News

After a six-year hiatus, Summit Academy will resume its tradition of presenting therapeutic martial arts tournaments. On Saturday, May 10, beginning at 9 a.m., an expected 50-some students will compete at Summit Academy’s 2025 Therapeutic Martial Arts Tournament at the Navarre Towpath YMCA, 1226 Market Street NE in Navarre. The students will showcase their kata … Continued

King Sportsman’s Tavern of Akron has selected Summit Academy as the beneficiary of its June 8 Poker Run for Autism fundraiser. The event, which starts and ends at 1402 W. Waterloo Road in Akron, is expected to draw up to 100 participants—including those driving cars, trucks, SUVs and motorcycles. The Sunday event will feature games, … Continued

A Mental Health Awareness Month feature and salute to our team For students who face unpredictable or turbulent life circumstances, focusing on academics may seem unimaginable. Thanks to Summit Academy’s mental health professionals, these students receive avenues to academic success built on understanding, trust and stability. Such foundational elements help children with emotional and behavioral … Continued

Fashion story boards. Paper food trucks. Pop-art-painted vinyl records. Down the Summit Academy Secondary School Akron hallways, exhibits of cleverly concocted paintings, drawings and 3-D pieces give modern-art gallery vibes. Art teacher Anyah Parker students’ work consumes a generous portion of the school building’s walls. Each of Parker’s art lessons begins on Monday and ends … Continued

An Autism Awareness Month feature A smile, a nod, a frown. The signals we send with our bodies do not always translate their intended meanings to someone with autism. Think about the time you laughed at a sarcastic joke. An autistic person might not find the joke funny at all. He may even interpret your … Continued

Originally published in Autism Parenting Magazine Progress, progress, progress! “If you enroll your child in the right school, you’re going to see unbelievable growth and gains socially and academically,” says Erica Richley-Duda, MSEd, LPCC-S, CCTP. As the Executive Director of Special Education for Summit Academy Schools, which specialize in serving children with special education needs, … Continued

Antique marbles and paper roller coasters came together for a hands-on lesson in kinetic energy and motion earlier this month at Summit Academy Akron Secondary School. The seven students in Intervention Specialist Robin Bishop’s class who participated in the STEM project were each tasked with creating a paper roller coaster designed to carry a released … Continued

Advocating for the continuation of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which provides free meals to Summit Academy students and others across the country, SAM Food Services Director Gina Nash recently joined colleagues nationwide in Washington, D.C.  At the School Nutrition Association’s annual Legislative Action Conference, March 9-11, Nash and fellow food service directors and industry … Continued

Social work and education meld together seamlessly and successfully at Summit Academy Schools, where meeting students’ social and emotional needs is of utmost importance. Summit Academy’s licensed social workers, who serve primarily as behavior specialists, are a” lifeline for many students, offering them a safe space, a listening ear and the guidance they need when … Continued

Summit Academy Management (“SAM”) invites proposals from qualified facilities management providers to deliver comprehensive facility management, custodial, and/or landscaping/snow removal services for 20 buildings across 13 cities in Ohio (See Appendix for the list of facilities). Based in Akron, SAM operates Summit Academy Schools, a consortium of public community schools throughout Ohio. SAM embraces its … Continued