A key development project is underway to renovate the Mt. Airy Recreation Area, an essential resource for local students, sports teams, and the broader Mt. Airy community. The project, which will revitalize aging athletic facilities, aims to meet the growing demand for recreational space and expand programming for youth, particularly at Mt. Airy School, a Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) neighborhood school and Community Learning Center.

Located at 5730 Colerain Avenue, Mt. Airy School serves 578 students, ranging from preschool through 6th grade, with a diverse student body—70.4% of whom are African-American. The school’s student population, largely economically disadvantaged, relies heavily on the adjoining recreation area for sports and general recreation. The Mt. Airy Recreation Area, which includes baseball fields, tennis courts, and other outdoor spaces, is also a hub for local sports teams such as the Cincinnati Falcons football team and the Central Knothole Baseball and Softball leagues, providing critical opportunities for young athletes in the community.

The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation awarded the $100,000 matching grant, as part of their Game-On Community Places to Play Initiative. As a nonprofit dedicated to supporting youth sports across the nation, DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation aims to help ensure that all kids, regardless of background, have the opportunity to play and benefit from sports. By removing financial barriers, the foundation puts students on track for enjoying the lifelong benefits of athletics.

The Cincinnati Recreation Center (CRC), a long-time CPS partner, is not only making the required $100,000 match, but CRC upped its contribution to $150,000, bringing the total renovation project budget to $250,000. “CRC has been a great partner in so many ways,” said Terry Davis, Manager, CPS Foundation Grants. “They have contributed extensively to the preparation of the project proposal. In Spring 2025, they will lead the renovation project, which is scheduled for completion by the start of the new school year.” 

“We are proud of the partnership and believe the rejuvenation of sports facilities is not just an investment in the infrastructure, but an investment in the future of youth athletes.” 

- Rick Jordan, Vice President of The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation 

The proposed renovations will address multiple needs within the recreation area, with a focus on enhancing the tennis courts, baseball fields, and overall safety and accessibility. The tennis courts, constructed in 1972, have long been a centerpiece of the facility but are now in disrepair, with cracked surfaces and faded lines. The renovation will involve resurfacing the courts and adding pickleball lines to accommodate a growing demand for the sport. A new retaining wall will also be installed, improving safety for students and visitors alike.

In addition to the tennis court upgrades, improvements will be made to the baseball fields, including the addition of a paved pathway to one of the fields for easier access. This is a significant step toward making the facility more inclusive for people of all ages and abilities. Enhancements to landscaping and signage will also make the area more welcoming and accessible for the public.

The Mt. Airy Recreation Area, which currently sees an average of 650 youth participants daily, is expected to experience a 10% increase in youth visits after the renovations, boosting participation and engagement in local recreational programs. The project is anticipated to support over 150,000 youth visits annually across various sports and recreational activities.

Principal Angela Roddy of Mt. Airy School, known for her passionate leadership, expressed excitement about the positive impact these upgrades will have on the school community. “Our students will greatly benefit from improved facilities, and the broader Mt. Airy neighborhood will also see the rewards of this revitalization,” she said.

The renovation project aligns with the extensive vision outlined in the Mt. Airy Neighborhood Plan, which emphasizes creating a safe, vibrant, and accessible environment for residents. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC), in partnership with the CPS Board of Education, is spearheading the initiative, with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2025.

The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation also made two additional grant awards for projects lead by Joshua Hardin, CPS Athletics Director. Totaling $35,000, the grants support purchasing athletics equipment and supplies for the CPS Athletics Department.

For more information on the project and its timeline, community members are encouraged to stay engaged with updates from the Mt. Airy Neighborhood Association and CRC. This major improvement is expected to foster greater community cohesion, provide new opportunities for local youth, and create a lasting legacy for the Mt. Airy neighborhood.

CPS is a big believer that the arts enrich students' lives and give them new skill sets which enhance their academic abilities. Thankfully, the Scripps Howard Foundation agrees and has awarded a grant that will help strengthen reading skills for CPS 1st graders. 

During the 2024-2025 school year, funds awarded to The Children’s Theatre by the Scripps Howard Foundation will allow CPS to link up with The Children's Theater to present the Page to Stage Literacy Program for first graders at several schools in the district. This program brings TCT teaching artists into the classrooms for 4 to 8 visits during an academic quarter. During these sessions, students engage in dramatic play and writing, gaining literacy skills that promote a stronger English and Language Arts foundation. This program is aligned with Ohio state standards and supports the CPS goal to have every student reading in 1st grade. 

The Page to Stage Literacy Program increases overall fluency by:

• Helping students to write and perform a script based on a 1st grade reading level book promoting diversity
• Recite script lines with accurate pronunciation 
• Use vocal inflection to show punctuation in the script
• Grow presentation skills by performing for family and peers 
• Gain early exposure to theater (which research shows improves educational outcomes)
• CPS data show that upwards of 60% of first graders at participating schools may begin 1st grade "off track" to eventually meet 3rd grade requirements. Further, 99.6% of these students are economically disadvantaged. This means that most of these students have limited access to both arts and academic activities, which could positively impact their reading ability. Arts integrated learning experiences are a time-tested and research-supported path to strengthening learning skills and creative thinking.

TCT's Page to Stage Literacy Program is an exciting opportunity for our students to cement better reading and literacy skills while also gaining an appreciation for the arts, both of which will benefit them throughout their lives. CPS is grateful to have TCT right here in our community bringing creative experiences to our students to help them grow academically and personally. We are incredibly appreciative of the funding from the Scripps Howard Foundation which makes it all possible. 

One of our most important allies is Neediest Kids of All (NKOA) of Cincinnati, which provided nearly $285,000 in grant funds in 2024-25 alone. NKOA is a local nonprofit that provides basic necessities for local children: hats, coats, shoes, clothing, mental health support, vision care and educational opportunities like field trips, camp experiences, and training programs. NKOA has helped provide these vital resources to our students for the past 70 years, enabling our district to take a 360° approach to supporting the whole child in and out of school rather than managing only academic pursuits. 

Take a look at some of the amazing things we have accomplished together: 

Providing More Than Just the Basics

NKOA provides crucial clothing items to students who would otherwise go without them, affecting their ability to get to school and function while there. Sometimes this means shoes to replace a pair that was several sizes too small or falling apart. Other times, it might mean undergarments or an appropriate winter coat to protect them in the colder months. For students who go to a school with a uniform requirement, it often means providing specific uniform clothing that families sometimes find too costly. As Dr. Jennifer Williams, Hughes STEM High School principal points out, "By providing the basics, NKOA greatly impacts school attendance, as well as attitudes toward learning." 

NKOA provides $40,000 annually for CPS to purchase these items on behalf of our Title 1 schools. However, there are often CPS schools which have greater needs which the $40,000 grant award will not cover. Thankfully, Alison Cumby, NKOA’s Executive Director, led the charge to find a solution. Ms. Cumby suggested that NKOA provide an additional $10,000 to 10 of the most disadvantaged schools in the district, allowing each school to use the money as they saw fit to best help their students. The pilot effort was a huge success. As a result, NKOA has agreed to continue providing this money to 10-12 additional Title I CPS schools per school year through 2025-2026.

NKOA’s efforts (and Alison Cumby’s contributions in particular) are a large part of our success. They are able to put these amazing plans in motion by working directly with a true CPS superhero: Tracy Stillwell. Tracy is CPS’ Community Partnerships Specialist and Title I Family Engagement Coordinator. Tracy spends time in the schools and sees firsthand what students throughout the district really need and what they lack. Using the funding provided by NKOA, Tracy bargain shops to stretch the funds as far as possible because the funding must cover about 45 schools each year. Tracy has also set up a dedicated room at CPS’ Jacobs Center where some of these clothing items are stored and individual teachers can “shop” for their students.

Vision Centers Create a Brighter Vision for the Future

CPS Vision Centers are a part of CPS' School-Based Health Center program. CPS brings healthcare providers into the schools to offer students primary care visits, dental visits, and comprehensive vision exams. Vision Centers are currently located in CPS' Academy of World Languages and Oyler School. No one is denied services at these centers due to an inability to pay, so it is often one of the only places our students can receive vision exams and glasses.

NKOA is an important part of this work, too. They provide funding (most recently they provided $105,000 per year from 2018-2020) which covers funding for student vision-care visits. OneSight, another local nonprofit committed to providing vision care to local residents, joined the team by offering free eyeglasses to students without insurance. 

Student visits to the Vision Centers have been lower in number recently, largely due to disruptions caused by COVID-19. A more representative glimpse of the program comes from the 2017-2018 school year when the Vision Centers provided comprehensive vision exams to 3,422 students, with 69% needing and receiving eyeglasses.

Thank You to the Neediest Kids of All for Making an Impact

CPS is incredibly grateful to NKOA for bringing these programs to life. Without their funding, ideas, and support, many of our CPS students would go without foundational services and items which allow them to access their full potential both in and out of school.