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Miami outlines mentoring program for Hamilton schools

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By Richard O Jones, Staff Writer 10:06 PM Thursday, October 29, 2009

HAMILTON — Details about a Miami University mentoring program that will begin in the 2010-11 school year were presented this week to the Hamilton City School District Board of Education.

Elizabeth Garrett, a junior working with the Wilks Leadership Institute on the Miami Hamilton campus, described a community-wide program that would provide a one-on-one mentoring partnership with students in Hamilton’s middle schools and at MUH.

The goal, Garrett told the board of education Tuesday night, Oct. 27, is to have increased graduation rates and a stronger sense of civic connection in what it means to be a citizen of Hamilton.

Garrett said that she will work with eighth-grade students this school year to help design the program in ways that will be beneficial to them, and will begin the program next school year when “sustainability issues” have been worked out.

“We need mentors and I’m really happy you’ll be starting this project,” said board President Glenn Stitsinger. “I hope it will grow and be a program that we can have year after year.”

In other business, the board approved the receipt of $28,000 from the Ohio K-12 Network to provide data communication links connecting public schools to the Ohio Education Computer Network, and the receipt of several grants from the Hamilton Celebrates Education Grants announced last week.

The board also authorized the city of Hamilton to submit an application for School Travel Plan funds through the Safe Routes to School program administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation. The grant would provide funds for safety projects that encourage or enable children to walk or ride their bikes to school.

The board will next meet on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2188 or rjones@coxohio.com.

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