A Night in Review: The Champion of Children 2012 Signature Event
The Champion of Children 2012 Signature Event took place the evening of February 7. It was a full moon, a full house, and a full, exciting night, when more than 400 guests gathered at COSI to show their support of Franklin County’s youth at the 19th annual event.
The Champion of Children program provided a glimpse into what Franklin County teachers see when they face their classes each morning.
Moderated by former "Open Line" host Fred Andrle, the one-hour long televised program opened with the inspiring video "Effective Teaching in a 21st Century Franklin County Middle School," featuring 2011 Ohio Teacher of the Year, Tim Dove, from Phoenix Middle School in Worthington. This was followed by a panel discussion highlighting the report, "Franklin County’s Children: a look at their lives in and out of the classroom," created by Learn4Life, Champion of Children, and Community Research Partners. The program closed with an awards ceremony to honor the 2012 Champions of Children.
The report focused on poverty and the leaks in the education pipeline that need to be addressed; early childhood issues such as a lack of services and a lack of kindergarten readiness; and breakdowns at pivotal transition points where student learning is at risk.
The distinguished panel consisted of Tanny Crane, President and CEO of Crane Group; The Honorable Eric Fingerhut, Vice President, Education and STEM Learning at Battelle; Dr. David Harrison, President , Columbus State Community College; and Dr. Thomas Tucker, Superintendent, Worthington City Schools.
During the panel discussion, Dr. Thomas Tucker overviewed how crucial it is to develop personal relationships with students.
"Certainly the teacher makes the most profound difference in a child’s life," he declared. "If you can’t capture the heart of a student, you can’t capture his or her mind."
Tanny Crane stressed the importance of early education and quality early care.
"We have research to show," she pointed out, "how critical the early years are, yet we only spend about 2% of public dollars on early education. Children come to school ready to learn," she said, "when they have access to quality early education, good healthcare, and nutrition." Crane referenced Columbus Kids learning checkups as an important vehicle for helping to prepare children for kindergarten.
Dr. David Harrison discussed the education assets in our community. "We can do a better job," he stated, "of creating a sense of purpose for students." He went on to discuss the necessity of collaboration, pointing out that "Columbus is better positioned than most communities for…collaboration."
The Honorable Eric Fingerhut highlighted the need to retain high expectations for all youth, particularly in the areas of science, technology and math. "We need to have available high quality STEM education for our children, so that they have an opportunity…to succeed. We have got to create an expectation," he maintained, "that all kids can succeed."
The program concluded with the presentation of the two Champion of Children awards to Champions whose daily work is a part of the solution to change the odds for children at risk.
Patrick Losinski, Chief Executive Officer of The Columbus Metropolitan Library, was presented with the 2012 Champion of Children Individual Award, and Action for Children was presented with the first-ever Champion of Children Nonprofit Award, which was accompanied by a $5,000 check, courtesy of Chase.
Losinski issued a challenge to the audience to set a goal that "…with all the resources and great minds collected here tonight, we’ll make Columbus the internationally recognized urban community that has solved the educational challenge."
Action for Children’s Board president, Jeff Cullman, recognized the extraordinary CEO of Action for Children Diane Bennett, and went on to describe his grandmother, Cecelia "Cee" Cullman, co-founder of Action for Children, as "…quite a force… a social worker by profession and a philanthropist by passion. She recognized that as more women entered the workforce, they needed good quality child care. So with the help of fellow social worker, Rosa Hightower, the director of Central Community House and the support of the United Community Council (today’s United Way), our agency… was born."
The hour concluded with a call to action by Janet Jackson, President and CEO of United Way of Central Ohio. Janet asked the audience to take home a children’s book, provided by Champion of Children, and provide enrichment to a child by reading it with the child. The audience was reminded to download and share the Franklin County Children's Report, and to sign up for the Champion of Children Education Journal.
The program was rebroadcasted on WOSU TV/HD on Sunday, February 12 at 9:30am. It also aired on WOSU Plus on February 10, 17 & 24 at 9pm. The program can be viewed on the United Way of Central Ohio’s website, at http://www.liveunitedcentralohio.org/whats-happening-now/videos/viewvideo/240/champion-of-children/champion-of-children-2012-signature-event.
Following the hour-long televised program, guests adjourned to a reception to discuss ideas sparked by the video, the report and the panel discussion.
The Champion of Children Signature Event was made possible by the following Champion of Children Partners, Supporting Partners, Media Partners, and Patrons:
Partners
Supporting Partners
Huntington Bank
Limited Brands Foundation
The Columbus Foundation
Media Partners:
Big Red Rooster
Business First
Mills James Productions
WOSU Public Media
Ambassadors
Linda and Frank Kass
Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Walter
Abigail and Leslie Wexner
Benefactors
Click HERE
Click HERE to view the Champion of Children 2012 Signature Event Program.
For more information on becoming a Champion of Children, please contact Michele Bell, Project Manager, Champion of Children, at 614.227.2766 or michele.bell@uwcentralohio.org
