North Columbus News

To kick off the 2024-25 academic year, The Ohio State University’s College of Education and Human Ecology presented a free event highlighting the university’s relationships with community organizations on Columbus’ Near East Side.

The Columbus Women and Girls’ Fest was held on Aug. 25 at Ohio State’s African American and African Studies Community Extension Center, which co-sponsored the event.

Ohio State Professor Elaine Richardson worked with the Education for Freedom Foundation to organize the event. Richardson founded the nonprofit organization that provides mentoring for girls, with an emphasis on literacy, the arts, and wellness.

“We’re trying to make sure that anybody who is underserved, who is interested in the arts, can get support,” Richardson said. “We want anybody who wants to be a part of it to feel supported in that area, and even beyond that area. … We rooted it in the East Side community because that’s where we started.”

The Columbus Women and Girls’ Fest featured a talent showcase spotlighting youth from the foundation’s Empowering Young Voices program. The program helps young people express themselves through the arts.

During a community lunch and learn session, Caroline Bennett, a Columbus-based motivational speaker and youth advocate, offered strategies for self-esteem building.

“I believe that everybody in the world has a right and a reason to survive and thrive and let your light shine in every single space that you find yourself in,” she said.

The festival also included entertainment by local and national recording artists and presentations by Ohio State professor Alice Ragland, author Cynthia Amoah, and Columbus City Council member Lourdes Barroso de Padilla.

The Unsung Hero Award was presented to Larken Janson-Tidd, a Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School student who is an advocate for people with disabilities.

Recognizing Janson-Tidd brought awareness to “some of the disabled artists … in our community who are doing great art or who are persisting in spite of the fact that they have a disability … [and] how they’re still able to do their art and show the beauty of who they are as a human being,” Richardson said.

“I was so glad to see her recognized and elevated because we need to connect with each other.”

The Columbus Women and Girls’ Fest was co-sponsored by Ohio State’s Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Outreach and Engagement, Kirwan Institute, and the city of Columbus.