Volume 2 | Issue 9 | July 2, 2019

Protect. Inspire. Nurture. Challenge.

WHY I LOVE SUMMER CAMP WITH OPEN DOORS ACDEMY My name is Amilia and I’m going to be in the 8 th grade at Euclid Central Middle School. I’ve been in ODA for two years and I’m currently in my 3 rd week of summer camp.  I love ODA Summer Camp! Last week, I was in Songwriting Camp and it was perfect for me because I want to be a singer when I grow up. In this camp, we went to the Tri-C Digital Arts Recording Studio and I learned how to write and produce a song. I wrote about how I was feeling and I learned that I could express myself through song. This camp is important to me because it taught me to give and receive constructive criticism. Last week, I was in Cosplay Camp with Miss Jenn. I loved this camp because I learned about costume and prop design. I even created a costume of one of my favorite anime characters. I’ve always liked to dress up in costumes because my family loves Halloween.  The ODA staff are great too! Miss Jenn is a really kind person. Sometimes, she can be tough on us because she wants us to be the best we can be. Miss Jenn builds you up higher than you thought you could go and she wants you to do everything to the best of your ability. She is positive and wants all us scholars to be positive too. Miss Jenn makes me feel good as a person and it makes me want to be like her.  My younger sister Zola is even in the ODA Reading Camp for 4 weeks. This camp is for young siblings of ODA scholars like me, and she goes to St. Paul’s Church with all the other siblings for this camp. Zola comes home every day and tells me about camp. Sometimes when she has a bad day, I tell her to change her perspective and make it fun. Then, she has fun the next day. She likes to read and we read together. When Zola was little, I would read picture books to her. Now, we like to read the same books. If it wasn't for ODA Summer Camp, Zola and I would be at home watching TV all summer. Instead, we get to have new experiences every week! Sincerely, Amilia ODA Scholar  Euclid Central Middle School

SUMMER CAMP SPOTLIGHT: COOL COOKS CULINARY WITH TRI-C

The Cool Cooks Culinary Camp hosted by the Hospitality Management Center of Cuyahoga Community College provides scholars with a safe place to discuss everyday issues teenagers experience while giving them the opportunity to learn a new skill. Over the course of a week, scholars learn to incorporate healthy options into their lifestyle while learning cooking skills! This is one of more than 50 different summer camps offered to ODA Scholars during the summer. To learn more, visit odacle.org.

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KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ODA ALL MONTH LONG

THE REINBERGER FOUNDATION: AN EMERGING PARTNER WITH ODA

For the past three years, the Reinberger Foundation has generously provided grant funding to ODA in support of middle school and high school programming. In 2017, the Foundation, in the midst of expanding its board and shifting its strategic focus toward Education and the Humanities, awarded its first grant to ODA for our Middle School Program. The Foundation has since provided support to our Pathways to Independence Program for the past two years.   “The Reinberger Foundation would like students to not only graduate high school but emerge with a strong sense of their options following graduation,” said Karen Hooser, President. “ODA's Pathways to Independence Program can open the eyes of students and give them exposure to a multitude of options.”

ODA CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JULY + AUGUST

7/1-7/5: ODA OFFICE CLOSED The ODA main office is closed Monday, July 1 through Friday July 5 for a summer holiday break. 8/9: LAST DAY OF ODA SUMMER CAMP Friday, August 9th marks the final day of ODA Summer Camp and successful completion of 8 weeks filled with learning, activities, and growth.

STAY CONNECTED ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Major gifts and grants to Open Doors Academy come from:   Abington Foundation, ArcelorMittal, David Camiener, Camiener Foundation, City of Cleveland Department of Community Development, City of Cleveland Heights, Cleveland Clinic, Cuyahoga Arts & Culture, Deaconess Foundation, Eva L. and Joseph M. Bruening Foundation, George Gund Foundation, Kelvin and Eleanor Smith Foundation, Malcolm Kenney, KeyBank Foundation, Lozick Family Foundation, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, McWilliams/Piraino Family Foundation, John Morley, Ohio Department of Education, William and Dorothy O'Neill Foundation, Oswald Companies, Reinberger Foundation, Saint Luke's Foundation, St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Starting Point, Third Federal Foundation, Thomas White Foundation, Treu-Mart Fund, United Way of Greater Cleveland   For more information about gifts and giving, please visit www.opendoorsacademy.org.