Mohammad Noormal, who resettled in Cleveland in 2014, now leads the Learning Garden and Production Farm at Urban Community School.

A new report shows that while some progress has been made in improving the schools, there is still a long way to go. The conditions are now right for faster changes, leaders say.

SEA Change, a collaborative social enterprise accelerator that provides funding, training and coaching to civic-minded companies, is taking applications for its second round of companies to participate in its accelerator.

Thirteen businesses with a social and economic cause participated in last year’s accelerator and eight companies went on to compete for, and ultimately received, a portion of $50,000 in total funding. Rust Belt Riders and Vineyards and Biocellar of Chateau Hough were among the top companies to receive funding.
 
This year SEA Change has at least $60,000 in funding and hopes to accept 10 applicants, depending on the applications they get. “We’re looking for the best business ideas that want to improve the community,” says Mike Shafarenko, director of Civic Commons IdesStream, one of the lead collaborators for SEA Change. “Last year we has a wide variety of social enterprises.” He says they are expecting about 50 companies to apply this year.
 
This year’s accelerator will operate a little differently than last year. “We’re re-developing the accelerator a little bit by using different elements being used across the country,” Shafarenko says. “We’re making it equal parts training and mentorship with a lot of hands-on training and more experiential opportunities than last year.”
 
Those chosen for the accelerator will participate in a 16 week program of eight weeks of training and eight weeks of pitch preparation and coaching.
 
While the program doesn’t being until October, applications are due by Saturday, August 15 by 8pm.

This weekend, celebrate the cultures that make up Northeast Ohio at Cleveland World Festival, experience a fusion of Asian food and culture at Night Market, embrace the power of writing at Cleveland Inkubator and more.

Parks and other play spaces are designed for young people, yet youth are seldom asked for their input. A new initiative engages Cleveland kids in design and encourages them to consider careers in this area.

Urban, connected and on the move, the Campus District is poised to take off with more than $260 million pouring into this scant square mile of diverse territory.

In an effort to improve Cleveland Heights neighborhoods and create a new kind of social interaction, FutureHeights is now offering mini-grants of up to $1,000 for neighbors to get together for improvement projects.
 
“It’s a way to strengthen our neighborhoods,” says FutureHeights executive director Deanna Bremer Fisher. “The way we do that work is with our residents and strengthen their assets.”
 
The grass-roots program is loosely based on Cleveland’s Neighborhood Connections program, which offers grants of up to $5,000 for neighborhood enhancement projects and is partially responsible for the creation of popular events like Larchmere PorchFest.
 
Years ago, Bremer Fisher says neighborhood block clubs were prevalent in Cleveland Heights. While some of the groups still exist and thrive, such as in the Fairfax neighborhood where the block has as many as 10 events a year, many of the groups have dissolved.
 
“This will be an incentive to be able to do small projects – do little things from a social aspect or physical appearance,” says Bremer Fisher. “Whether it’s a project that works on some aspect of physical appearance or strengthens a social network, we’re really open to all ideas. Let’s talk about it.”
 
FutureHeights has $7,500 budgeted for the mini-grants. Groups must consist of at least three people in the same neighborhood, and they will be required to match 20 percent of the grant in either money or volunteer hours.
 
 The organization plans to offer the program again in the spring, depending on the interest. “We have no idea what kind of response we’ll get,” Bremer Fisher says. The application deadline is September 15. An informational meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, July 29 at 7pm at the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Lee Road Library.

Local entrepreneurs and experts share the pinnacles and pitfalls of transitioning from startup mode to growth mode.

Northeast Ohio has three organizations dedicated to getting fresh produce and sustainably-grown goods to consumers through online ordering.

This weekend, take a historic walking tour of University Circle, support cancer research at the VeloSano Bike to Cure, compete for cash prizes at The American Institute of Architects sandcastle and volleyball competition, relax with Sunday yoga at Edgewater Beach and more.