Cuyahoga Community College

Since 1963, Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) has been offering high quality, accessible and affordable educational opportunities in Greater Cleveland. The Mandel Foundation has been a consistent supporter of Tri-C since the early 2000s, as part of its commitment to leadership development and strengthening Cleveland. With a $10 million grant in 2015, the Mandel Humanities Center was developed to expand civic leadership in Northeast Ohio through classes, seminars, lectures, and special events to encourage civic engagement through the humanities. Soon after, the Mandel Scholars Academy was established to provide full scholarships, unique opportunities, mentoring and transfer pathways to a new cohort of students each year.

To ensure a strong pipeline of candidates for the Mandel Scholars Academy and Mandel Continuing Scholars Program, the Mandel Youth Humanities Academy (MYHA) was established in 2021. MYHA is a pre-college program for Cleveland-area high school students to engage with the humanities, prepare for college, and connect with like-minded peers. Building on the success of its pilot, additional funding was approved in 2025 for MYHA’s expansion. Funds will double student capacity, expand humanities career pathways through community partnerships, create a Coordinator Fellowship, and sustain teacher development, alumni engagement, and student support resources.