40. Community Need At a time when our nation and community are increasingly focused on closing the achievement gap and on providing greater opportunities for those of all backgrounds who are being left behind, The Greater Dayton School stands out as a national educational model and a critical resource for the people of our community.

The Greater Dayton School is a revolutionary and student focused private institution focusing on delivering long-term and transformational results for some of Ohio’s most underserved students. We start with preschoolers, and work to turn our alumni into adults who are living lives of integrity, who are financially independent, established in a career, mentally and physically healthy and successful by their own definition of success.

This approach is paying off. For example, our students are dramatically more likely to not only be academically successful, testing proficiently at a rate 25 percent higher than their 3rd grade peers, but they are 58 percent more likely to have annual dental visits and 45 percent more likely to have well child visits.

These results have all, to this point, been driven by private philanthropy and through resources contributed by our founder and by our partners. As this institution becomes a greater part of this community, resources are needed to better connect The Greater Dayton School and the students we serve to Dayton as a whole. This will come through four specific projects that make up our “Phase 2”:

1. Public Park: As a part of our compact with the community we serve, and in keeping with our focus on the physical health of the children we serve, The Greater Dayton School has provided $750,000 to create an adjacent public park. We ask for the resources necessary to complete the necessary work as costs have grown from the inception of the project. According to the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA), time spent outside leads to higher levels of physical activity in children.

2. Recreation Facilities: As part of the effort to ensure that students are physically and mentally healthy, we are providing students with access to recreation facilities. Your support for these resources will not only support their physical development but will also allow us to continue to invest critically needed resources in other critically needed projects. Active children show more brain activity, and they are 20 percent more likely to earn an A in English or math.

3. Dental Lab Equipment: As a part of the focus on the whole health and well-being of the student, The Greater Dayton School is pleased to offer students dental health care. This investment will augment an investment already made by the Greater Dayton School to ensure that students have access to the best technology available. According to the Centers for Disease Control, children who have poor oral health often miss more school and receive lower grades than children who don’t.

4. Recreation Field Lighting: The installation of lighting for recreation fields is essential for extending the use of these facilities beyond daylight hours, ensuring that students can engage in extracurricular activities safely and effectively.