Adopt A Class Foundation will recruit, train and support 100 civic partner teams serving as mentors to students attending schools with the highest concentrations of poverty.  AAC has expanded programming in the last eight months to over 7,500 students now being mentored by more than 3,000 corporate, community and civic organization mentors in the program.  

In addition, mini-grants will be made available to teams to help cover portion of the expense of a field trip. Field trips to places of employment are valuable opportunities to expose students to new career paths and a window into their future.

Adopt A Class Foundation, $40,000.  Employee groups at companies and other organizations adopt a class/classroom and provide over7,5000 elementary students with monthly mentoring support and field trips.  More than 3,000 volunteers participate.

Cincinnati Boychoir, $25,000.  Three core choral ensembles for boys Grades 3-12 perform over 20 concerts and at the choir’s annual festival each season.

Cincinnati Public Radio:

• WGUC/Classics for Kids, $75,000. Classics for Kids is designed to introduce elementary schoolchildren to classical music in a fun way and features weekly radio programming and a comprehensive, interactive web site.

• WVXU/Democracy and Me, $75,000.  This program is an initiative to give young people a sense of their civic responsibility by providing teachers with tools and curriculum and students with concrete learning experiences. 

• Additional children’s programming support on both WGUC and WVXU includes announcements that promote the good work being done by other Dater grantees.  $25,000.

Contemporary Arts Center, $35,000.  Youth Education outreach features a robust menu of programs that encourage students, teachers and families to enjoy an interactive and hands-on art experiences.  New in 2022 was the opening of the sixth floor Creativity Center which is dedicated to innovative learning and experimentation with an emphasis on STEAM subjects and concepts.

Council on Child Abuse, $25,000.  Free classroom presentations educate children about abuse prevention and personal safety strategies.  More than 15,000 students benefit from over 600 presentations at about 60 schools each year.

Crayons to Computers, $35,000.  Crayons provides access to school supplies and incentives and enhancement items to teachers at underserved schools.  Teachers access supplies at the Teacher Resource Center, through online ordering, and at Crayons’ Closets/Hubbard’s Cupboards.

Economics Center (University of Cincinnati Foundation), $25,000.  The Student Enterprise Program (StEP) provides more than 6,000 students with real-world applications of economics principles as they set up their own mini-economy in their classroom, save and invest their “school cash,” and create and sell goods and services at Market Madness.  

Girls on the Run, $35,000.   Scholarships make it possible for underserved girls to participate in this program that teaches life lessons and the importance of fitness using a fun, experience-based curriculum which creatively integrates running.  More than 2,000 girls in Grades 3-8 will participate.

Historic Southwest Ohio, $20,000.  Education programs and outreach focus on history and life in the 19th century for nearly young people in kindergarten through high school.  More than 5,000 typically participate.

iSPACE, $25,000.  The 150 Classes Project provides subsidies to schools and organizations that would not otherwise have the opportunity to access high quality, engaging and effective STEM programs.

Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, $35,000.   Education outreach featuring free, in-person and virtual concerts for over 3,000 students is designed to introduce and showcase classical music, assist educators in teaching core concepts in the arts and humanities, and offer impactful ways to inject music into cross-cultural lesson plans.

Lighthouse Youth & Family Services, $40,000.  The Sheakley Center for Youth provides shelter, food and resources to vulnerable young adults ages 18-24 and increases access to well-integrated and trauma-informed mental health services on a path from homelessness to self-sufficiency.  

Mayerson Academy, $35,000.  The Strong Workplace Solutions program is a cohort-based learning experience that helps non-profit professionals and their team uncover their strengths and create systems that promote a positive cultural shift within their organization.  There is no cost to the non-profit.

Milestones, $30,000.  The Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program teaches basic horsemanship skills and grooming to nurture emotional health and improve cognitive, physical and psychological function for young people with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome and other similar diagnoses.  

St. Vincent de Paul - Northern Kentucky, $30,000. The Sweet Dreams Bed Program follows up in-home visits by volunteers and provides a twin bed to about 500 economically disadvantaged children and youth.

Ohio River Foundation, $25,000.  River Explorer and the Mussels in the Classroom are hands-on programs that introduce about 4,000 students to the benefits of environmental stewardship.

People Working Cooperatively, $50,000.  The VIP Student Service Program provides supervision and resources in leveraging the time contribution of over 300 young philanthropist volunteers as they provide home repair and yard maintenance services for low income, elderly households in Greater Cincinnati.

Starfire, $40,000.  The Family Network connects families with a developmentally disabled child with a mentor/family who, as a parent(s) of a child with a DD, has firsthand knowledge of the social isolation and other issues resulting from the disability.

U.C. Med Mentors (University of Cincinnati Foundation), $25,000.  Medical students volunteer to mentor young people through outings to local cultural venues and special events that the youngsters would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend.  Nearly 200 medical students, about one-fourth of the medical student population, participate.

Urban Health Project (University of Cincinnati Foundation), $25,000.  About 20-25 University of Cincinnati medical students spend their only open summer working full-time in internships at non-profit organizations, where they gain an increased understanding of the social factors that impact healthcare.

The Dater Foundation makes grants to non-profit organizations in the Greater Cincinnati area to carry out programs that benefit young people and focus in the areas of arts/culture, education, healthcare, social services and other community needs.  Information about the grantmaking process and guidelines and links to an online grant application website are available at www.DaterFoundation.org.

The private foundation was established by fourth-generation Cincinnatian, businessman and philanthropist Charles Dater (1912-1993) to ensure that his resources would continue to fund worthwhile community programs after his death.  The foundation has made more than 3,500 grants totaling over $68 million since its inception in 1985.

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For additional information regarding this news release, contact Roger Ruhl (513/598-1141).

The Charles H. Dater Foundation, Inc. is located at 700 Walnut Street, Suite 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202.