You may have heard the news announced earlier this year that Cleveland is in the running to become the next Say Yes to Education chapter. Say Yes to Education is a national nonprofit that aims to revitalize communities by helping them give every public high school graduate access to college or other post-secondary opportunities. Using last-in-dollar scholarships as a catalyst, Say Yes partners with communities to create systems intended to help every child progress along the pathway to post-secondary success.

Assembling a local planning committee

Now, we’re excited to announce the launch of a local planning committee for Cleveland’s Path to Say Yes that will monitor and oversee Cleveland’s progress toward becoming a Say Yes to Education chapter! The 30-plus member committee represents a cross-section of the community and includes Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) parents and educators, as well as a recent CMSD alumnus. It also includes public- and corporate-sector leaders, as well as individuals representing faith, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations. You can find the full list of members here. The committee will meet regularly throughout the year as the process of consideration for Cleveland to potentially become a Say Yes chapter continues into fall 2018.  

Members of the planning committee were identified by the leadership of the six convening partner organizations, which include the City of Cleveland, Cleveland Foundation, Cleveland Metropolitan School District, College Now Greater Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Unveiling a new website

In addition to the launch of the local planning committee, Cleveland’s Path to Say Yes also has a new website: www.CLEPath2SayYes.org. The site will serve as a go-to resource to learn more about Say Yes to Education and to track the work involved for Cleveland to potentially become a Say Yes to Education communitywide affiliate. The website also offers opportunities for you to get involved in the effort to bring Say Yes to Cleveland; you can sign up to receive a Say Yes e-newsletter, host an information session, or volunteer to support Cleveland youth. You can also get the latest updates on Cleveland’s Path to Say Yes by following @CLEPath2SayYes on Facebook and Twitter.