Welcome to
Dayt on.
Here, you invent grow conserve nourish educate soar
become.
On behal f of The M i ami Val l ey School , w el come t o Dayt on, Ohi o! We are so excited to provide you with this guide to our city, which we hope will soon become your long-term home. Before we dive into your introduction to Dayton, please allow us to tell you a bit more about MVS. The Miami Valley School's campus is nestled in a quiet neighborhood in Washington Township, Ohio, approximately eight miles from the Dayton city center. The 22-acre school campus includes three athletic fields, six tennis courts, multiple playground areas, commons and dining areas, two collegiate-size basketball gymnasiums, an indoor/outdoor performing arts venue, and the Zorniger Environmental Laboratory. Because of The Miami Valley School's location, students and faculty are able to enjoy the benefits of a quiet community while embracing the advantages of a city known for historic and cultural diversity. The school?s goal is to ensure that the city of Dayton and the surrounding neighbors feel that they too benefit from The Miami Valley School. Founded in 1964, The Miami Valley School is the Dayton region's only independent, nonsectarian, college-preparatory school for grades PreK through 12. The school is nationally recognized for its innovative and immersive pedagogy, which is summarized in the school's signature learning approach, the M VS I mmer si on M et hod. The I mmersion Method affirms MVS' belief that students learn best through direct experience and emphasizes four key aspects of the learning process: exploration, connection, sharing, and reflection. The school's four core values, I nt egr i t y, Cel ebr at i on, Gr i t , and Ki ndness, support the MVS mission: to challenge young people of promise to become sel f-sust ai ni ng l ear ner s and compassi onat e gl obal ci t i zens. As part of this approach to education, MVS includes a special I mmer si on Ter m in its school calendar, providing several weeks for learners of all ages to dive deeply into areas of passion. Past I mmersion Term courses have included Civil Rights: A Living History, Marine Ecology, Chinese Arts & Culture, Global Security & Diplomacy, and Healthcare Professions. Students in upper school grades also have the opportunity to travel internationally for I mmersion and design their own month-long I ndependent I mmersion on a topic of their choice. Past international I mmersions have included trips to Ghana, China, Ecuador, Peru, and Morocco. Thank you for your interest in The Miami Valley School! We hope this guide to Dayton provides you with everything you need to make your time in the Gem City meaningful. Our campus is always open for a visit, and we look forward to meeting you. Sincerely,
Elizabeth F. Cleary, Head of School
Students don't just come here.
and the entire MVS family
Her e, t hey become.
fast facts about
T HE GEM CI TY founded
metro area population
nicknames
803K
Gem City, DYT, The 937
1796 FAM OUS FOLKS F ROM DAYTON -
Orville and Wilbur Wright, inventors of powered flight Paul Laurence Dunbar, pioneering Black poet M artin Sheen, film and TV actor Allison Janney '75, Emmy-winning actress James Ritty, inventor of the cash register John Patterson, founder of National Cash Register M ike Peters, cartoonist Erma Bombeck, humorist Edwin C. M oses, Olympic gold medalist hurdler Charles Kettering, inventor and entrepreneur James M . Cox, Ohio governor Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN analyst M ike Schmidt, Baseball Hall of Famer Nancy Cartwright, voice of Bart Simpson Sidney Sauers, first Director of the CI A Kim Deal, bass player for Pixies and the Breeders
A L EGACY OF I NVENTI ON Chances are, during your time here, you'll hear Dayton described as a "city of innovation" dozens of times. I t's a title Daytonians wear proudly, since the Gem City has given the world... - The airplane - The cash register - The automobile self-starter - Cheez-I t - The pull-tab opener on beverage cans - The electric wheelchair - The parking meter... And more! I n fact, by the turn of the 20th century, Dayton had earned more patents per capita than any other city in the United States.
W HY I S DAYTON CALLED T HE GEM CI TY? The short answer is, no one knows! The moniker might hearken back to a racehorse, Gem, who trained on First Street downtown. I t might be from a poem, or from a glowing review from a Cincinnati Chronicle reporter who said Dayton was the "gem of all our interior towns, [possessing] wealth, refinement, enterprise, and a beautiful country." I t could be tied to Cincinnati's nickname, the Queen City, or even to a 19th century South African miners' strike. No matter where the name comes from, though, Daytonians have made it their own, and you'll see the "Gem City" tag appended to everything from breweries to bakeries to roller derby teams.
M AJOR EM PLOYERS T ODAY -
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Premier Health and Kettering Health Network The University of Dayton and Wright State University Fuyao Glass (the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary American Factory)
BI RTHPLACE OF A VI ATI ON Ever since local boys Orville and Wilbur perfected their flying machine at Dayton's Huffman Prairie and founded the Wright Company, Dayton has been a hub for aerospace, earning Ohio the right to call itself "Birthplace of Aviation." As for those North Carolina "First in Flight" license plates? Best not to bring them up.
dayton
N ATI ONALLY N ATI ONAL A CCLAI M FOR DAYTON Because of its unique concentration of world-class universities, aerospace and defense contractors, healthcare leaders, and comparatively low cost of living, Dayton routinely punches above its weight in national city rankings. -
U.S. News & World Report "Best Places to Live" 2022 RENTCafe Top 20 Cities nationwide for "Hottest Jobs for College Grads" Site Selection Top 5 M id-Sized Business M etros HealthGrades Top 3 Cities for Excellence in Healthcare Outside "Best Towns" and "Best Rebirth of the American Dream" Bloomberg CityLab "Best Skilled Job M arkets for College Grads"
"EASY T O A ND T HROUGH " Dayton taught the world to fly, and today the Dayton I nternational Airport (DAY) is your hub to connect you to the rest of the world. With easy parking, short security lines, and direct flights to major cities, the Dayton airport is a valuable community resource. Or, if you prefer a road trip, Dayton is conveniently located at the intersection of I nterstates 70 and 75, making for easy travel to I ndianapolis (2 hours), Louisville (2.5 hours), Detroit (3 hours), Pittsburgh (4 hours), Nashville (5 hours), Chicago (5 hours), and beyond. Of course, Dayton is almost exactly halfway between Cincinnati and Columbus, so taking the hour-long drive to either of these cities is a snap. Enjoy the Cincinnati M useum Center, visit the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and watch the Reds or Bengals south of town, or head east to the state's capital to tailgate at the OSU football game, take the family to the Center of Science and I ndustry (COSI ), or explore historic neighborhoods like German Village and the Short North Arts District.
a city with
I NTEGRI TY Strategically located at the intersection of five rivers, most notably the Great Miami, the place we now call Dayton has a long legacy of trade, cultural exchange, and diplomacy. Historians tell us that indigenous people in the Miami Valley treated the meeting of the rivers as one would treat a "dish with one spoon," allowing numerous tribes to hunt and fish in the area without fear of war. I n more modern times, Dayton has maintained its legacy as a city devoted to global peace and security. I n 1995, American diplomat extraordinaire Richard Holbrooke led the effort to negotiate an end to the Bosnian War by bringing representatives from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the United States, the European Union, and Russia to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. The agreement that emerged from these negotiations, the Dayt on Accor ds, is a hallmark event in the history of the Gem City and the world. Today, Dayton honors its legacy as a city of peace in a variety of ways, most notably through the Dayt on Li t erar y Peace Pr i ze. This international prize honors works of fiction and non-fiction that promote peace through the power of the written word. Authors honored with the Dayton Literary Peace Prize include Yaa Gyasi, Louise Erdrich, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Tim O'Brien, and Viet Thanh Nguyen. Dayton is also home to the Dayt on I nt er nat i onal Peace M useum, America's only brick-and-mortar peace museum, which seeks to raise awareness of nonviolent strategies for achieving peace now and in the future. So what does peace have to do with The Miami Valley School's core value of integrity? Put simply, peace cannot hold without being built on a foundation of trust, honesty, and honor. The Miami Valley School seeks to foster peace in its own right through partnerships with the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a robust school Speaker Series, and the annual Miami Valley School Symposium on Civil Discourse.
?I trust that one day, people will look back on Dayton and say, ?This is the place where the fundamental choices were made. This is where the parties chose peace over war, dialogue over destruction, reason over revenge. And this is where each of us accepted the challenge to make those choices meaningful and to make them endure.?? -Warren Christopher, U.S. Secretary of State
a city that
CELEBRATES From Riverscape to Levitt Pavilion, from the Troy Strawberry Festival to the Yellow Springs Street Fair. from the Schuster Center to Day Air Ballpark, Daytonians love to celebrate. After all, Dayton is the World Capital of Funk, the most toe-tapping, booty-shaking, party-starting music made by man. DAY AI R BALLPARK is the home of the Dayton Dragons, who serve as the High-A minor league affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. I n 2011, the Dragons made news by breaking the record for the most consecutive sellouts in professional sports history, a streak that is now at 1,385 games and counting...yeah, Daytonians love these guys. Whether you're a rabid sports fan, a parent looking for a fun day out with the family, or just someone who likes to soak up the sun with a cold drink in hand, you'll love the Dragons experience. Make sure to wave to the team mascots, "Heater," "Gem," and the mysterious "Roofman!"
T HE BENJAMI N & M ARI AN SCHUSTER CENTER is Dayton's home for the performing arts, where you can enjoy the Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera, and Dayton Ballet as well as a variety of nationally touring shows. The Schuster Center's 2022 Broadway season will include touring productions of Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, Fiddler on the Roof, and Jesus Christ Superstar. With its distinctive glass exterior and atrium, the Schuster Center is also an architectural landmark in downtown Dayton. The building was designed by world-famous architect César Pelli, who is best known for designing the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur. CARI LLON PARK is one of the best places in town to celebrate Dayton's history. This 65-acre park and museum includes living history exhibits, a 1905 Wright Flyer airplane, a scenic railroad, a fully-operational 1930s-era print shop, and of course the namesake Deeds Carillon, a 151-foot tower containing 57 bells. During your visit, make sure to grab a bite at Culp's Café, the park's reconstructed lunch counter and soda fountain , or Carillon Brewing Company, which takes things back to the 1850s by preparing and serving period-authentic food and drink.
WAI T...T HE F UNK CAPI TAL OF THE W ORLD??? Yes! As the hometown of artists such as the Ohio Players, Slave, Steve Arrington, and Zapp (whose 1980 single "More Bounce to the Ounce" was named the greatest funk song of all time by Billboard), Dayton was the epicenter of America's funk movement during the '70s and '80s. Check out the Dayton Funk Murals on Stone Street downtown or take in an outdoor concert at Levitt Pavilion featuring the Dayton Funk All-Stars for the full Dayton funk experience.
a city with
GRI T Dayton's seen a lot of challenges in its 225-year history: floods, tornadoes, financial downturns, you name it. So what keeps the Gem City shining? I ts people and their relentless spirit for innovation. When the Great Miami River overflowed in 1913, covering the town in 20 feet of water, National Cash Register founder John H. Patterson turned his corporate headquarters into an emergency shelter and hospital while ordering the construction of over 300 flat-bottomed boats and forming rescue teams to find residents who had taken shelter on the roofs of homes and businesses. When the 2008 "Great Recession" led to turnover in the city's industry, a new generation of professionals stepped up to revitalize Dayton's economy, bringing vibrancy back to the city by building new housing, non-profits, startup businesses, restaurants, breweries, and more. When the city was rocked by two tornadoes and a tragic mass shooting incident within the span of three months in 2019, Dayton's people came together to heal and rebuild, capped by a massive outdoor block party hosted by Dayton luminary Dave Chappelle. And during the COVI D-19 pandemic, when the entire world was tested, Dayton's resilient doctors, nurses, and administrators stepped up to support, educate, treat, and vaccinate our community, providing a sterling demonstration of why Dayton ranks in the top 5 nationally for excellence in healthcare. University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as "passion and perseverance for long-term goals." Whether your passion is building the first airplane, starting a co-op grocery store, passing historic peace accords, or taking the next step in your career in education, Dayton is where you want to be.
T HE DAYTON ARCADE, famous for its glass-domed rotunda, was completed in 1904 and served as a business headquarters, shopping center, and downtown hub until it was shuttered in 1990. I n 2021, after an historic rehabilitation campaign, the Arcade once again serves as a gathering place for Daytonians of all stripes, with the new building boasting an art center, I nnovation Space, restaurants, retail, housing, and more. How's that for a Dayton comeback story!
T HE GEM CI TY M ARKET, which had its grand opening in 2021, is a full-service co-op grocery store and deli in West Dayton, which for years had been designated a food desert. The co-op, which was made possible through the hard work of numerous community activists and non-profit organizations, provides high-quality food for the community, as well as a cafe, teaching kitchen, and meeting area.
a city with
K I NDNESS What does kindness look like to you? Here in Dayton, kindness means tight-knit communities, Midwestern hospitality, and a get-to-know-you chat over some locally-produced food or drink. Kindness means an engaged network of non-profits and charitable organizations working to uplift our region. And yes, kindness means a small school full of smiling faces (that's MVS, in case you haven't caught our drift).
A M ERI CA' S F I RST "W ELCOM I NG CI TY" I n 2017, Dayton became the first city to earn earn the status of Certified Welcoming in recognition of inclusiveness and integration of immigrants.
The distinction, bestowed by national non-profit Welcoming America, honors the many ways that the city of Dayton and the Dayton business community has welcomed people from far and wide to this diverse city.
A N ETHOS OF SERVI CE The Miami Valley School and its students are proud to partner with many service organizations dedicated to making Dayton great, including... - Agraria Community Solutions - 4 Paws For Ability - Community Blood Center - Homefull - Dayton Foodbank - Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - Five Rivers MetroParks - St. Vincent de Paul Dayton - For Love of Children (FLOC) - United Rehabilitation Services
your dayton
CHECKLI ST Looking for things to do in the Gem City? Check all the items off this list, and you'll be as Daytonian as the pop-top on your soda can (did we mention we invented that, too?). Don't worry if it takes you multiple trips...we hope you'll be back again and again. -
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Choose a side in the Dayton Pizza Debate! Order "Dayton-style" pizza (thin-crust, square-cut) from the Gem City's two original pizza spots: CASSANO' S and M ARI ON ' S, then pick your favorite and defend it to the hilt. Visit RI VERSCAPE M ETROPARK , see the interactive fountains that span the Great Miami, then stroll along the river learning about Dayton's early history. Watch a DAYTON FLYERS college basketball game at UD ARENA, home of the NCAA's "First Four" since 2011. Grab a scoop of ice cream at a local GRAETER' S, which is headquartered in nearby Cincinnati. Complete the outdoor concert trifecta by seeing a show at FRAZE PAVI LI ON, ROSE M USI C CENTER, and L EVI TT PAVI LI ON. Hop on the M I AMI VALLEY BI KE T RAI LS and ride from Franklin to Piqua. Design your own pub crawl through Dayton's historic OREGON DI STRI CT , the downtown hub for arts and nightlife. Check out some stand-up comedy at W I LEY' S COMEDY JOI NT , Ohio's oldest comedy club, or the FUNNY BONE at the Greene. Compare artisanal cocktails at three of Dayton's award-winning watering holes: CENTURY BAR (one of Bourbon Review's "Best Bourbon Bars in America), VAN BUREN ROOM (a project of the gold-medal winning BELLE OF DAYTON DI STI LLERY), and T ENDER M ERCY (one of Esquire's"Best Bars in America"). Visit the DAYTON ART I NSTI TUTE, browse the permanent collection, and walk the outdoor sculpture garden. Complete the Dayton Arts Trifecta by seeing a performance of the DAYTON BALLET, DAYTON PHI LHARMONI C, and DAYTON OPERA at the SCHUSTER CENTER.
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Check out one of Dayton's numerous cultural festivals: GREEK FEST, CELTI C FEST, THE L EBANESE F ESTI VAL , W ORLD A'FAI R... Rock out to live music at BLI ND BOB' S, T HE T ROLLEY STOP, ODDBODY' S, or YELLOW CAB TAVERN. Take a day trip to the village of YELLOW SPRI NGS, an eclectic town home to unique local businesses, two nature preserves, Antioch College, and Dave Chappelle. Stretch your legs at the AI R FORCE M ARATHON, or try a more moderate distance at the T URKEY T ROT 5K. Walk to the highest point in Dayton, located in the WOODLAND CEMETERY AND ARBORETUM . While you're there, pay tribute at the graves of Orville and Wilbur Wright, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and other Daytonians of days past. Scale new heights at URBAN K RAG, Dayton's premier indoor climbing gym located in a converted church building. Enjoy a round of mini-golf, a sundae, and an order of cheese curds at YOUNG' S J ERSEY DAI RY. The kids will love the petting zoo! Check out generations of airplanes (and even an Apollo lunar command module) at the N ATI ONAL M USEUM OF THE UNI TED STATES AI R FORCE. Take a selfie at the "DAYTON I NSPI RES" MURAL or the FUNK M URALS downtown. Walk through the Wright Brothers' bike shop at the W RI GHT CYCLE COMPANY COMPLEX. Explore the BOONSHOFT M USEUM OF DI SCOVERY, containing a planetarium, science center, and zoo. Catch a movie at T HE N EON, Dayton's funky independent cinema. Chomp on a giant turkey leg, watch a joust, and laugh at the jesters at the OHI O RENAI SSANCE FESTI VAL .
"I f I were giving a young man advice as to how he might succeed in life, I would say to him, pick out a good father and mother, and begin life in Ohio." - Wilbur Wright, 1910 Photograph: The Wright Brothers at Huffman Prairie Flying Field, Dayton, 1904.