Superheroes land at Chardon Hills Magnet School

L-R Ryan Finley, artist, Michael Milanich, AARP Foundation Experience Corps Program Coordinator Greater Cleveland Volunteers and Perris Mackey, artist. 

Greater Cleveland Volunteers was awarded a grant from Encore.org Generation2Generation initiative. The Gen2Gen campaign is mobilizing 1 million adults 50+ to stand up for— and with — young people today.

Greater Cleveland Volunteers received the grant to create and host a comic con event for the students tutored in our AARP Foundation Experience Corps program at Chardon Hills Magnet School in Euclid. This program provides tutors for students in grades K-3 to help improve their literacy skills.

To introduce various methods of reading, comic books serve as “non-traditional”. They invoke action, color, short sentences and intriguing story lines that draw in young readers. In creating the evening for students, their tutors and families, we partnered with Carol and John’s Comic Shop in Cleveland and presented each student with seven comic books. A meal was served and enjoyed while the participants were entertained by a costumed superhero as well as the artists. Our staff and tutors read comic books with the students and then had a ceremony where our tutors gave superhero masks to the children who were now able to claim, “Reading is My Super Power”! 

A special addition was having 2005 Euclid City School graduate and collage artist, Perris Mackey, who made a presentation to the kids about how he creates his works of art, along with Topps “Star Wars” and “Stranger Things” sketch card artist, Ryan Finley. Ryan drew sketches of each childs’ favorite super hero! 

We are appreciative of the Generation2Generation grant from Encore.org, the team of educators at Chardon Hills Magnet School in Euclid, the fine folks at Carol and John’s Comic Shop, Perris Mackey, Ryan Finley, our spectacular literacy tutors and everyone else who contributed time, effort, prizes or costumes. The families and students enjoyed a wonderful experience!

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Dianna Kall

Dianna is the Communications Manager for Greater Cleveland Volunteers, a nonprofit agency who partners with 100+ other nonprofits promoting volunteer opportunities in Cuyahoga County. 

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Volume 10, Issue 7, Posted 12:30 PM, 07.07.2019