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Vesta recognizes that high quality affordable
housing meets only one critical need in the lives
of our residents. To Vesta, quality housing means
more than shelter. It means providing a means for
residents to solve problems and help improve their
lives.
One
example of helping our residents better themselves
is Vesta's Learning Centers. In 2000, as part of a
major renovation and turnaround of Rainbow Terrace
Apartments, Vesta decided to provide the 484 families
a state of the art learning center. Not only does
the center have the best in computer equipment, it
also has full time teachers to work with children
and adults, and the opportunity for the residents
to earn new computers and high speed internet access
for their own apartments. Our consultants, The Kerry
Company, developed the necessary software, or portal,
which came to be called our "Ievillage."
(See www.vestaievillage.com.)
We also teamed up with a local community college and
the Cleveland Board of Education. The children's educational
programs and curriculum are coordinated with the local
schools. The community college administers the programs
during a six day, fifty hour weekly schedule. Funds
for the teachers were obtained through the Ohio Department
of Education's 21st Century Learning Center Grant
Program.
The
Rainbow Terrace Learning Center is now a model for
all of Vesta's new properties. One other Vesta Learning
Center was opened in 2003. Five additional Learning
Centers have since opened at other Vesta properties.
In
addition to Learning Centers, we regularly collaborate
with local social service providers to enrich the
lives of our residents. Services offered by local
agencies at our properties may include the following:
- a daycare center operated by a local nonprofit
daycare provider;
- Girl and Boy Scout troops, or similar organizations;
- Health screening and nutrition clinics;
- Community Gardens;
- Sports teams for resident children;
- Fitness activities;
- Parenting skills programs;
- After school mentoring programs; and,
- Teen outreach programs.
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