WARREN - An after-school program in Warren, a "green" job-training program in Youngs-town and a communication tower serving Niles, McDonald and Weathersfield are among the projects getting dollars in a federal spending bill OK'd on Thursday.
U.S. Rep. Timothy J. Ryan, D-Niles, secured nearly $8 million for job creation and other projects in Trumbull, Mahoning, Summit and Portage counties in the $447 billion Omnibus Appropriations Bill. ''These are investments that continue our long-term economic development plan. We are investing into our people, our infrastructure and our schools,'' said Ryan, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee.
The bill needs U.S. Senate and presidential approval.
The projects in Trumbull and Mahoning counties are:
Western Reserve Port Authority for economic development, $200,000.
Social and emotional learning in schools, $900,000. The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning will partner with Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility and the Inner Resilience Program to help Youngstown, Niles and Warren school districts develop a sustainable district-wide implementation of social emotional learning in eight schools.
Social-emotional learning project at Youngstown State University, $200,000. A pilot project that will train four faculty members from Youngstown State University in social-emotional learning theory by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning toward turning the curriculum into a required course for all education majors at the university.
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy (NEOUCOM) anatomy teaching laboratory renovation, $200,000.
Inspiring Minds after-school program, $100,000. Program offered by Inspiring Minds and the YMCA of Warren.
Youngstown Grey to Green Initiative, $305,000. Green job-training program participants will have opportunities to learn skills for a wide range of green industries from sustainable land management to carpentry to green energy.
Mahoning Valley Tradeswomen TOOLS: Training, Outreach, Opportunity, Leadership and Support, $200,000. The Raymond John Wean Foundation and Hard Hatted Women will partner to launch the Tradeswomen TOOLS program linking women in Trumbull and Mahoning counties to opportunities in high-wage, nontraditional fields.
Youngstown Program in Arts and Career Education for Young Inner City Pupils, $145,000. The project will provide for 100 young children in inner-city Youngstown an intensified two-year program in the arts and in career information.
Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way Success by 6 Initiative, $100,000. Success by 6, created by United Way of America about 10 years ago, is a six-week intensive kindergarten readiness program for at-risk children. The funds will go toward the start-up costs to begin Success by 6 in the summer of 2010 for the majority of the Mahoning County school districts.
Police Athletic League Activities, $200,000. Ohio PAL and the Youngstown PAL develop and maintain youth crime prevention programs that promote interaction and trust between law enforcement officers and youth by providing athletic and educational enrichment programs during nonschool hours. Funding will also be used toward the creation of a pilot program to address gang-related crime in several communities.
Weathersfield trustees, communications tower, $495,000. Proposal to update and improve an interoperable communication system by building a 190-foot communication tower with foundation so that Weathersfield, Niles and McDonald will be able to communicate effectively for all emergency forces, police, fire and road departments.
Ohio National Guard, Ravenna Training and Logistics Site, $2 million.
Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp., $450,000. A 200 space parking facility with technology and support space and pedestrian walkway infrastructure.
