Urban Community School

Almost 50 years ago, the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland founded Urban Community School (UCS), a quiet gem in the heart of Cleveland’s near west side where a diverse, multilingual population of low-income students, (74 percent qualify for the Federal Food Assistance Program, with more than 2/3 of our student body qualifying for free lunch), concurrently learn academics and social justice.  Our commitment to differentiated instruction, multi-age learning, health and wellness, field trips and peace typifies our unique approach to student learning and success. We also value community partnerships, as exemplified in our recent collaboration with The Refugee Response and Cleveland Botanical Gardens, which supports both our school’s learning garden and innovative social enterprise.

This new and burgeoning partnership with the Cleveland Botanical Gardens and The Refugee Response helps UCS design, construct and maintain a working farm and learning garden on the vacant land across the street.  The primary objectives of the Garden Initiative are to:

• Be  an outdoor classroom space for UCS students, providing opportunities for children of all ages to learn on and from the land in a rigorous and relevant context
• Serve as a tangible example of our ongoing commitment to the health, wellness, and nutrition of UCS’ children and families.
• Convert lots with run-down, vacant homes into productive farms, filled with learning, fresh food, and employment opportunities.