VOICES: Partnerships key to achieving whole-family outcomes

Vanessa Ward is the President of the Omega Community Development Corporation. (CONTRIBUTED)

Vanessa Ward is the President of the Omega Community Development Corporation. (CONTRIBUTED)
Ideas & Voices
By Vanessa Ward
April 30, 2023
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Since 1997, the Omega Community Development Corporation has been serving children and families in Dayton. Founded by the Omega Baptist Church, our mission has focused on breaking the cycle of poverty by implementing a two-generational approach that addresses educational, health, and economic barriers that children and families have faced for decades. We resolved to partner with Dayton Public Schools, churches, non-profits, and organizations like Learn to Earn Dayton to align efforts to realize better academic and whole-family outcomes, particularly for residents of northwest Dayton.

While the Omega CDC had been doing its best to serve children by offering tutoring, after-school, and summer learning, we realized early in our work that we lacked the resources to support children in meeting the aggressive academic and social outcomes expected. Gaps in the academic achievement of children in grades K-12 remained staggering despite our efforts to contribute to every student’s success. As a non-profit, community development organization with deep community roots, we sought to partner with Learn to Earn Dayton because it delivered strategies for closing academic gaps that would help organizations like ours to move the needle for Dayton students.

Omega CDC engaged in some of the early work of Learn to Earn Dayton, increasing our expertise and access to relevant networks and resources. We participated in sessions addressing early learning disparities with the ReadySetSoar team that preceded the Preschool Promise initiative of Learn to Earn. In those sessions, we learned that kindergarten readiness rates in northwest Dayton were among the lowest locally. This work helped inspire the Omega CDC to build the Hope Center for Families, with great emphasis on high-quality early learning at the core.

Omega CDC is proud to serve as an initiative owner for the Northwest Dayton Partnership through Learn to Earn Dayton. With a catalytic financial investment, we have grown our capacity and become a nationally recognized organization delivering place-based, cradle-to-career services. Learn to Earn’s technical assistance, thought leadership, and a true commitment to shift power was also foundational to the Omega CDC’s successful submission, award, and current implementation of a U.S. Department of Education Promise Neighborhood Grant.

In recent years and months, Omega CDC has seen unprecedented growth and recognition for our collaborative work in northwest Dayton. We attribute much to the contributions and expertise gained from the lasting work of Learn to Earn Dayton.

Vanessa Ward is the President of the Omega Community Development Corporation.

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About the Author

Vanessa Ward