Rendering of the Greater Dayton School

K&C expands award-winning work

The Connor Group Kids & Community Partners, recently honored by The Dayton Business Journal as Community Supporter of the Year finalist, grew in size, scope and impact in 2022.

And it’s just getting started.

In the spring, the organization broke ground on a $50-million campus for The Greater Dayton School. GDS, the state’s first private non-religious school for under-resourced students, opened its doors this summer at a temporary location.

“We’re taking a revolutionary long-term approach to educating the whole child,” said Kids & Community Partners director Ryan Ernst. “That said, we’re already seeing dramatic development and improvement in our students. It’s a testament to the model, but more importantly to our founding staff. They’re just an unbelievably talented and committed group of educators.”

The permanent campus will open in the fall of 2023 and feature a full-service health and wellness center.

Also this summer, Connor Kids Academy expanded to Cincinnati, the program’s second market. CKA is an innovative approach to sports camps that provides kids with a potentially life-changing three-year experience. The program is delivered through partnerships with the University of Dayton and University of Cincinnati men’s basketball programs. Its curriculum, which focuses on creating healthy habits and teaching decision-making skills, are reinforced via a custom app and touchpoints throughout the school year.

The program will expand to a third – and possibly a fourth – market in 2023.

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