We were honored to induct our newest Akron Rotarian,Dr. C. Michael Robinson, Jr., Ed.D., Superintendent of Akron Public Schools. He was sponsored by Nathanael Billow.
Dr. Michael Robinson was born in and is a native of Thibodaux (Lafourche Parish), Louisiana.
He has been in education for the past 22 years, having started as a substitute teacher at Thibodaux Elementary School and Raceland Upper Elementary School, a high school assistant principal, elementary turnaround principal, elementary, intermediate, junior high (Raceland Jr. High School) and middle school teacher, and a middle school turnaround principal; former Director of Priority Schools/Instructional Director in Prince George’s County Public Schools, a district of over 131,000 scholars and over 208 buildings and centers, Maryland; former Superintendent of Schools in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, a district with declining enrollment of 4,100, and the former Chief Academic Officer in East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Louisiana, a district of 40,000+ scholars, including charters, and 84 buildings and centers. He has also served as an adjunct instructor.
Dr. Robinson is a published author, Life Coach, and educational consultant. Although he has made several transitions in his career, he attributes those experiences to the professional he is today.
He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Prince Hall Free and Accepted Masons, NAACP, and Phi Delta Kappa International as well as professional organizations.
He is a former member of Kiwanis and Rotary Clubs.
Dr. Robinson enjoys spending time with his family, especially his mom and his dog, London-Shane. In his spare time, he enjoys engaging in community work, working out, traveling, when he can, home improvement projects, the arts, and many other things that bring him joy.
Thanks to those who attended our morning gathering on January 26. There was good discussion and wonderful fellowship!
In attendance: DG Julie Brandle, Jack Harig, John Reyes, Gerry Kiefer, Ginny Wojno, Dan Riemenschneider, David Hall, Sandy Naragon, Sarah Buccigross, Julie Ann Sweet-Buntin, Michael Gladys, President Tom Knauer, Cyndi Kane, Doug Hausknecht, Jeff Sheeks, Mark Seward, Fred Carter, Angie Claypool.
This is a great chance to join the Exchange Students for the CAVS game against the Orlando Magic on February 22, 2024.
All Rotarians and friends are welcome for the pregame reception and CAVS game on the 22nd.
The reception with the students begins at 5:00 pm and includes a snack with soft drinks at The Clevelander Bar and Grille at 834 Huron Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
In addition, we will have a few door prizes and a raffle for the exchange students and their guests.
This has always been a fun night, a chance to see the young CAVS and have some great fellowship.
Please see the flyer below to order tickets. Any questions, call Stew at 330-607-1442.
Every week, 100 students at Innes Community Learning Center receive packs of non-perishable food on Fridays to ensure they have enough to eat over the weekend. The Feeding Kids Backpack Project is provided by Open M and is partially funded by a grant awarded by the Akron Rotary Foundation. Food insecurity negatively impacts a child's ability to learn and grow.
Packing is on Wednesdays from 3-4 pm at Open M. Delivery is at 9:00 am on Thursdays.
Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program update. We need more volunteers to ensure we have enough Rotarians on site to fulfill our club requirements to have 2 Adults present when working with kids. As we have navigated thru the first few months of the program, some of the kids have needed to move to other areas of the building to concentrate on reading. In order to accommodate this, we need more Rotarians present. I have opened up 4 slots each week, please consider volunteering!
The State of Ohio has a 3rd Grade Reading Guarantee that ensures that students in grades K-3rd grade are provided with resources to get them to the appropriate reading level by the time they enter 4th grade and aren't falling behind. Akron Youth Mentorship's K-3rd Grade Reading Program puts a tutor in front of them to read books for one hour a week. This extra reading time gives our K-3rd grade mentees a little extra help making sure they are on track to meet state standards and be set up for success as they move into 4th grade.
One hour a week helps kids catch up! As a club, we have committed to support two kids per week on Monday evenings from 4:45 pm - 6:00 pm, October 2023 thru May 2024.
Thank you to all those who have already volunteered to support this initiative, I hope you have enjoyed this experience as much as I have!. If you have any questions, please reach out to me via e-mail or phone (440.813.6230).
If you are interested in serving on the Service Projects Committee, please contact Cyndi Kane: 
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