On Friday, July 22, Sinclair will be hosting its Academic Re-engagement and Career Festival. The event is “designed to provide a space for disconnected youth ages 15 & up to connect with educational, career, and community services” to help them be successful in academics and beyond. The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside of the Dayton campus’s Building 14.
While the festival will help inform attendees about the resources that are available to them, it also is something fun for them to enjoy. It will feature food, music, games, giveaways, and even a photo booth! The Fast Forward Re-engagement Center and Montgomery County Business Services have teamed up to put this together.
The Clarion spoke to Michelle Littlejohn and Sue Phelps of the FFRC, as well as Dr. Jerry Farley of Oakmont Education about this event and what it means for youth across the Miami Valley.
According to Dr. Farley, the festival has been about two years in the making. He, along with individuals from Sinclair’s Admissions office and Taylor Scholars program, have formed the planning committee for the Academic Re-engagement and Career Festival. The FFRC has managed to gather a few dozen vendors to partner with them for the occasion as well.
This is the FFRC’s first time doing something like this. They are also the only re-engagement center in Ohio, which emphasizes the importance of their work. Littlejohn mentioned that events like this – such as “back to school bashes” – are targeted towards younger audiences. The ARC exists to fill that gap.
Dr. Farley spoke of “breaking the cycle” and making sure that youth in the Dayton area are not just surviving but thriving. The goal is to bring them into educational environments and careers that are fulfilling and helping them to achieve their goals. Littlejohn added that the environment of the event is meant to be encouraging and “non-threatening,” especially for those who may feel overwhelmed in the search for these types of resources. Everything is in one place for them.
Littlejohn explained that organizations coming together “shows the strength of the community.” It is not a competition, but rather a chance to make a “collective impact.” The FFRC wants to continue upholding Sinclair’s motto of “find[ing] the need and endeavor[ing] to meet it.”
Phelps had this to say: “If one person is successful, we are all successful.”
The FFRC has largely relied on media, social networking and flyers to spread the word about this event. However, Dr. Farley stated that sharing something like this with those who individuals know are in need can be just as helpful, if not more.
The hope is that the FFRC can host a follow-up event and eventually do this annually.
The Fast Forward Re-engagement Center is located at the Job Center on Edwin C. Moses Boulevard in Dayton. They can be reached at ffrcenter@sinclair.edu or 937-512-3278.
Carly Webster
Staff Writer