Community Relations Director

                        Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority

                        Office – 330-376-9466

                        Or

                        Michael Gaffney, APR
                        Vice President – Marketing

                        United Way of Summit County

                        Office – 330-643-5532

Date:                April 6, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AKRON METROPOLITAN HOUSING AUTHORITY AND

UNITED WAY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

ESTABLISH BORN LEARNING PROGRAM

(AKRON, OHIO) — Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority (AMHA), in conjunction with United Way of Summit County (UWSC), will establish playgroups for parents and children ages 0 – 4, based on the Born Learning program within AMHA family developments.  Born Learning is a national public engagement campaign created by the United Way, Civitas and The Advertising Council focused on creating early learning opportunities for young children.

For more information on Born Learning, visit the local website at www.uwsummit.org/bornlearning.

Start up costs for this program will be covered through United Way’s Women’s Leadership Giving Society budget, and implementation will be financed through a $10,000 grant awarded through the H. Peter Burg Fund of the Akron Community Foundation. A pilot playgroup project will be developed for Summit Lake Apartments to be carried out in the spring of 2007 and then will be replicated at three to four additional AMHA family developments in the fall of 2007.

The playgroups will focus on vulnerable populations in low income areas by targeting families that live in public housing complexes with high concentrations of children ages 0-4.  The funding will be used to hire a part-time Playgroup Coordinator, who will be responsible to develop curriculum and program parameters, to facilitate playgroup meetings and evaluate program outcomes. 

Born Learning will seek to help parents formulate ideas to incorporate learning into everyday activities; increase parental awareness of their role as an early learning advocate; and encourage parents to regularly interact with, simulate and read to their child.

Bob Kulinski, President of United Way of Summit County, said, “Early childhood education is emerging as one of the most critical issues facing every community.  Through Born Learning, United Way is sharing innovative ways that parents and other caregivers can maximize those years when a child is most open to learn."

Tony O’Leary, Executive Director of AMHA adds, “Recent studies have shown the positive impact early childhood education has on economic development.  Born Learning provides the opportunity for our residents to learn how they can help prepare their children for learning and for success in school, thus helping to break the cycle of poverty.”

About the Women’s Leadership Giving Society: The Women’s Leadership Giving Society was organized by United Way women in 1998 as a celebration of the power of women to bring about positive change in our community through philanthropy and service. It specifically promotes initiatives that support women and children in Summit County. The goal of The Women’s Leadership Giving Society is to educate, energize and empower women to impact and enrich our community in these important areas.

United Way of Summit County improves lives by mobilizing community assets for health and human services. For more information, call 330-762-7601, visit our website at www.uwsummit.org, or write to us at United Way of Summit County, 90 N. Prospect St., P.O. Box 1260, Akron, Ohio 44309-1260.

The Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority is committed to building stronger neighborhoods by providing housing options and professional services for eligible residents in Summit County in partnership with the greater community.  AMHA serves over 20,000 low income residents in Summit County, nearly 3,000 of whom are four years old, or younger.