CMSD NEWS BUREAU

2/12/2020

Ginn Academy will add a center where students, alumni, their families and even the community can take online assessments of their interests and aptitudes, train for jobs and apply or plan for postsecondary education.

The CMSD all-male high school will launch the Ginn Academy College and Career Readiness Center with $200,000 in contributions that the Dworken and Bernstein law firm made to the Ginn and Good Community foundations.

The center will operate during the school day but could eventually add after-school and Saturday hours, said Ladonna Harris of Future Plans, who will oversee the center. Future Plans provides assessment, career coaching, training and professional development for job seekers.

Students and other users could train for certification in areas like computer-aided design, cyber security and web development, Harris said. She said the Internet access helps fill a connectivity gap that affects many households in Cleveland.  

Harris has been working with Ginn students since November. She said students take assessments that introduce them to new interests and point them toward fields that are in demand.

Albert Ratner founded the Good Community Foundation with his wife, Audrey, and he also serves on the Friends of Ginn Academy board. He wants to help Ginn students find the path that is right for them.

“Every kid is an individual and deserves special treatment,” he said. “We try to make sure they get what they need to be self-sustaining and be what they want to be, not what we want them to be.”

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