Mayerson Academy is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation to expand our success with Thriving Learning Communities (TLC) through a partnership with High Schools That Work (HSTW)/Making Middle Grades Work (MMGW). This year, Thriving Learning Communities is being implemented in over sixty schools across the United States, including twelve MMGW schools in Ohio: Batavia Middle School, Batavia, OH; Cardington-Lincoln Middle School, Cardington; Franklin Junior High School, Franklin; Goshen Middle School, Goshen; Hartwell Elementary, Cincinnati; Kirkmere Elementary, Youngstown; Rayen Early College Intermediate, Youngstown; Rushville Middle School, Lancaster; St. Bernard-Elmwood Place High School, St. Bernard; Volney Rogers Elementary School, Youngstown; Wellston Middle School, Wellston; and Western Hills High School, Cincinnati.
TLC is a natural fit with the MMGW framework. The Ohio Department of Education has demonstrated their support of the program by authorizing the use of MMGW funds to cover partial costs for the program. Inspired by the success of their peers, twelve schools from across the state have submitted letters of support and are committed to implementing the program next school year. Mayerson Academy will provide the professional learning services, tools, and resources essential for establishing and sustaining a strengths-based culture of thinking.
TLC transforms learning cultures by using the science of character to develop social and emotional learning competencies and create powerful learning cultures characterized by a shared language, integrated routines and interactions and mindsets and skills proven to support learning. External evaluation indicates our work with schools is having a positive impact on student motivation, engagement, attendance, discipline and school culture.
As one result of this grant, we provided three customized learning experiences (Thriving Learning Communities Champions Institute) for over 75 educators across the state. The institutes were designed to introduce schools within the MMGW network to social emotional learning through the lens of character strengths. Over the course of the institutes, participants became champions of implementing and integrating the TLC program within their schools.
We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from the champions about their experience with the institutes. We cannot wait to see where TLC takes them and us!
I can really imagine a transformed community of kids who see more good in themselves, who come to see themselves as on their way to becoming better
versions of themselves.
I am extremely excited to try this with our students. I think this will be CRUCIAL to their development as human beings!!
The greatest benefit I see is that this program will change the culture of the school. Our students need to see their growth potential in a positive light. This will build on what we started with our morning chant and will encourage student growth. I believe that growth will be both personal and academic.
That other character ed programs focus on giving students the skills and molding them. This is about developing the characteristics that students already have!
Teachers and students need this. Very POSITIVE! This will help will behavior and academics.
Students’ emotions will either facilitate or impede their academic engagement and behavior. If we do nothing, it will continue to impede my students’ learning.
This was an invigorating training! I love the zest, love, humor, hope and creativity that was shown to just name a few strengths. Thank you for designing and providing a very energetic and informative session for us!
It will help to create an organic environment throughout the building to where our students will be familiar with the language and actions held dear in our school.
The benefits I can envision are many and I can only hope that with implementation will exceed my expectations.
Our deepest gratitude to the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation for helping us to expand this work and make a positive impact in our schools, students’ lives, and in the world.
You can learn more about the TLC program here or contact us at tlc@mayersonacademy.org.
