LoveLight Open House

LoveLight, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established in November 1995 to promote positive, healthful lifestyles and help persons, especially those who may be considered to be disadvantaged, to move toward the realization of their potential. Our approach is proactive and collaborative, involving various sectors of the community, including education, social services, communities of worship, and government. Our efforts have mostly focused on youth, within the context of family, neighborhood, and community.

In the summer, with the help of a number of entities and individuals, we prepare nutritious lunches and deliver them to children in lower-income neighborhoods; as resources permit, we also provide an activity. To date, over 45,000 summer lunches have been served and more than 380 college studies have been involved in experiential learning and community service through LoveLight programs, which, in addition to the summer program, have included Study Buddies, Traveling Playground, Bio-Integrative Tutorial Services, and The STARCHILD Center, a licensed child care program which was held at a local church.

In addition, LoveLight has coordinated and hosted a Professional Learning Communities (PLC) Academy at Kent State University for educators in Northeast Ohio who want to develop sustainable, effective PLC's in their respective schools for the purpose of: improving learning; raising test scores; increasing teacher effectiveness, satisfaction, and retention; and promoting healthy school cultures. Over the past two school years, 200 teachers, principals, and district administrators have participated in the Academies.

Currently, LoveLight, Inc. has three primary initiatives:

1)  the 2012-2013 PLC Academy, which is being held in 4 sessions at Kent State over the course of the school year;

2)  Tutoring Plus, an educational service which works with the student, parents, and teachers to identify underlying causes of learning difficulties and addresses not only specific academic areas needing improvement, but also the development of the "whole child"; and

3) the purchase/refurbishing of the former Damon's restaurant building to house our STAR (Service, Teaching, Advocacy, and Research) Institute, which will incorporate "green" structures and practices and will feature a model child development and learning center, Golden Treasures project in which senior citizens will be able to share their time and talents with youth, HUGS (Healing, Uplifting Guidance and Support) empowerment and entrepreneurial project for teens, opportunities for research, training, community service, and experiential learning for college students and others; and use of the facility for community events in the evenings and on weekends.