By Nate Dillard, Elevate Dayton   The big picture: Donerik G. Black, editor of the Dayton Weekly News, announced the paper's transition from print to a digital-first format, in response to evolving media landscapes and business challenges, according to the letter the Editor of the Dayton Weekly News.   Catch up quickly: The Dayton Weekly News has served Dayton's African American community for three decades. It was founded in 1993 by Don G. Black to fill a gap in...Read More

By Nate Dillard, Elevate Dayton   The Big Picture: A lack of diversity continues to plague the tech industry, particularly for Black professionals. Despite STEM-focused initiatives, just 7% of STEM bachelor's degrees were earned by Black students in 2018, and the COVID-19 pandemic could exacerbate this. At present, only 20% of Fortune 100 companies have a K-12 STEM partnership for students in underserved communities, according to a recent McKinsey Report.   What's Next:&n...Read More

By Nate Dillard, Elevate Dayton   The Big Picture: The rise of AI in the workplace has sparked concerns about job security and ethics. It is poised to make sweeping changes in various sectors, from healthcare and education to agriculture and the military. Some experts like Philip Torr, a professor at the University of Oxford, argue that AI’s fallibility makes the presence of humans in the workplace still essential, according to The Guardian.    Catch up Quickly: Nob...Read More

By Zack Frink   Dayton Children’s Hospital has broken ground on its new $110 million behavioral health building, addressing the mental health crisis of this generation with a significant expansion in available space for patients by 2025, reports the Dayton Daily News.   The big picture: The new behavioral health building comes as a response to a critical need for pediatric mental health resources in the region. The facility will receive $25 million from the American...Read More

By Zack Frink, Elevate Dayton   A report by the Ohio Department of Education is revealing a need for teachers in Southwest Ohio, with low initial pay, childcare requirements and lack of respect for educators cited as hindrances, reported by the Dayton Daily News.   The big picture: the ODE report reveals troubling trends.   A growing percentage of teachers instruct outside their certification scope.   Around 20% of teachers have less than five years of ex...Read More

By Zack Frink, Elevate Dayton   A mini-grant program funded by the City of Dayton has started to empower small minority- and women-owned businesses by offering them much-needed financial assistance for expansion and growth, reports the Dayton Daily News.   The big picture: The city of Dayton has allocated $1.5 million from its federal COVID relief funds to the Miami Valley Urban League for a micro-grant program known as the Dayton Resiliency Fund.     Driving...Read More