July 18, 2025
Haunted by a Childhood Memory At nearly 59 years old, Melissa Hill-Nance still hears the voice of her third-grade teacher—negativity haunting her for decades. “I clearly remember I was in a pretty little ruffle dress, had my hair with ribbons,” she says. “That day, we had to write about what …
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July 13, 2025
Imagine fleeing your home as a child because of civil war—only to have to flee again, and again. That’s the story of Zainab, a Seeds of Literacy graduate whose path to success was shaped by loss, resilience, and unwavering determination. A Childhood Marked by Conflict Born in Iraq, Zainab was …
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June 24, 2025
On Saturday, June 21, Seeds of Literacy recognized the 137 graduates of the Class of 2025. Forty-four of this year’s grads decorated caps, put on their robes, and walked across the stage in front of friends, family, and supporters. Although unable to attend the event in person, Cleveland Mayor Justin …
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March 19, 2025
3/18/2025 CLEVELAND – Assistant Program Director Chris Richards and Student Ambassador Tina Weaver were joined by Education Reporter Conor Morris on Ideastream’s NPR “Sound of Ideas” to discuss the importance of adult literacy and how Seeds is addressing the need. They covered what brings people through the door at Seeds, …
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December 12, 2024
The Black Unicorn, aka Uni, hosted Our Voices Today, a show on the Burton Bell Carr Community radio station, last January. The nearly hour-long episode featured Bonnie Entler (President for the last 20+ years) and Student Ambassador Karen Brown.
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August 05, 2024
[This article was written by Intern Erika Scharf. She attends Oberlin College.] Carol Baraga is not a know-it-all, but she does know a lot. Growing up, Carol liked school. She self describes as an easy learner, someone who could enjoy all the subjects. But she had a wicked adversary: algebra. …
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November 07, 2023
“A teacher a long time ago destroyed my dreams – she took away the importance of education,” said Student Ambassador Melissa Hill Nance. “But everything she stole from me, Seeds has given back, and more.” Seeds is so much more than tutoring. That’s the message that Melissa and fellow Seeds …
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November 01, 2023
Sheila Barnes is easy to spot in the Seeds West classroom. She’s the one in the bedazzled Blessed ball cap. If she hasn’t already welcomed you as a newcomer into the room, it’s only because she’s working with her tutor. Give her a minute or two to look up and …
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July 12, 2023
Just one month after our Silver Jubilee 25th Anniversary celebration, Seeds of Literacy capped off the milestone year with the largest graduating class to date. Just hours before the end of our fiscal year, the final GED tester passed, becoming the 150th graduate! Nearly a third of the grads packed …
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March 02, 2023
“I know loss,” 2021 graduate Keeva Long said. “I buried babies. I grew up in public housing. I have a felony.” But she overcame, and wants others to know that they can overcome, too. If those challenges weren’t enough, Keeva was shot three times, an uninvolved bystander in a drive-by-shooting …
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