The NKyTribune is teaming up with Horizon Community Funds to spotlight some of the great nonprofits in our region.
By Tess Brown
Horizon Community Funds
Juggling post-secondary school with work and children is an enormous task. Juggling these things while also facing financial hardship and raising children on your own is something that could turn many away from seeking education.
Fortunately for single parents in Northern Kentucky, the scholar house model offers the supports that lead to success. The scholar house model originated in Lexington and has since spread across the commonwealth and, most recently, into Cincinnati. While the intensive services and amenities vary by program, the core service allows single-parent students to attend and focus on post-secondary education, full time, while living in a welcoming, affordable, safe facility that offers many wraparound supports under one roof.
The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission cut the ribbon on its Lincoln Grant Scholar House (LGSH) in Covington just last year and is already seeing tremendous results. The 45 families who reside here have access to the region’s many high-quality institutions. The 85 children between them, 75 of whom are younger than 11 years old, attend nearby schools, daycares, or early childhood education centers. Students at LGSH have access to a media lab, fitness center, theatre, and children’s library. Wraparound supports for the single-parent students include assistance in applying for financial aid and other public benefits, counseling, student advising, and much more.
In addition to direct services and amenities that assist Scholar House families in achieving self-sufficiency, there is an organic bond in the relationships that have grown here. It is, indeed, a place where families grow together. There are birthday and holiday parties, celebration of successes both large and small, and impromptu gatherings for the children.
The families that share this space communicate closely and are held accountable for paying rent, keeping curfew, maintaining their homes, and building a workable plan for their financial and professional futures. Academically, they are required to remain enrolled in post-secondary courses full time and to maintain a 2.0-grade point average.
The Lincoln Grant Scholar House is truly a home, where the family-school-work-life juggle becomes balanced. Families here are set up for success for generations to come.
Be sure to keep up with LGSH on Facebook, where LGSH students are continuously featured for their achievements, and LGSH families are continuously featured as they live, play, and grow. Learn more about the program and its criteria at the website. The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission can also be found on Twitter and Facebook.
