GAR Foundation

Hey, we know her! 🎉 Congratulations again to our very own Nicole Chavers for officially starting her Leadership Akron journey with Signature Class 43!

Help us welcome the next five members of Leadership Akron Signature Class 43.

We are proud to celebrate these leaders as they begin a ten-month experience designed to deepen their connection to Greater Akron, strengthen meaningful relationships, and expand the way they lead in service to our community.

Congrats to...
• Steven Bordenkircher - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Steven Brooks - Cleveland Clinic Akron General
• Michael Carlson - TRIAD
• Nicole Chavers - GAR Foundation
• Dayna Dunbar - Triton Property Ventures, LLC

Congratulations and welcome to Signature Class 43!

Find the full press release here: https://www.leadershipakron.org/press-releases-blog/pr6-10-26

Congratulations to Leadership Akron’s Signature Class 43. 🎉 A special shoutout to GAR Program Officer Nicole Chavers on her selection and her ongoing commitment to strengthening our community, collaboration, and growth as a leader!

Leadership Akron is proud to welcome Signature Class 43. 🎉

This year’s class brings together 40 leaders from across business, nonprofit, government, education, healthcare, philanthropy, arts and culture, and community development. Together, they will begin a ten-month experience designed to deepen their understanding of Greater Akron, build meaningful connections across sectors, and consider how their leadership can serve the community for the long haul.

“Signature is one of the most meaningful ways leaders can come to know Greater Akron and one another,” said Justin Hilton, President and CEO of Leadership Akron. “Class 43 represents a wide range of experiences, industries, and perspectives. As they move through this year together, they will be invited to listen deeply, think differently, and consider how their leadership can serve the community for the long haul.”

Join us in welcoming Class 43!

📣 Read the full announcement: https://www.leadershipakron.org/press-releases-blog/pr6-10-26

👉🏻 Meet the class here: https://www.leadershipakron.org/signature43

This week, we’re reflecting on the lives and legacy of GAR Foundation’s co-founders, Galen and Ruth Roush. Their shared commitment to serving others and investing in the Akron community continues to shape our work today.

Galen’s belief in hard work and meaningful service alongside Ruth’s quiet generosity and support for the arts remain at the heart of all we do. We’re grateful for the legacy they created and the community they cared for so deeply.

Learn more ➡️ www.garfoundation.org/history

We had a great time celebrating Summit County educators at last week’s Educator Initiative Grant Reception! 🎉

This year, we recognized 47 teams awarded 2026–2027 EIG funding, supporting projects that center student well-being, strengthen literacy and communication, and create more hands-on, screen-free learning experiences. Many also include art, music, and other creative elements that help students connect in meaningful ways.

We’re continually inspired by the care, creativity, and intention these educators bring to their classrooms. Thank you for the important work you do every day. 💙💚

An undeniable reality of childcare is that the system is in crisis. It is unaffordable for many families, inaccessible in many communities, and offers too little compensation or career mobility for workers, creating a cycle that is difficult to break.

We are grateful for the Early Childhood Resource Center's work as a convener and change maker to create worker-centered solutions that transform childcare in our community. Learn more ⬇️

The Shifting the Childcare Industry initiative focuses on helping child care workers build business skills, strengthen long term sustainability, and reduce isolation.

As a community partner in Akron, the Early Childhood Resource Center saw a need and took action. Family child care providers shared that they often felt unseen and lacked the tools to sustain and grow their businesses. In response, we helped bring together a cohort of 15 women-owned family child care programs to change that reality.

Through leadership sessions, one-on-one coaching, and ongoing support, these providers built business knowledge, formed meaningful connections, and gained confidence in their voices. They moved from working in isolation to building a strong network rooted in collaboration, not competition.

That momentum is real. Providers are advocating for themselves, engaging with local leaders, and helping shape the future of child care in Akron. When we invest in the people who care for children, whole communities benefit.

Learn more at https://shiftworkforward.org/breaking-the-triple-bind/

Shift Work Forward Akron Urban League Heart to Heart Leadership GAR Foundation Fund For Our Economic Future

Congratulations to all of the The EXL Center for Community Engaged Learning Community Engagement Champions, especially ArtsNow's Nicole Mullet! Thank you for your tireless efforts to champion arts and culture in Akron and Summit County for the overall benefit of our community’s vibrancy and economic vitality.

Community Engagement Champions are those who uphold the values expressed in EX[L]’s mission and support community engagement at UA. They can be community partners, staff, faculty, or students. Each year, it is so hard for us to just pick a few.

Check out the EX[L] Awards program from May 1st to learn more about our 2025-2026 Champions: https://canva.link/ohernls9981c5ix

ICYMI! 📣 Last week, we announced $350,000 in Educator Initiative Grants to 47 teams of educators across Summit County.

From hands-on learning to social-emotional support, these projects are designed to strengthen skills, deepen engagement, and respond to what students need most today. 👇

We’re hiring for a role that will help shape what’s possible for Barberton students and families.

Barberton Community Foundation is seeking a Program Officer for Education to help lead work across early childhood, education, and career pathways.

This role sits at the intersection of relationships, strategy, and community impact. It’s for someone who understands how systems connect, values partnership, and is energized by building long-term change that creates opportunity.

From kindergarten readiness to career pathways, this work supports the continuum that helps young people and families thrive in Barberton.

If that sounds like you, or someone you know, we encourage you to apply or share.

View the full job description and apply: https://bit.ly/3RCwPXq

Curiosity takes root at the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center! 🌿

Second grade scholars from Akron Public Schools' Barber CLC recently spent the day exploring Cuyahoga Valley National Park through the CVEEC’s “Junior Rangers: Ecosystem Explorers!” Essential Experiences℠ program. Working alongside Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and CVNP staff and volunteers, scholars investigated forest and pond ecosystems while asking big questions about the world around them.

Whether they were examining pond ecosystems or digging in the forest, these young learners were thinking like scientists by making observations, asking questions, and finding their own connections to nature.

It’s the kind of hands-on, digital-free learning that feels real, a little messy, and full of wonder.

Learn more ➡️ www.garfoundation.org/ee