MAHONING VALLEY Lipscher trust donates $5,000 to Opera program n The Senator Maurice & Florence
Lipscher Charitable Trust has awarded Opera Western Reserve $5,000 for its Young Artists program. The donation will fund educational outreach to schools in the tri-county area. In 202021, Opera Western Reserve’s Young Artist program reached over 1,600 students in the Mahoning Valley. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Young Artists performed for over 1,500 students. In 2021, it presented three outdoor performances of the children’s opera “The Three Little Pigs.” This fall, Opera Western Reserve will present “Romeo + Juliet,” an adaptation of the works of Shakespeare and Gounod. The production combines the music of Gounod with the drama of Shakespeare in a haunting and innovative adaptation. “Romeo + Juliet” will be presented Friday, Nov. 12 in the Stambaugh Auditorium Concert Hall. Guests will have the option of attending in person or purchasing a Digital Access Pass to watch from home. Opera Western Reserve is a professional opera company in their 18th year of residence at Stambaugh Auditorium. All productions are completely created in the Mahoning Valley. OWR features singers from the Western Reserve area, which includes Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. For more information, visit operawesternreserve.org or call 330-480-0693.
Kent offers incarcerated chance to earn degree
n Beginning this fall, Kent State University at Trumbull will offer Trumbull Correctional Institution inmates a chance to complete a bachelor of technical and applied studies. With funding support from local foundations, Kent Trumbull and LaunchNET Kent State will join Sinclair Community College in Dayton to complete this new 2+2 program PALMER partnership. Underwriters include the Burton D. Morgan Foundation, The Raymond John Wean Foundation, The Youngstown Foundation, Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley and The Thomases Family Endowment. Sinclair has been offering an associate in business management for two years and its first graduates will be ready to begin working on their bachelor’s this fall. Along with the degree, students can complete a certificate in entrepreneurship. “We chose the BTAS with entrepreneurship training because it is difficult for individuals with felonies to get hired by employers,” said Dr. Kristenne Robison, assistant professor of sociology, criminology
PUBLIC LIBRARY OF YOUNGSTOWN AND MAHONING COUNTY
The Public Library’s new Family Engagement Area includes a children’s interactive play and learning area.
Public Library opens new Family Engagement Area at Main Library
T
he Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County opened its Family Engagement Area in August with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Main Library, 305 Wick Ave., Youngstown. The community was invited to see the Family Engagement Area, talk with library staff and see what the new, dedicated space has to offer. Booker Bear was available for pictures and activities occurred throughout the day. Opening-day visitors also entered their names for a raffle drawing. Library staff led tours of the Family Engagement Area and discussed services. Aimee Fifarek, and justice studies. “By developing their entrepreneurial mindset and skills, as well as putting credentials in their hands, graduates of the program can start a business, pursue funding for their entrepreneurial efforts or offer value to local employers.” Many policymakers focus on the benefits of a college education in reducing recidivism as it increases the chances for successful reentry. A 2013 Rand study found that individuals participating in a correctional education program while incarcerated were 43 percent less likely to reoffend in comparison to their peers who did not participate in correctional education. There is also a high need and interest in pursuing post-secondary education while incarcerated, particularly bachelor’s degree programs. According to Dr. Daniel Palmer, interim dean and chief administrative officer of Kent State Trumbull, the benefits of a program like this are vast. “As a public institution, a program like this helps Kent State fulfill its mission of ‘transform[ing] lives and communities through the power of discovery, learning and creative expression in an inclusive environment,’ ”
chief executive officer and director, and other staff were on hand to answered questions. The Family Engagement Area includes a children’s interactive play and learning area; a story-time area; a hands-on STEAM learning area; a Teen Room and a DIY Space. “Family engagement is a shared responsibility among families, educators, and communities to support children’s learning and development,” said Pam Brockway, Library Family Engagement manager. “Family engagement begins at birth and continues through young adulthood. It happens everywhere children learn—especially at the library,” Brockway said. Palmer said. The Kent State prison education program, which does not have an official name, has been in the works since January 2020. Robison, along with Benjamin Tipton, Kent State’s executive director of foundation relations, began the process of seeking the financial support necessary to fund the program. Trumbull Campus Director of Philanthropy Dave Smith supported their efforts by introducing the concept to potential funders from across the Mahoning Valley. A 2016 study by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that over the course of three decades — from 1979 to 2013 — state and local spending on prisons and jails increased at three times the rate of funding for pre-K-12. “So this becomes a community effort to prevent recidivism and reinvest in individuals who want to make a change,” Robison said. “Many of our local foundations realized the potential benefits for this program and made significant contributions to help launch it.” Congress reinstated access to Pell Grants for incarcerated students last December. The FAFSA Simplification Act is set to take effect
no later than July 1, 2023. According to Robison, this should alleviate the need for additional funding and make the program self-supporting. In the 1990s, Pell Grants were eliminated for incarcerated learners. The U.S. Department of Education, during the Obama administration, created the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program. Pell Grant access was made available to 10,000 incarcerated learners across the country. In December of 2020, with bipartisan support, Pell Grants were reinstated for incarcerated learners (or will be by July of 2023 at the latest). The reinstatement provides a significant funding stream for college in prison programs. Incarcerated people earn pennies per hour for the work they do in prison. Pell Grants, the primary source of need-based financial aid, has made it possible for students to access higher education. The 1994 crime bill stripped incarcerated students of Pell Grant eligibility, making a college education practically unattainable. “Our program begins near the 50th anniversary of the Attica Prison riots, which occurred in September 1971,” Robison said. “The first college degree program in prison emerged out of the Attica Prison riots as it gave incarcerated individuals something positive to do with their time while incarcerated.”
$250,000 gift to create leadership fellow at YSU
n The YSU Foundation has announced that Lee and Bonnie Burdman, and their children, Korey, Taylor, and Lexi, have made a $250,000 gift to create a fellowship for the James P. Tressel Institute for Leadership and Teamwork at Youngstown State University. The Burdman Family Fellowship will provide a financial literacy peer mentor for undergraduate and graduate students at YSU. Financial literacy is one of the seven badges students earn, leading them to a certificate for completing the Tressel Institute program. Lee and Bonnie Burdman were also among the leading benefactors for establishing the James P. Tressel Endowed Chair in Leadership at YSU in January. The program is designed to prepare YSU students to direct organizations and guide individuals to succeed in their given endeavors. Additionally, students will have leadership opportunities through credit courses, workshops, travel abroad and group projects. “We established the fellowship because financial literacy is another component that helps students prepare for the workforce,” said Lee and Bonnie Burdman. “Under President Tressel’s leadership, YSU has seen tremendous growth. The Institute is another way to recognize and honor everything he has done for not only the University, but the city of Youngstown,” the Burdmans added. The Burdmans have impacted the Mahoning Valley through their civic
Mahoning Valley
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engagement and volunteer leadership. They recently served as cabinet committee members for the $100 million “We See Tomorrow” campaign at YSU. Lee Burdman is co-founder and managing partner of Redstone Investments in Youngstown. He has served as a YSU Foundation board member since 2000 and was chairman from 2011-2013. He is also the treasurer of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation board. Bonnie Burdman is the executive director of community relations and government affairs at Youngstown Area Jewish Federation. Formerly, she was a board member and chairwoman for the Youngstown Warren Regional Chamber.
Atty. Magill chairs Workers’ Compensation Law Section
n The Ohio State Bar Association has appointed Youngstown attorney Richard Magill to chair the association’s Workers’ Compensation Law Section for a one-year term, which began July 1. The Workers’ Compensation Law Committee provides a forum for legal professionals interested in regulatory, legislative and judicial matters related to workers’ compensation law. Magill is a partner at the firm of Heller, Mass, Moro and Magill Co. LPA located in Youngstown, where he focuses his practice MAGILL on workers’ compensation issues. Along with serving on the OSBA Workers’ Compensation Section, Magill serves as a liaison to the Ohio Industrial Commission. He serves on the Trumbull County Bar Association’s Executive Committee and is a member of the Portage County Bar Association and Mahoning-Trumbull County Academy of Trial Lawyers. The OSBA maintains 27 committees and 14 sections, each of which specializes in a particular area of law. Committees and sections work to improve the justice system by keeping Ohio lawyers informed about the latest court decisions and regulatory changes. They also comment on bills before the Ohio General Assembly and draft their own legislative proposals to improve existing laws. Chairpersons selected for this honor have demonstrated excellence and expertise in their practice area as well as outstanding leadership and a commitment to the profession and the rule of law. Magill is married with two children and resides in McDonald. He received his undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University and his law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.
Compiled from local reports.
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