County Increasing Support For At-Risk Youth In Cleveland Heights

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OH — Cleveland Heights and University Heights are two cities that will be getting increased support for at-risk youth through funding from Cuyahoga County. The Out of School Time (OST) and Closing the Achievement Gap (CTAG) groups will get increased funding, county officials announced this week.

“Our goal is to ensure every student stays in school and has the support needed to graduate high school ready for post-secondary completion and career success,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish in a press release. “Out of School Time and Closing the Achievement Gap are two programs providing the support and resources needed to our region’s youth to assist in achieving this goal.”

The OST group will get a $300,000 boost, with funding increasing from $1.3 million to $1.6 million. The CTAG group's funding will increase from $401,200 to $444,523.

OST offers after-school and summer programs to kids. The program has helped more than 3,000 children, of all ages, get immersed in positive activities, like tutoring and cultural enrichment and exposure. The group also helps teenagers with college readiness.

The CTAG group specifically targets high schoolers in Cleveland Heights, University Heights, Warrensville Heights, Maple Heights and Garfield Heights school district. The organization partners with students that may need extra guidance or assistance.

The goal of the CTAG program is to improve high school attendance rates and academic achievement, help students graduate from grade to grade and eventually from the high school, and reduce negative behaviors. More than 240 students, in grade 9 through 12, were enrolled in the program during the 2016-2017 academic year.

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