Sat 4/1 @ 6PM
The 4th annual Spring Out of Hibernation, benefiting the Warren A. Sill Fund (WASF), will be in full swing Sat 4/1 @ 6-10pm at 78th Street Studios. Transformed from a classic DIY event four years ago, this friends and family event has evolved into a dynamic party that fuels the fund’s growth. West 78th Street Studios is the biggest event host space to-date and WASF is hoping for its biggest and best attended event yet!
“We are expecting over 300 guests,” says Tyler Allchin, chair of the Warren A. Sill Fund shares. “Each year has realized incremental progress — adding a DJ here, professional catering there. I think that our network enjoys seeing the organization mature, build and deliver more value. The event is often described as an unconventional fundraiser because it is so much fun! We strategically keep the entry price low to accommodate a diversity of guests.”
The Warren A. Sill Fund is unique to Cleveland and unique to the country. “We see our program as potential model for national investment,” Tyler says. “Every American city has a funder, an underserved school district and an educational institution. The WASF connected those simple dots and created the City’s first pre-K STEM program. The sky is the limit as we look to add a handful of classrooms to our rolls in 2017.”
Investing in early childhood education is the single highest return on investment in the education space. For every dollar invested in a child prior to the age of 5, the economy receives $17 in return.
“This ROI struck our board as an absolute must do,” continues Tyler. “We looked at the education landscape and saw a need for a funder to come in and partner with an underserved pre-K classroom and an institution capable of delivering expert content. Many of the children served by our programming have never been to the Children’s Museum or a museum in general. The ability to bring the museum to them is huge. Often we take for granted how we learned about our life’s passion. This program exposes children to science and arts at a very young age.”
The community has rallied around the organization as it seeks to deliver greater impact.
“The board is thrilled to be putting some of that enthusiasm on display. The Warren A. Sill Fund provides innovative funding solutions to address persistent challenges and opportunities in the greater Cleveland public education space. We believe that students are best served by an education system that works in partnership with philanthropy to deliver creative, life-changing experiences. In 2016, WASF launched a partnership with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) and the Children’s Museum of Cleveland (CMC) to deliver STEM-based programming to under served pre-K students at Euclid Park Elementary School.”
Allchin notes that some of the greatest challenges in the educational space is access.
“There are many pre-Kclassrooms in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) that never get an extra classroom experience that entire school year. The distance from a classroom without these resources and a well-funded suburban classroom is massive. WASF is trying to address a small portion of this problem with targeted programming in specific CMSD classrooms,” Tyler explains. “Julie Whitley, the teacher at Euclid Park, is able to build her lesson plans around the museum’s visit, which creates a fun, intriguing atmosphere for the students, thus fueling their learning. The education space is not plagued by a shortage of funds; it struggles with the effective distribution of said funds. When properly put to work to address the lack of access to quality classroom experiences, there is no telling how far Cleveland’s kids can go.”
Meg Shaw from News5 will MC the evening. “Sibling Revelry, Heavy Seas and Dogfish Head Breweries will be featured with Watershed Distillery providing a craft cocktail,” Tyler exudes. “Guests will enjoy the evening’s soundtrack, provided with DJ Red-I of Fresh Produce. RGI Creative will be bringing their innovative photobooth and Superelectric Pinball Parlor will have a handful of machines in the space. Plus, there will be over 100 prizes will be up for raffle or silent auction.”
Tickets can be purchased for $40 in advance and $45 at the door.
[Written By: Kendall Embrescia-Hridel]
Cleveland, OH 44102