Several years ago, community leaders came together to explore a Community Learning Center (CLC) approach in the Ashtabula Area City School (AACS) district as a means of enhancing student performance as well as creating a platform for life-long learning and success.  Typically, a CLC uses the school and/or its facilities as a hub to connect the community and the school.  Within this hub social, health, education, recreational and enrichment activities, support services, and programs can be offered.  These are designed to be accessible not only by students and their families, but also by the community at large.  In such models the school is seen as an anchor that provides stability. 

 

What the CLC looks like varies greatly based on the specific community wants and needs. How and what will help families can only truly be determined by asking.  The overall initiative is titled "Strong Foundations, Successful Futures."   The CLC Community Engagement Project was launched to identify the needs, wants, and values of the citizens in the Ashtabula area as part of this effort.   The first step was to conduct surveys from June- September of 2017. 

 

The data has been compiled and the results are in- there is support for the

development of a Community Learning Center!

 

 

Since 2018, Community Action and the CLC Advisory Group have been implementing activities at the Community Learning Center with the Ashtabula Area City Schools, the Dragon Empowerment Center, based on the data.