Welcome
to Students With A Goal
Welcome to Students With A Goal (SWAG) is an exceptional Out-of-School Time Academic Mentoring Program located in Akron's Summit Lake Community Center. At SWAG, we believe that every student deserves encouragement and support to realize their full potential. Our dedicated team provides students with the resources and tools necessary to achieve their academic goals, develop leadership skills, and build lasting relationships. Our mission is to cultivate our student's God-given potential by instilling in them a sense of purpose that will enable them to become successful leaders in their community.
Join us at SWAG, and let us guide you on your journey toward success.
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Our Daily Routine
Come join us Monday through Thursday from 3:30 PM until 7:00 PM and explore a whole world of learning and fun activities.
3:30 - 4:30 pm : Snack & Recreation
Students unwind from school and play basketball, kickball, and other group centered activities. Students are also offered a snack during this time.
4:30 - 5:30 pm: Academic Hour
Students bring homework and work with SWAG academic tutors. Together they develop and track short-range academic, behavioral and leadership goals.
5:30 - 6:00 pm: Family Supper
Staff, students, and volunteers gather for one full hour of supper in a family setting.
6:00 – 7:00 pm: Experiential Learning
Students engage in group programming learning, along with community leaders and mentors, to shape their own world through growing in the arts, vocational awareness and relationship building. Students are safely transported home at 7:30 pm.
Incentives:
Once a month, on Thursdays, SWAG students experience one of two incentive trips: “Kick Backs” can be trips to the YMCA or to a suburban partner church. “Reward Trips” are earned by each student and can be anything from ice skating, to movies, to Laser Quest.
Our History
Students With a Goal (SWAG) began with a remarkable group of 12 teenage leaders who frequently came by the Miller Avenue United Church of Christ (UCC) to get something to eat after school. Among the things they talked about was their desire for an after school program. Following their lead, the pastor of the church brought together a number of non-profit organizations in the Summit Lake neighborhood. Together, they created the framework for the program, collected seed money, and launched a pilot program in January 2013, originally called “Youth Alive,” which met at OPEN M. As the program grew, space was obtained at the Summit Lake Community Center and the newly formed Reach Opportunity Center. Students who were active in the program chose a new name, “Students With A Goal” (SWAG), to best describe the program.
Dedicated leaders of organizations in the Summit Lake neighborhood along with suburban churches formed the SWAG Board, with the United Way of Summit County serving as the fiscal agent. The Board developed by-laws, articles of incorporation, received official status as a 501 (c) 3 in 2017, and actively seeks funds necessary to sustain the program.