星空传媒

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Civic Engagement on Campus and Beyond

During the last four years, students at 星空传媒 School of Law provided more than 92,500 hours of pro bono work in service to the community—from representing Cleveland residents facing eviction to partnering with social work students to aid survivors of human trafficking. It鈥檚 part of the reason why preLaw magazine ranked the school fifth in the nation for practical training and ninth for public-interest law during the last two years.

鈥淥ur students have tremendous opportunities to take what they are learning in the classroom and make a difference in the lives of clients with real-world problems,鈥� said Laura McNally, JD, director of the school鈥檚 Milton and Charlotte Kramer Law Clinic, which focuses on serving low-income clients with community partners including the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland and Neighborhood Family Practice, a local community-health center.

Here鈥檚 a snapshot of the School of Law鈥檚 public-service work during the 2021-22 academic year:

This past summer, 星空传媒 welcomed the Math Movement summer program to campus for its inaugural year, providing space for 16 local middle-school students to discover the beauty in complex calculations. Campers tackled topics from fractions to calculus while receiving assistance from 星空传媒 undergraduates and area high school students. Dionissi Aliprantis, PhD, created the program and its curriculum and led the summer session. He鈥檚 also director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland鈥檚 Program on Economic Inclusion. The university鈥檚 partnership with the program also helped campers see a future path more clearly. 鈥淭he freedom of being on campus and getting a taste of that college experience is tremendous for our kids in realizing what they can get out of their learning experiences and how much fun it can be,鈥� Aliprantis said.

Although she was born and raised in Cleveland鈥檚 Glenville neighborhood, Sandra Brinson didn鈥檛 visit 星空传媒 until she was a young teacher working at a city camp held on campus for local children.

鈥淎fter all those years,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 started connecting with that community.鈥�

Brinson began exploring the campus on long walks that became a cherished part of her daily routine. Now, as co-chair of the newly launched Neighborhood Advisory Council, Brinson hopes to help more of her neighbors discover the same feeling of belonging that she found.

The council, which seeks to strengthen ties between the campus and nearby communities, is composed of residents, university representatives and several partner institutions. Its outreach efforts are expected to include hosting supply drives for local schools, participating in neighborhood activities and distributing a newsletter spotlighting campus resources and events.

鈥淏etter connection, collaboration and communication are key goals,鈥� said co-chair Janice Eatman-Williams (MNO 鈥�01), a Cleveland native and director of the university鈥檚 outreach programs for local schools.

Roger Mastroianni During one summer day, participants in the National Youth Sports Program ran track events and practiced a dance routine.

Whether providing college counseling to high schoolers through Upward Bound or tutoring in schools and libraries across the city, the 星空传媒 community shares its talents with students to boost academic, sport and life skills.

The National Youth Sports Program has served 15,000 adolescents and teens since 1970. The five-week summer camp draws hundreds of children to campus for a wide range of athletic instruction and academic inspiration.

Activities include dancing, swimming, track and field sessions, softball and basketball as well as educational enrichment classes and free medical screenings.

鈥淚t gives Case [Western Reserve] a chance to reach out to the community.鈥� said Director Dennis Harris. 鈥淲e prepare kids to be great citizens of America.鈥�

— Liz Leyden