Robin Lahmers, the Summer CATS Camp program manager, Ed Wright, Treasurer, and Dave Caldwell, Business Manager, all received awards at the Ohio School Boards Association Southeast Region Annual Fall Conference Thursday night.
Robin Lahmers with the Outstanding Student Programs, Program Director Award pictured with Robert Heard, OSBA President, Amy Kissinger, OSBA Southeast Region Executive Committee President, and Rick Lewis, OSBA CEO.
Lahmers, nominated by Rose Marie Daymut, Director of Federal Programs & Curriculum 6-12, was the recipient of the Outstanding Student Programs, Program Director Award. Lahmers, working with the 21st Century Community Learning Center Afterschool and Summer CATS Camp, has led both programs to great success.
The Afterschool program is designed to provide extra academic support to students who are struggling and to provide experiences that many students in Appalachia Ohio may not otherwise get to experience. Last school year, even with the challenges presented by the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Afterschool program interacted with hundreds of students in three buildings in grades K-8.
Last summer, Lahmers grew the Summer CATS Camp from a 2-week camp with approximately 40 students to an 8-week program (two four-week sessions) with more than 300 students participating in each session. The Summer CATS Camp employed 60-plus teachers, aides, kitchen staff and bus drivers whose efforts helped make the program a success.
Summer CATS Camp includes math and reading interventions but focuses on the youth development opportunities like trips to the Deerassic Education Center where students fished, hiked, learned archery skills, and other skills. They also participated in cooking shows, visited The Wilds, played miniature golf, participated in health and safety activities with Muskingum Valley Health Care, completed COSI experiments and generally had a lot of fun.
“Robin makes it a personal goal to bring as many youth development activities and experiences as possible to every student in her programs,” Daymut said. “She incorporates a plethora of unique experiences for the students in both the Afterschool program and the Summer CATS Camp.”
Wright and Caldwell were awarded the OSBA President’s Award for 2021. The award annually recognizes dedicated leadership to public education and unwavering commitment to boys and girls in the Southeast Region.
The President’s Award is selected by the President of the Southeast Region of Ohio School Boards Association. This year, the President is Amy Kissinger, a Cambridge City School District Board of Education member.
Treasurer Ed Wright, left, and Business Manager Dave Caldwell, received the President’s Award for 2021 from OSBA Southeast Region Executive Committee President Amy Kissinger.
The Two Cambridge High School alumni returned to the school district after successful banking careers and helped put the district in better financial shape than it has been in two decades.
Wright and Caldwell have identified efficiencies, cost savings, grant opportunities and leveraged existing dollars within the district finances. Their efforts have enabled the district to acquire many items on a district “wish list” made after conversations with community members, parents, teachers, staff, and students.
“Several years ago, the school district attempted to stabilize our financial situation by cutting programs and classes,” Superintendent Coffman said. “Our approach has changed in the past five years. We believe we need to offer students more academic options, more services, and more extracurricular activities at all levels.
“That is why I am so pleased with the performance of Dave and Ed,” Coffman continued. “Without their leadership in our treasurer’s office, we wouldn’t be adding programs and providing students with more opportunities to learn and grow.”
“I still cannot believe our good fortune as a district to employ both of these men.” Kissinger said. “We benefit from their experience and their willingness to give back to their community and school district. They bring goodwill to Cambridge Schools because they are so well-respected in the community. They are a huge part of our recent success.”
The OSBA Southeast Regional Fall Conference dinner was held at Nelsonville-York Elementary School in Nelsonville.