Grant to Dohn Community High School Backs Academic Success
Funded by Greater Cincinnati Foundation & United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s COVID-19 Regional Response Fund.
Dohn Community High School, a local charter school, has had open doors for the past 18 years. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we had to close the doors and move to online learning. In the process, we learned that half of our students do not have a home computer or internet access.
Of our 1000 students, 99 percent are African American and from single-parent households; 98 percent live at or below the poverty line. Over 300 are on parole. Many of Dohn’s students dropped out of school before coming to Dohn.
With classrooms closed, our students lost access to regular two meals a day, a safe place to come every day and collaborative contact with peers. With these losses and no technology access at home, our students are at high risk of dropping out again.
A grant from the COVID-19 Regional Response Fund provided funds to purchase refurbished laptops and home internet access for our students.
“We are grateful for Greater Cincinnati Foundation and United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s COVID-19 Regional Response Fund’s financial support of Dohn’s 2020 Technology Campaign,” said Dohn Executive Director Ramone Davenport. “We are dedicated to continuing our delivery of a values-driven curriculum to our under-resourced students. Access to technology is critical to that mission now. It is always our goal for students to graduate prepared to enter the workforce. Your investment in Dohn supports that mission and pays dividends within our Cincinnati community for years to come. Thank you to all involved with the COVID-19 Regional Response.”
Youth without a high school education cost society trillions of dollars due to lost revenues, costs of services and costs associated with crime. That is why COVID-19 Regional Response funding represents an investment in our youth and our region, Davenport added.
As the shutdown happened, the University of Cincinnati Economics Center published The Economic Impact and Benefit-Cost Analysis of Dohn Community High School. For every dollar spent on education at Dohn, the Greater Cincinnati region receives $3.79 per graduate, in return, five years after graduation.
“The work Dohn does makes a difference. We cannot, however, do this work alone,” said Davenport. “We value this community support because it allows us to continue delivering high-impact education to Cincinnati’s deserving youth.”
Please Note: Photos were taken before the coronavirus pandemic and do not reflect the organization’s COVID-19 social distancing protocols.
