The Summit Lake Family Opportunity
Center Collaborative
Strategic Plan
2012-2015
Approved November 2012
Prepared by
B L Westbrook Consulting, LLC
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Collaborative Partner Agreement
3
Introduction
4
Organizational Description
4
Governance Structure
5
The Planning Process
7
Mission, Vision and Values
8
Goals and Strategies
9
Program Goals
Organizational Goals
Plan Maintenance
9
13
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Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center
Collaborative Partners
Lead Partners
Tony O’Leary, Lead Partner
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
David James, Lead Partner
Akron Public Schools
Collaboration Members
Donae Ceja
United Way of Summit County
Tonya Block
Summit County Public Health
Malcolm Costa
Akron Summit Community Action
Elaine Harlin
Child Guidance and Family Solutions
David Jennings
Akron Summit County Public Library
Judy Joyce
Greenleaf Family Center
Teresa LeGrair
Boys & Girls Club
Christine Marshall
Summit County Job and Family Services
Rick McIntosh
Project Learn
Nancy McClenaghan
Goodwill Industries
John Valle
City of Akron
Darren Wimer
Summit Education Initiative
Chris Yuhasz
Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority
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Introduction
This strategic plan was developed to provide direction, guidance, and
accountability for the services and operation of the Summit Lake
Family Opportunity Center. The plan begins with an organizational
description and a review of governance structure to set the stage for
the discussion of goals, strategies, and activities. The planning process
is then reviewed. With that background, the nuts and bolts of the
strategic plan are presented. The mission, vision, values and goals and
their strategies are defined. Finally, to ensure that this plan becomes a
dynamic instrument for the Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center, a
structure for the maintenance of this plan is outlined.
Organizational Description
The Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center (SLFOC) is a communitybased education and support center. The Center is dedicated to
fostering a thriving community in the Summit Lake neighborhood of
Akron, Ohio by supporting the education of Summit Lake residents.
The Center was founded on the vision of a group of nonprofit and
public sector leaders, and offers the residents of the Summit Lake
neighborhood educational opportunities to improve the quality of their
lives. All members of the SLFOC Collaborative have a profound interest
in the well being of the residents of Summit Lake. Akron Metropolitan
Housing Authority (AMHA) and Akron Public Schools (APS), however,
have a vested interest as they received and have provided funding to
build the Center. The chief executives of AMHA and APS, therefore,
serve as the lead partners and are responsible for managing the
facility. Planning for the Center began in 2011, as the lead partners
convened program and community partners to consider programmatic
offerings and design the physical space. The Center will be built on the
grounds of the Summit Lake Community Center and is expected to
open in late 2013.
The Center will provide services for young children, school-age
children, and adults. The Center’s services will involve a variety of
preschool services, kindergarten classes, academic support for older
children, adult education, and job readiness skills. The early childhood
education services help prepare children 0 to 5 years of age for
kindergarten and lifelong academic success. There are two
kindergarten classrooms allowing children to attend class close to
home. After school homework help is provided for primary school
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students. Adult education and job readiness services provide adults
the opportunity to complete their GED and to prepare them to be
successful members of the workforce. The Center also assists residents
in obtaining support to overcome psychosocial issues that may
interfere with the attainment of educational goals.
Governance Structure
The governance of the SLFOC is achieved through a collaboration of
nonprofit and public sector partners referred to as the SLFOC
Collaborative. The Collaborative conducts its work through a steering
committee and a set of topical workgroups. See the descriptions and
the SLFOC Collaborative Flowchart below for further detail about the
process. There is also a Planning Consultant and Facilitator that
provides the coordination and implementation of the governance
structure.
SLFOC Collaborative Flow Chart
Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center Collaborative
Steering Committee
Long-term Finance
Workgroup
PR/Marketing
Workgroup
Early Childhood
Workgroup
Cohabitation/Ops
Workgroup
Adult Ed/ Job
Workgroup
The SLFOC Collaborative has the responsibility to collectively make
decisions about services and outcomes for the Center. Two Lead
Partners, the chief executives of the AMHA and the APS, guide the
Collaborative. The Collaborative deals with executive level functions
and topics relevant to all partners. It is comprised of 15 to 20
5
members each representing one of the participating program providers
or one of the community groups with a particular interest or expertise
relevant to the project. The work of overseeing the Collaborative is
conducted by the Steering Committee. Workgroups are assigned topic
specific tasks. The Collaborative meets several times per year.
*It should be noted that the building is owned and managed by AMHA
and APS, and they are responsible for making all decisions regarding
the facility.
The SLFOC Steering Committee provides strategic oversight of the
Center, and establishes and coordinates the work of the various
workgroups. The Steering Committee has the broad view of the
organization and program operations, and with this orientation ensures
that all program areas and organizational areas are coordinated. They
make recommendations to the Collaborative about general oversight of
the organization, and provide direction to the workgroups about their
program areas. The Steering Committee is comprised of 6-8 members
of the Collaborative and the two Lead Partners. These members are
experienced executives with expertise in collaborative projects. The
Steering Committee also meets as needed, but much more frequently
than the Collaborative as a whole. The Steering Committee typically
meets monthly.
The SLFOC Workgroups provide area specific work for the
Collaborative. They make recommendations to the Steering Committee
for review to ensure that the work of various workgroups is
coordinated. The workgroups will have up to 10 members and are
comprised of members of the Collaborative or their representatives
with expertise in the area of focus for that workgroup. Some of the
topic areas for workgroups are early childhood programing, adult
education/job readiness programing, and organization-wide areas such
as long-term finance, marketing, and multi-partner operation issues.
These workgroups meet as often and for as long as needed to
complete their assigned task(s), and may become inactive when no
tasks are pending in their topic area.
The SLFOC Planning Consultant and Facilitator serves as the
backbone support of the project. The Planning Consultant and
Facilitator plans and implements the overall structure of the SLFOC
and serves on and coordinates the work of the Collaborative, the
Steering Committee, and the workgroups. The Consultant operates on
the behalf of the Lead Partners and the Collaborative as a whole.
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The Planning Process
The Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center Collaborative developed
this strategic plan. The plan provides the SLFOC Collaborative with a
three-year roadmap that addresses the period of establishing the
Center as a physical and collaborative programmatic entity and for the
initial two years of operation. Progress on goals of the SLFOC Strategic
Plan will be reviewed biannually and the plan will be updated annually.
While the SLFOC Collaborative was responsible for developing this
strategic plan, the SLFOC Steering Committee oversaw the strategic
planning process that was conducted by the SLFOC Planning
Consultant and Facilitator (B L Westbrook Consulting). AMHA staff
provided important support and analysis to complete this plan.
Engaging multiple stakeholder groups was critical to the development
of the plan. All members of the SLFOC Collaborative were interviewed
for initial input. Selected business, public, and nonprofit leaders
involved with the Summit Lake neighborhood were interviewed and a
community meeting was held to elicit input from Summit Lake
residents.
The SLFOC Collaborative first met in Spring 2012 to agree upon a
common approach to the collaborative, the management, work
structures, and member responsibilities. The Steering Committee and
several workgroups were established at that time and engaged in the
strategic planning process. The SLFOC Steering Committee met
several times to reflect on the mission, vision, values and assumptions
underlying the organization’s approach to its work. Program
workgroups met to discuss the strategic direction for each program
area, and the lead partners engaged in planning for the building
process. The work of the Steering Committee and Workgroups set the
stage for the development and approval of this plan by the full SLFOC
Collaborative in November 2012.
Below you will find the mission, vision, values, goals and strategies
that are the product of this planning process.
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Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission Statement
The mission of the SLFOC is to enhance the quality of life
for the residents of Summit Lake by increasing educational
opportunities through the collaboration of community
partners.
Vision Statement
The children and families of the Summit Lake
neighborhood are empowered to achieve their aspirations
through lifelong learning.
Values Statement

Education is the key to self-sufficiency and success.

Collaboration between partners leads to efficiency and
effectiveness within our project.

Alignment with other community efforts is essential to
assure efficiency and effectiveness communitywide.

Use of Community Resources to assist residents with
social issues avoids duplication of services.

Long-term Commitment to the Summit Lake
neighborhood is necessary to achieve long-term,
fundamental change.

Data-Driven Decision-Making leads to impactful
decisions.
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Goals and Strategies
Below are the goals for the SLFOC Collaborative. These goals are
mission driven and are written to be specific, realistic, measurable,
and aligned with communitywide initiatives. Specifically, these goals
are aligned with The County of Summit initiatives for early childhood
issues (First Things First) and job readiness.
The goals are divided into two categories: organization-wide goals
regarding issues such as building the facility and running the project,
and program goals that concern the services provided. Strategic
planning is a dynamic process and, as such, these goals will be
modified over time as environmental issues change.
Each goal has a set of strategies that will be used to achieve the
corresponding goal. Following each strategy is one or more activities
that will be required to implement the strategy and achieve the goal.
Program Goals
Program Goal #1
Encourage academic success in children of the Summit Lake
neighborhood.
Program Strategy #1.1
Assure that Summit Lake children are prepared for
kindergarten.
Activities:
 Provide a comprehensive preschool option to
families with children age 0-5 years (Head Start and
Early Head Start).
 Provide in-home kindergarten readiness options for
families with children 0-5 years of age (SPARK and
Parents as Teachers).
 Provide training to increase children’s social
competence and reducing behavior problems at home
and at school (The Incredible Years).

Offer recreational opportunities for children that will
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support kindergarten readiness
(Story Time and Baby
Time).

Provide a program to support teen parents
(Teen
Parenting Program).
Program Strategy #1.2
Provide Summit Lake children with kindergarten education
in their neighborhood.
Activities:
 Offer kindergarten education within the Summit
Lake neighborhood (APS Kindergarten).
Program Strategy #1.3
Provide academic support for school-age children.
Activities:
 Offer homework assistance to school-aged children
(Boys and Girls Club).
 Provide enrichment activities for school-aged
children (Boys and Girls Club).
Program Strategy #1.4
Provide Summit Lake families and children with the
psychosocial support necessary to achieve academically.
Activities:
 Assess family support needs.
 Refer families to outside support services for needs
such as health, nutrition, behavioral health, family
support, and special needs.
Program Goal #2
Encourage academic achievement in the adults of the Summit
Lake neighborhood.
Program Strategy #2.1
Assist adults without a high school degree to complete the
degree or a GED (Project Learn).
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Activities:
 Provide traditional classroom GED classes.
 Provide computer assisted self-administered GED
instruction and the necessary computer resources.
Program Goal #3
Prepare job-seeking adults in Summit Lake for the job market.
Program Strategy #3.1
Assist job seekers to understand their aptitudes and
interests.
Activities:
 Administer aptitude and interest assessments
(Job
Center and Goodwill).
 Provide training in and resources to use selfadministered Internet assessments of aptitude and
interest (ASCPL Resource Training).
Program Strategy #3.2
Facilitate Summit Lake resident job searches.
Activities:
 Provide training in how to search for jobs
(ASCPL
Resource Training).
 Provide job search assistance (Job Center).
Program Strategy #3.3
Foster general job readiness skills in job-seeking residents.
Activities:
 Identify a standard set of skills necessary for job
readiness.
 Provide training in basic computer skills (ASCLP).
 Provide training in basic job-readiness (soft) skills.
Program Strategy #3.4
Develop industry specific job skills.
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Activities:
 Identify the key industries in which job are
expected to be available in the Akron area.
 Work with employers to ascertain needed skills.
 Explore existing community options for obtaining
those skills and a referral process for those
resources.
 Consider developing a SLFOC training program
where none or inadequate programs exist.
Program Goal #4
Encourage family self-sufficiency in Summit Lake residents.
Program Strategy #4.1
Provide an overall assessment of family needs and referral
process for internal services and community resources.
Activities:
 Establish how to provide assessment and referral.
 Develop a resources list.
Program Strategy #4.1
Provide self-sufficiency training and resources.
Activities:
 Provide training on countering poverty
(Getting Ahead/
Bridges Out of Poverty).

Provide financial literacy classes
(Greenleaf).
Program Strategy #4.2
Facilitate families in applying for or addressing issues with
government assistance.
Activities:
 Provide a part-time TANF Caseworker onsite at the
SLFOC (ASCJFS).
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Organization Goals
Organization Goal #1
Operationalize the Summit Lake Family Opportunity Center
building.
Organization Strategy #1.1
Build the SLFOC.
Activities:
 Obtain building site from City of Akron.
 Finalize architectural plans.
 Build building.
Organization Strategy #1.2
Establish financial plan for building operation.
Activities:
 Negotiate and execute a formal agreement between
partners with dedicated space in building.
Organization Strategy #1.3
Develop building operations plan.
Activities:
 Negotiate and execute a formal agreement between
partners with using space in building.
Organization Goal #2
Establish a system for coordinated operation of multiple program
providers in one facility.
Organization Strategy #2.1
Establish a Program Operations Workgroup.
Activities:
 Identify issues in the coordination of multiple program
providers in one facility.
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 Explore topics such as scheduling, data collection and
sharing, and recruiting.
 Develop agreement of all partners and SOPs for the
processes.
Organization Goal #3
Establish a system for coordinating the finances of the SLFOC.
Organization Strategy #3.1
Establish a Finance Workgroup.
Activities:
 Identify financial needs for the Collaborative.
 Prepare a draft budget.
 Determine how to seek funds.
 Determine how to manage funds.
Organization Goal #4
Establish a system for coordinating marketing and public
relations efforts of the SLFOC.
Organization Strategy #4.1
Establish a Marketing Workgroup.
Activities:
 Identify marketing and public relations needs for the
Collaborative.
 Conduct outreach events (AMHA Family Outreach Events).
 Prepare a marketing/public relations plan.
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Plan Maintenance
A strategic plan is meant to be a dynamic instrument allowing an
organization to make thoughtful decisions about their actions, to track
the results of those actions, and to respond to environmental changes
as they occur. As such, this plan should certainly be used as a guide
on a daily basis, but must also be reviewed regularly to ensure that
any necessary adjustments are made. Needed adjustments may be
the result of changes in the environment within which the collaborative
operates or in response to information obtained as we track our
results.
Ongoing Maintenance
During the three-year course of this plan, while the goals will remain
as stated, minor adjustments may be needed to ensure that goals are
met. To make these adjustments, the SLFOC Collaborative will review
the plan on an annual basis and make any updates needed in strategy
to achieve the defined goals. The SLFOC Steering Committee will be
responsible for reviewing program and organization outcomes
biannually. The Steering Committee will work with the program and
operation workgroups to review outcomes and strategies in each
workgroup area and develop data-driven adjustments in strategy to
better meet goals. The SLFOC Steering Committee will recommend
any prudent strategy adjustments to the SLFOC Collaborative for their
consideration.
Since the Center will not open for business until 2013, the first annual
plan review will be a review of progress on building and planning for
the Center. During the second two years of this plan data will become
available, and the reviews will include the program outcomes.
Full Strategic Plan Revision
This plan covers the first year of planning for the Center and the first
two years of operation of the Center. After the three years addressed
in this plan, the SLFOC Collaborative will conduct a full environmental
scan, review the outcome date for all goals, and conduct a full revision
of the plan. During this revision process, the goals and strategies will
be revised as necessary to address the new environment within which
the Center is operating in 2015.
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