{"id":12330,"date":"2025-09-17T16:17:28","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T16:17:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/?p=12330"},"modified":"2025-09-17T16:17:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T16:17:28","slug":"south-toledo-holds-its-1st-community-hub-conversation-with-toledo-public-schools-tps-sofia-quintero-art-cultural-center-sqacc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/17\/south-toledo-holds-its-1st-community-hub-conversation-with-toledo-public-schools-tps-sofia-quintero-art-cultural-center-sqacc\/","title":{"rendered":"South Toledo holds its 1st Community HUB Conversation with Toledo Public Schools (TPS) & Sofia Quintero Art & Cultural Center (SQACC)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Escuela SMART Assistant Principal, Marcela Velazquez, with TPS Student Recruitment Coordinator, Stephanie Serda, and Educational Consultant, Jessica Molina<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Colette Cordova & Dr. Linda Alvarado-Arce<\/strong><\/p>\n

On September 11, 2025, Toledo Public Schools (TPS) held its first community HUB conversation in the Historic Southend of Toledo. The term HUB<\/em> comes from a community schools framework that is holistic and \u201cpositions schools as community centers, providing an integrated network of resources and support to students, families, and the wider community\u201d (Reference: https:\/\/www.communityschools.org)..Key components of a HUB typically include 1) \u201cIntegrated Student Supports such as health services and social supports;\u201d 2) \u201cExpanded and Enriched Learning, such as extended learning time and curriculum connected to the community;\u201d 3) \u201cFamily and Community Engagement,\u201d that fosters strong partnerships within the school and the community; and\u00a04) \u201cCollaborative Leadership,\u201d that involves the community through \u201ca shared approach to decision-making and ownership for results.\u201d A HUB approach is used \u201cto better student outcomes\u201d and to create stronger and healthier communities (https:\/\/www.communityschools.org<\/a>). Last school year, TPS, members of Escuela SMART, Avance Latinx Acad\u00e9mico Society (ALAS), Sofia Quintero Art and Cultural Center (SQACC), and the Historic Southend of Toledo community decided to implement this HUB concept. In doing so, an El Centro Escuela SMART HUB Director, Belinda Covarrubias, was hired to implement HUB goals resulting from her surveying the needs of the community, area schools in this district, and particularly Escuela SMART Academy.<\/p>\n

Last Thursday, September 11, 2025, was the first event for this HUB and the sharing of the community survey results. Of the community surveys collected from July 28 through September 1, 2025, there were a total of 174 respondents. The most of any HUB we were told at this event, with most of the respondents coming from the zip codes, 43609 (the \u201cold\u201d Southend) that has approximately 20,495 people, and 43614 (the \u201cnew\u201d Southend) that has approximately 29,396. Together, the 43609 and the 43614 population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (July 1, 2024), has a population of about 49,891. As of 2024, Toledo had 265,638 residents (U.S. Census Estimates, July 1, 2024). Sixty percent of the respondents lived in zip codes 43609 or 43614. The majority of respondents, 83%, resided in the South End of Toledo at least one year. Fifty percent of the respondents were between the ages of 50 to 54 years of age. Seventy percent (70%) of the respondents were female.<\/p>\n

The survey that was distributed and collected had priority rankings along with open ended questions and was administered on-line via social media and handed out in the community at local businesses, grocery bags, school back packs, the Mayores Senior Center, St Joseph\u2019s Church, as well as door-to-door.\u00a0 The HUB Director stated that the four biggest priorities\/needs identified by the respondents in the survey included:<\/p>\n