When you support The Johnny Appleseed Educational Center and Museum, your tax-deductible gift helps preserve and bring history to the lives of children, students, and the whole community!

Click here to make a donation, or donate on site. For questions or more information text (614) 403-2892.

The library was located at 160 West Market Street until November 25, 1996 and has since moved to 1060 Scioto Street. Can you believe it has been 25 years since the library opened at its current location?

Join the library staff for treats, scavenger hunts, a stroll down memory lane, and more!

There will also be special displays and activities through the end of the month for those unable to attend!

Each student paid $5 to attend the event as a way to raise money and awareness for the homeless; $185 and some food supplies were collected. All proceeds were donated to The Caring Kitchen. The event opens up students’ eyes to how cold and uncomfortable being homeless is and students take the time to consider how fortunate they are. Realizing that the homeless have to deal with it every night rather than just one night.

We would like to thank our advisor chaperones, Christy Wilhelm for making chicken noodle soup, Joe Jackson for donating pizza, and all the students who participated. It was a great experience and we look forward to doing it again in the future.

“It was an awesome opportunity for these students to learn more about Bundy and Rittal – good jobs available right here in Urbana. They were all shocked to learn that Bundy makes the pans for McDonalds & Subways’ buns and that Rittal manufactures the server enclosures for some of the world’s largest organizations,” explained Justin Weller, Executive Director for the Urbana Youth Center.
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Sidney Marshall, a current 10th grade student at Urbana who went on the trip found it very valuable. “I thought the trip was really good. I learned that even if I’m not trained in an area, they are willing to train us. They seem very patient and excited to have us work for them. I hope to graduate and work for either Bundy or Rittal,” Marshall shared.

Rittal & Bundy have numerous part-time and full-time job opportunities available locally in manufacturing, coding, robotics, marketing, business, and more. Both employers want to make sure that students know they can find a good paying job locally.

Tom Coles, Vice President of Human Resources for Bundy explained, “Investing in the future workforce isn’t just a good business decision, it is a decision to help provide youth with the means to have a successful life. The Urbana Youth Center is exactly the type of positive, forward thinking that keeps communities strong and thriving. We were honored to participate in this excellent opportunity for students and look forward to our ongoing partnership with UYC.”

“Rittal believes that the community must invest in our youth. They are our future. We were thrilled to support this career trip and show students the extraordinary full-time and part-time opportunities that exist at Rittal. Our team is looking forward to our continued partnership to help the ongoing efforts at the youth center,” Tony Pearson, Human Resource Manager for Rittal, shared.

Ohio Hi-Point Career Center is a career-technical school district serving 14 partner schools in five counties, including Urbana City Schools. Hi-Point works to foster career opportunities for students right out of high school.

“What a fantastic experience for our students. Both Bundy and Rittal gave a great presentation and tour,” Christina Flowers, a Career-Based Intervention teacher for Hi-Point at Urbana High School shared. “Several students left excited about career possibilities for themselves after graduation. I can’t thank the youth center enough for the opportunity that they helped provide for our students. What a fantastic day!”

Don Klingler, Advanced Manufacturing Instructor for Hi-Point at Urbana High School and one of the teachers who participated in the trip said, “What a great opportunity for our students to learn about our local niche manufacturers and what careers they can provide.”

“When meeting and planning with Justin (Weller) and his staff this past summer, I was excited and encouraged to collaborate with the UYC along with our career based program classes here at UHS to provide opportunities for our students to explore career pathways in the community and receive information that can set them up for success post-graduation,” said Nate Sever, Principal at Urbana High School.

The Urbana Youth Center, a project of the GrandWorks Foundation, provides comprehensive youth services to reach, restore, and revive the community. Currently serving more than 500 student members in grades six through twelve, with open hearts, open minds, and open doors UYC educates students through respectful, honest, and open-minded programming – according to the organization’s mission.

“The goal of this trip was to expose local students to great, local career opportunities and that’s what we were able to do thanks to the great community partners who are investing in the future of our community. We really can’t thank them enough,” explained Weller.

“Yes, the youth center is about providing a safe place to hang out and participate in fun activities. That said, one of the main goals of those programs is to build trust with students so we can get them homework and study assistance to improve their grades, provide them food while at the youth center and meals they can take home, get them connected with social groups and support resources, teach them basic life skills, and educate them about the fantastic careers available here at home. That’s what we are doing. That’s what the youth center is all about,” Weller shared.

As a not-for-profit organization, the Urbana Youth Center relies on local donations and grants to operate. According to UYC, volunteers are essential to delivering the programming that makes the youth center a success. Those that want to donate or learn more about UYC can go to https://UrbanaYouthCenter.org or text the youth center at 937-772-4022.

As a result of the collaboration, Mercy Health will cover tuition and other fees for part-time and full-time hospital associates pursuing select clinical pathways such as nursing, medical assistant, and laboratory programs.

Guild Education is based out of Denver and works with companies in order to help manage education assistance programs.
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Representatives of Mercy Health stated in a recent news release that the hospital network’s associates will be eligible for that educational assistance on their first day of employment.

Mercy Health plans to will cover tuition assistance and tuition reimbursement for 115 academic programs, undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees, and nursing degrees as part of their new education program.

“We are committed to providing career growth to our associates as they serve our patients,” said Adam Groshans, president of Mercy Health-Springfield.

“Our collaboration with Guild will open many doors for our associates through strategic financial assistance, enabling them to realize their career aspirations and enhancing their ability to care for our communities.”

The hope is that the new education program will also help fill in-demand jobs in the healthcare field, according to the news release.

Overall employment in health care jobs is projected to grow 16% from 2020 to 2030 adding an estimated 2.6 million new jobs, the release from Mercy Health stated.

The new education program is designed to help aid Mercy Health associates in career growth opportunities such as getting degrees or clinical certifications such as in nursing or pharmacy.

Educational pathways that are part of the program will be provided through 16 universities and learning partners with the aid of Guild Education, the release added.

“I’m delighted to join Clark State. I’m excited about the work that the college is performing to serve our community,” Bommer said. “As Dean of the School of Business and Applied Technologies, my focus is to support students, faculty, and staff to ensure success in their efforts.”

In her new position, Bommer will have many responsibilities including to provide leadership for several programs and directs the administrative and managerial functions of the school; supervises all school personnel; and advocates for the school, according to a release from the college.
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“I want to continue to enhance student educational experience and foster an inclusive environment where all feel welcomed,” Bommer said. “My goal is to understand our students to guarantee that we are meeting their needs. In addition, I will work to maintain an awareness of industry requirements so that our programs are focused on the demands of the changing market. Finally, I look forward to working with my team to expand our current capabilities of providing additional academic programs and resources in the business and applied technology fields.” 
 
Bommer brings years of industry and educational experience, including as an assistant professor for the department of Engineering Management, Systems, and Technology at the University of Dayton, as a research scientist at the Air Force Institute of Technology, and an adjunct professor in the department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering at Wright State University, the release stated.

“Dr. Bommer will bring a wealth of industry-based experience as well as higher education experiences that will allow us to strengthen the work of the School of Business and Applied Technologies,” said Dr. Tiffany Hunter, Provost and vice president of academic affairs. “She is eager to learn more about Clark State and how she can contribute as a leader to overall student success.”

Bommer has a Ph.D. in Engineering, Industrial and Human Systems from Wright State University; has served on several professional, educational and community boards; and has contributed to several professional written publications and offered many technical and invited presentations, the release stated. 

The Criminal Justice program is for students who want to serve the community and have a career in public service. Students develop communication, teamwork, leadership, and human relations skills while learning and implementing patrol protocols and tactics through a variety of simulations. Students also study constitutional law and explore a variety of career opportunities in criminal investigations, forensics, emergency response and security. Certifications for the Criminal Justice program include: CPR/First Aid, OC/Pepper Spray, ASP Baton Certification, Taser Certification, Certified Protection Officer, and ORDC Correctional Officer- Provisional.
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