ACE Certifcation for Fitton Center

Hamilton, Ohio – Many say the Fitton Center is aces.

They’ve never been more correct.

The Fitton Center recently received ACE certification from the state of Ohio.

According to education.ohio.gov, “The Ohio Afterschool Child Enrichment (ACE) Educational Savings Account program provides funds to a student’s parent or guardian to use on various enrichment and educational activities. The program is being offered through a contract between Merit International, Inc. and the Ohio Department of Education.”

As such, qualified families may apply for reimbursement of up to $1,000 per child per year to attend classes, camps and workshops at the Fitton Center.

“We applied to be certified late last year and it was a fairly involved application process,” said Kate Rowekamp, Fitton Center Director of Education and Outreach. “We had to show the range of our programming and give examples of our curriculum, among other things.”

The Fitton Center offers the only ACE-qualified visual-art programming in Hamilton.

“This is an important opportunity,” Rowekamp said. “It gives parents another way to have access to education in the arts their kids might not be getting in school.

“Schools have to cover a broad spectrum. We can do whole camps and classes on a single subject or in a certain media. We can do a more focused exploration that lets the student get a lot deeper into whatever the media or art form may be.”

The arts add value to any educational experience.

“Even if you’re not the kind of kid who wants to grow up to be a fine artist, the arts have a real benefit for all students,” Rowekamp said. “There are a lot of creative-thinking skills, problem-solving skills, that the arts teach that can apply everywhere.”

The timing of the certification worked out well for the Fitton Center. Summer camps begin next week (June 12) and registration is open for the Summer II class offerings that begin July 10.

For more information on how to apply for Ohio ACE money, visit the Ohio Department of Education here.

The Fitton Center for Creative Arts is located at 101 S. Monument Avenue on the Riverfront in downtown Hamilton, Ohio.

Building Community Excellence through the Arts and Culture