On the Ground Community Newsroom host Kathyrne Gardette spoke with three guests this past week on Valentine’s Day, February 14th, at Caffe Vivace. The topic was Education in Walnut Hills. What she discovered was that Walnut Hills has something for everyone.

First Kathryne met with Margaret Breidenbaugh, library services assistant at the Walnut Hills branch of the Cincinnati Public Library. Margaret talked about how she helps the public with research questions, and how her interaction with community members led her to start Walnut Hills Weekly, a community newsletter that educates the neighborhood about free- and reduced-price events like soup kitchens, NA meetings, game nights, and more. Kathryne and Margaret also talked about how civic-minded the residents of Walnut Hills are (both live in the neighborhood), and how Margaret has gotten involved in leading neighborhood cleanup efforts.

Next Kathryne spoke with Sarah Wallis, special assistant to the provost at Union Institute and University. First, they talked about the historical Walnut Hills buildings where the Union Institute is located, and how when the university purchased the buildings, it took care to put them on the national historical registry and took that into account during renovations. Then the two conversed about the higher education offerings of Union, and the fact that it caters to non-traditional adult students and offers programming from bachelors to PHD level.

Friday’s last guest was James Harris, Youth Build Manager at Easterseals of Greater Cincinnati. He discussed with Kathryn how Easterseals focuses on trade education. It teaches students how to operate Bobcat equipment and forklifts, teaches them construction skills, and certifies them in CPR/first aid, all while students complete typical high school classroom instruction. The focus is also on leadership skills and helping them construct a better future for themselves while constructing homes for others and the neighborhood.

This was the fourth session of eight for the Soapbox Cincinnati On the Ground Community Newsroom Series in Walnut Hills. The Walnut Hills Community Open Newsroom and Groundsource projects are made possible by a grant from the Facebook Journalism Project. You can read previous stories here.