CLEVELAND — WKYC’s Education Station initiative continues its mission to make a difference in Cleveland schools.
This year, the station has “adopted” Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy, a unique PreK-12 school on Cleveland’s west side that serves children who recently came to the area from other countries and Puerto Rico.
3News has adopted a different Cleveland school every two years, offering its resources to help students overcome significant challenges.
Past efforts include Charles Dickens School in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood where the Dickens Reads literacy tutoring program was created to improve reading scores from 2020 to 2022. From 2022 to 2024, the station adopted Harvey Rice Wraparound School in Buckeye, where WKYC organized morning pop-up parties to tackle tardiness.
Helping students thrive
At Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy, the challenges are both unique and urgent. The school serves 700 students who are recent arrivals to Northeast Ohio from around the world. The students are new to English and working to adjust to American culture.
Principal Marisol Burgos says the school’s focus is helping students gain fluency in English while also meeting their basic needs.
“They know that they can count on us if they need something,” Burgos explains. "If they need a book bag, if they need new shoes, that we’re able to provide that for them.”
New beginnings for students
For students like 17-year-old Zahidullah Hamdard, a senior from Afghanistan, the academy is more than a school -- it’s a lifeline. His family fled Afghanistan three years ago due to the Taliban’s threats.
“When the Taliban come to our country, then we leave our country to come to the United States to stay here for safety,” Hamdard says.
Despite the challenges of learning a new language, he’s proud of his progress.
“It was very hard to learn a different language, but now I’m good in English, too,” he adds.
WKYC’s winter gear initiative
Burgos says the biggest challenge at Natividad Pagan is ensuring students have basic necessities, especially as winter approaches. Many students arrive from warm-weather countries and lack appropriate winter clothing.
To address this, WKYC is partnering with Community West Foundation and Shoes and Clothes for Kids to provide every student with essential winter gear, including boots, socks, hats and gloves.
Continuing a tradition of impact
The adoption of Natividad Pagan International Newcomers Academy marks another chapter in WKYC’s ongoing commitment to Cleveland’s schools.
Whether boosting literacy at Charles Dickens, improving attendance at Harvey Rice or helping families at Natividad Pagan, WKYC’s adopt a school initiative is dedicated to making an impact in the Northeast Ohio community -- one school at a time.