Pictured above: Dohn High School teacher Yvett Spivey teaching math on a whiteboard supplied by Crayons to Computers
The four-year-old partnership between Crayons to Computers (C2C) and Dohn Community High School sets a sterling example of a community working together.
Dohn’s urban youth population includes students who have not had their educational needs met at other area schools. Some teenagers come to Dohn at second-to-fifth grade reading levels, and students can sometimes take six to eight years to graduate high school. These young people have dropped out of school and found their way back to education at Dohn, which offers a strong community of peers, teachers and staff.
As school has grown, so has C2C’s assistance
Dohn has expanded from 95 students and one location in 2009 to 1,000 students and eight locations in 2020. Dohn’s student population is 99% African American, with 98% living at or below the poverty line. With these racial inequity challenges, there are not a lot of funds to support Dohn’s infrastructure. This is where C2C comes in.
As Katrina Sargent, lead math teacher at Dohn, shares, “I have been here six years, and I do not know what I would have in my classroom without the support of Crayons to Computers.”
As Katrina Sargent, lead math teacher at Dohn, shares, “I have been here six years, and I do not know what I would have in my classroom without the support of Crayons to Computers.”
Contributing essential school supplies like pens, pencils, notebooks, creative art supplies, backpacks, file folders, desks, chairs, file cabinets, whiteboards, and other office furniture, C2C has been a full partner in the school’s success.
Ramone Davenport, Dohn’s executive director, says,“We are grateful for our partnership with Crayons to Computers, as they have helped us make this great leap in meeting the educational needs of Cincinnati’s urban youth.”
C2C president and CEO Amy Cheney, adds, “For a school to start with virtually nothing to expand to where it is today is pretty impressive. To know that Crayons to Computers played a role in that should make all of us feel good.”
13+ donors make it possible
C2C and Dohn School acknowledge significant donations from Staples, TriHealth, Apollo Home, Kenwood Towne Centre Management, Perfetti Van Melle, Half Price Books, Northern Kentucky Convention Center and ProSource – which have contributed to the educational success of Dohn students. This success is demonstrated by the school’s consistently high rate of graduation, and its Ohio Department of Education report cards which routinely “Exceed Standards.”
This partnership between Crayons to Computers, its donors, and Dohn High School, exemplifies the best of Cincinnati as a giving community.
(Original article provided by DCHS staff, published on https://moversmakers.org/ )