSAT, Toledo Early College, and Crossgates Preschool: Tabernacle
- Rogers Learning Community: Grace Church
- Scott Learning Community, Jones Leadership Academy of Business, Stewart Academy, and King Academy: Tabernacle
- Start Learning Community, Toledo Technology Academy, Grove Patterson Academy, and Mayfair Preschool: YMCA
- Waite Learning Community, Escuela SMART: East Toledo Family Center
- Woodward Learning Community, Summit Preschool: YMCA
If families would like to learn more about the program, they are asked to call the district at 419-671-0001.