Your Community

Since 1973, our educators have worked extensively to engage the surrounding area during the school year. By extending our programming into the summer we can further support neighborhood students and families, build audiences for local arts and culture organizations, and deepen the community connections we build through our WOW! Wade Oval Wednesdays concert series. 

New Summer Programming Completes the Circle

Beginning this year, UCI will continue to address the opportunity gap that persists in Greater Cleveland between children of lower-income families and their higher-income peers by extending after-school programming into the summer months. 

With Your Community, UCI will engage students and their families with two new programs launching Summer 2021 to address the opportunity gap that leaves lower-income youth with less access to valuable summer enrichment opportunities.. All programs will be held outdoors and will adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. 

Circle Explorers

A multi-week summer camp for middle school students in UCI's focus area that will engage performing arts, environmental, civic, and other organizations to help us deepen students' connection to University Circle. This will lead campers to our high school program, Future Connections.

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YAY! Youth Arts Saturdays

A summer-long Saturday series for PreK-8 youth and their families on Wade Oval that will engage Circle and city-wide organizations to help deliver educational and entertaining content. 

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Community Impact 

Outcome Focused:

Just as we do for programs conducted during the school year, UCI educators will work with parents and programming partners to develop criteria and benchmarks that allow us to track and report outcomes on our summer programming. 

Support for the Arts:

Collaboration with performing arts organizations to develop and deliver summer programming will financially support arts nonprofits that are facing lost revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our partnership will allow them to promote their programs to new audiences and will teach summer campers the value of the arts in a thriving community.