The First Ring Schools Collaborative is always applying for grants. Here are two examples of grants received in the 2024-25 school year.
College Now to Support Federal $27 Million GEAR UP Partnership Projects with Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio and Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Starting with middle school students, the $3.8 million per year grants will prepare more than 4,800 Cleveland-area students for postsecondary education through 2031. The Educational Service Center of Northeast Ohio (ESC) and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) will each partner with College Now Greater Cleveland to provide postsecondary education support services to more than 4,800 students. The two GEAR UP partnership grants awarded to the ESC for the First Ring Schools Collaborative and CMSD are, respectively, $3.6 million and $204,000 per year through 2031. Organizations in only two other U.S. states received more than one GEAR UP grant. As a grant partner, College Now will substantially increase the number of students who are prepared for postsecondary education, who enroll in college and who graduate with a degree. GEAR UP – or Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs – partnership grants are awarded by the U.S. Department of Education with the sole purpose of increasing the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. READ MORE
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Awards $1.8M to Transform Student Health Education Across Northeast Ohio
The Educational Service Center (ESC) of Northeast Ohio is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership between Case Western Reserve University and 15 Cuyahoga County school districts that has secured $1.8 million in federal funding to revolutionize health education in our region. The grant, awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through its "What Works in Schools" initiative, will support a comprehensive model designed to enhance academic achievement by promoting long-term student health and wellness across K-12 education. The initiative unites Case Western Reserve's Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) with the First Ring Schools Collaborative, supported by ESC of Northeast Ohio and the Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) Coalition of the Bellefaire Jewish Children's Bureau. Together, they will develop and implement evidence-based strategies focusing on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and substance-use prevention. Participating districts include: Beachwood, Bedford, Berea, Brooklyn, Cleveland Heights-University Heights, East Cleveland, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Mayfield, Orange, Richmond Heights, Shaker Heights, Solon, South Euclid-Lyndhurst and Warrensville Heights. READ MORE