“Momentum is great,” said McCleary, director of restaurant operations for the Tano Hospitality Group. “But if we want to see it continue, we have to teach the youth and let them take it and run with it.”
McCleary and other leaders of several Hamilton businesses and nonprofit organizations took a major step toward that goal when they recently completed the first Miami University Upward Bound Around Town program.
Hamilton groups partnered this summer to provide an innovative, experiential and community-based learning opportunity for teens, McCleary said.
This venture included learning experiences in which students engaged with the city of Hamilton, explored opportunities and institutions that exist within the city, and developed a sense of community pride, said Ashley Hopkins, director of Miami University TRIO Upward Bound (MUUB).
She said the pilot program and the city of Hamilton provided a unique and innovative opportunity for young Hamiltonians to “fall in love with their home community” while mastering important skills and networking for their future academic and professional careers.
McCleary, 34, said at his family-owned restaurant, the students learned about math through baking, art through food and science through food.
He said when the students baked a cake they learned the importance of following the recipe.
Measurements must be “right on” in the kitchen, he said.
McCleary said he was impressed by the students’ behavior and the questions they asked.
“We’re in good shape for years,” he said of Hamilton’s future.
Hopkins said MUUB is a federally-funded college preparatory program serving and supporting high-achieving future first-generation college students and Hamilton High School students from economically-challenged households.
The program is funded to serve 60 high school students annually in five-year increments of approximately $1.5 million and provides participants with academic support, college and career advising, financial literacy education, social-emotional learning and leadership opportunities, and educational field trips at no cost to participants or their families, she said.
Besides Tano Bistro, community partners included Hamilton Central YMCA, Fitton Center for the Arts, 3rd Street Music, 17 Strong, City of Sculpture, StreetSpark, and ArtSpace.
At the Fitton, students combined cooking and art, said Caroline Digiovenale, assistant director of education and outreach. She said the students turned focaccia bread into edible artwork and used yarn to create sushi.
“It showed them that you can use art in the real world,” she said. “Sometimes people think art is only for old, retired people. They learned it can be a stress relief and a lot of fun.”
Hopkins said she hopes to grow the initiative to include more students and additional community partners in the future.
The Journal-News periodically runs a “Good News” feature on Saturdays. If you have a story idea, contact contributing writer Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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