CPS unveils Darlene Kamine Wellness Center

Roberts Academy dedicated its newly named Darlene Kamine Wellness Center on Friday, marking a milestone for the Price Hill public school and the students and families it serves.

The center honors its namesake, Darlene Kamine, a longtime advocate for children and families whose career has transformed Cincinnati Public Schools sites into hubs of education, health and community support.

Over her career, Kamine has raised tens of millions of dollars to strengthen Greater Cincinnati nonprofits focused on children and education, earning the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award in Fundraising. Her leadership has left a particularly indelible mark on classrooms and across Cincinnati’s schools, from championing Adopt A Class and founding ProKids to spearheading CPS’ district-wide Community Learning Center initiative.

“Darlene’s vision has always been about more than classrooms; it’s about creating schools that truly serve families and neighborhoods,” CPS Superintendent Shauna Murphy said at the dedication.

Bringing community health, family support into schools

Kamine, a former juvenile court magistrate, attorney and nonprofit leader, founded ProKids, a guardian ad litem program serving abused and neglected children. She also led efforts to turn many Cincinnati public schools into Community Learning Centers (CLCs), integrating academics with health care, family services, cultural programming and civic engagement efforts.

In 2009, Kamine created the Community Learning Center Institute to sustain and expand the model, ensuring schools across the district could connect students and families with critical resources. 

Under her guidance, Cincinnati’s CLCs have become a national example of holistic, place-based educational reform, earning the district recognition from organizations such as the Brookings Institution.

The Roberts Academy Wellness Center embodies that vision.

Supported by the Cincinnati Health Department, the center brings comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral health services directly into the school, removing barriers to care and strengthening the link between education and community well-being. CHD, a Federally Qualified Health Center operator, has 13 school-based health centers across CPS’ 91-square-mile district, serving more than 10,000 students and providing families with access to essential health services.

Through CLCI and her ongoing work with Roberts Academy, Kamine has helped shape a network of schools that connect students and families with academics, health services, family support and community engagement.

“The naming of the Roberts Academy Wellness Center in her honor is a lasting tribute to (Kamine’s) passion, persistence and remarkable impact on our community,” Murphy said.

CPS Community Learning Centers