Cleveland Foundation Announces Continued Support for Efforts to Improve the Physical and Emotional Safety of Cleveland Public School Students

Washington, D.C. – The Cleveland Foundation has awarded the American Institutes for Research (AIR) a grant that allows the not-for-profit organization to continue assisting the Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s efforts to reduce violence, promote the emotional health of students and improve conditions for learning and teaching.

The Board of Directors of the Cleveland Foundation approved a $195,000 grant to AIR “to continue its long time support of a program that seeks to ensure the physical and emotional safety and stability of students” in Cleveland public schools.

“The foundation is continuing its funding of this initiative, recognizing the link between a safe and supportive school environment and students’ ultimate academic success,” said Robert E. Eckardt, executive vice president of the Cleveland Foundation. “We understand these social service resources are especially important for students struggling with challenges related to poverty.”

With support from the Cleveland Foundation, AIR has been working with city leaders following a shooting in 2007 involving a 14-year-old high school student who shot two teachers and two students and then took his own life.

“Schools cannot do this work alone,” said Dr. David Osher, a vice president at AIR and co-director of its Human and Social Development Program. “Many Cleveland students, families and educators confront daily the impacts of poverty, environmental toxins and trauma. Fortunately, they live, attend school and work in a city rich in human and cultural capital and good will.”

The grant supports AIR in the use of its extensive research and evaluation experience, along with its expertise in relevant areas, to assess what the district has accomplished and recommend next steps within the context of The Cleveland Plan.

About AIR
Established in 1946, with headquarters in Washington, D.C., the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance both domestically and internationally in the areas of health, education, and workforce productivity. For more information, visit www.air.org.

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