Cleveland State University, AquaMissions, and Cleveland Metropolitan School District are diving into a life-saving partnership to teach 2,500 Cleveland fourth graders critical water safety and swim skills. The program aims to prevent drowning deaths among the region's youth.

The third annual FutureLAND Conference, hosted by the City of Cleveland, United Black Fund, and JumpStart, will bring together thought leaders, industry innovators, and content creators to explore ways in which tech shapes the entrepreneur ecosystem and creative economy this Thursday, Oct. 10 to Saturday, Oct. 12 at Playhouse Square.

FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski provides a peek into the everyday lives of Clevelanders going about their business in the neighborhoods and on the streets of Cleveland.

“Velveteen, A New Musical” is the first show Playhouse Square has created and self-produced for young audiences. The adaptation from the classic children's book "The Velveteen Rabbit" premiers later this month with a sensory-friendly performance in the Mimi Ohio Theatre.

Engage! Cleveland hosted its second Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion conference in September for more than 150 participants from 43 local companies. The event included speakers from Equius Group, the Cleveland Guardians, and the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland.

AutumnFest: Fairytales in the Forest, a free family-friendly event, is set to enchant visitors at the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes this weekend with a variety of activities, storytelling, s'mores, craft-making, and food trucks. Guests can also check out the annual bird seed and perennial plant sales.

Story Club, a monthly nonfiction storytelling event in Cleveland, offers a platform for personal narratives and community building. This month features guests from Literary Cleveland and Nebula Spiritual. Partnering with The Reading Room CLE, the event will host a mix of featured storytellers and open mic slots in The Brownhoist this Friday.

The Western Reserve Historical Society opens its newest exhibit "All Dolled Up: 200 Years of Dolls and Miniatures" on Thursday at the Cleveland History Center. The exhibit showcases a diverse collection of dolls, dollhouses, and toys from the 1830s to present-day. The opening will also feature a screening of "Black Barbie."

Rooted in Trees, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, and Holden Forests & Gardens worked with Urban Community School students last week to plant the first Miyawaki Forest in a U.S. zoo. The 150 densely-planted native saplings and shrubs will grow rapidly, providing ecological benefits and educational opportunities, while helping restore the region's tree canopy.

FreshWater managing photographer Bob Perkoski provides a peek into the everyday lives of Clevelanders going about their business in the neighborhoods and on the streets of Cleveland.

This summer a new trend in outdoor entertainment—public concerts in private yards—swept through Northeast Ohio. Hosts invited both friends and strangers onto their properties to hear the sounds of local musicians like Blue Lunch, Jackie Warren and Forecast, Moises Borges, and the Jim Rangel Trio. It sounds like a trend that may continue.

The 89th Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards, which recognize outstanding books that contribute to our understanding of racism and celebrate cultural diversity, take place this weekend at the City Club of Cleveland. As part of the ninth annual Cleveland Book Week, the awards will introduce a new author symposium, “When Artists Go to Work,” with Anisfield-Wolf Award-winning authors and the jurors The event is presented by the Cleveland Foundation.

University Settlement, which has been serving the community for almost a century in Slavic Village, in August began a new era of support and uplifting the community with the opening of 5115, a mixed use development with space for programming, a food pantry, and a host of services, as well as 5115 At The Rising apartments and townhomes.

AloeCLE, founded last summer by mother-daughter team Lena Paskewitz and Miranda Fox-Hervey, grew out of a passion for rescuing and nurturing aloe plants. The school teachers offer hand-glazed pots and aloe plants, while promoting a community of plant enthusiasts with their aloe mama fostering program, pottery workshops, and walks through their AloeCLE Trail at their home studio.

The Banned Wagon will roll into Lakewood Public Library next week to give away free books on a tour spearheaded by Penguin Random House to promote awareness of book challenges and censorship during Banned Books Week.

This Thursday, WKYC Channel 3 will host a day-long telethon to raise money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio. Sponsored by Oswald Companies, the campaign will raise funds to reopen 17 clubs that were closed late this summer due to federal funding cuts.

Ingenuity Cleveland will celebrate the beginning of its 20th year this weekend with IngenuityFest 2024: Era of Ascent at its newly-expanded IngenuityLabs. The festival where art meets technology will reflect both on its growth and its vision for the future in its most ambitious year yet.

Future Heights will host the 2024 Heights Music Hop this weekend in several Cleveland Heights neighborhoods, including Cedar Lee, Coventry, and Cedar Fairmount, with live music, shopping, dining, and plenty of community spirit.

Win a pair of free tickets to Ingenuity Cleveland's annual IngenuityFest 2024: Era of Ascent, running this weekend at the Hamilton Collaborative in the St. Clair Superior neighborhood.