United Way renews grant for Common VIEW

United Way of Greater Lorain County’s Board of Directors has approved a three-year grant renewal for the Common VIEW Community Collaborative, which is focused on the overall health and well-being of middle school students in Clearview, Firelands and Midview school districts.

United Way has committed up to $282,000 over the next three years, according to a news release.

Common VIEW is a community collaborative powered by the United Way of Greater Lorain County and is facilitated by Lorain County Public Health, according to a news release.

The goal is to improve health knowledge, develop communication and life skills and avoid specific risky behaviors, leading to safer schools and positive social environments that improve educational and social outcomes in students.

“We’ll continue to build a bridge between education and health through sustainable interventions rooted in prevention to impact youth – now and into their future,” Kat Evers Solove, health education specialist at Lorain County Public Health, said in the release.

Aligned programming and targeted efforts include flexible seating, Yoga 4 Classrooms, Girls on the Run, Hydration stations, Share Carts, anti-vaping messaging, and redesigning school kitchen areas to provide space for fresh produce preparation.

Results show an increase in fruit, vegetable and water consumption; an increase in the amount of exercise per week; and a 43 percent reduction in discipline referrals demonstrating the interrelated nature of health and education, the release stated.

“I’m extremely proud of the partners in Common VIEW for their accomplishments over the past six years and am excited to continue this critical work into the future,” said United Way of Greater Lorain County President and CEO Ryan Aroney in the release. “Having three different school districts working so closely together exemplifies true collaboration and showcases how we can make each other stronger by embracing our differences and sharing our strengths.”

Other partners include the Clearview Local Schools, Midview Local Schools, Firelands Local Schools, the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board of Lorain County, the Educational Service Center of Lorain County and the Grafton- Midview Public Library.