Whether the mild winter continues or Jack Frost breathes chilly air over us and lays a snowy blanket beneath us, the Cleveland Metroparks offers a host of activities for people of all ages and abilities throughout the winter months.
 

A lot has happened this year in Cleveland. From new businesses to innovative ideas,  Fresh Water looks back at the top 10 stories of 2015.

Whether they grew up here and left or are just experiencing Cleveland for the first time, five residents share why they came here and what they love about the city.

The Cuyahoga River's watershed extends south to Stark County. While the infamous fire of 1969 has faded, the river is still troubled, but efforts both natural and beautiful are underway to turn the tide.

The ambitious Eastside Greenway project will take years to accomplish, but leaders are taking small steps to connect Cleveland's eastern suburbs through trails and corridors.

An upcoming Global Cleveland event will encourage area companies to share best practices in hiring foreign-born brainpower.

The September events will celebrate the contributions of immigrants and entrepreneurs to their communities.

An obstacle course amid the treetops, miles of mountain bike trail and a mysterious 130-year-old rock? We've got that and then some: Fresh Water Cleveland has rounded up ten of the Metroparks' best hidden gems, quirky trails and thrilling courses.

Northeast Ohio has three organizations dedicated to getting fresh produce and sustainably-grown goods to consumers through online ordering.

This weekend, feast on authentic Asian cuisine at the first-ever Night Market, celebrate LGBTQQA progress at Cleveland Pride, explore Waterloo Arts Fest, play free pinball in Coventry and more. 

A key component of the Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools is helping families choose the right school. Neighborhood ambassadors are charged with informing the community about school choices.

Mel McGee has been a computer programmer and teacher for the past 20 years. Now, as CEO of We Can Code IT, McGee and community outreach director Shana Mysko are holding coding boot camps that are targeted at getting women and minorities careers in IT fields. The boot camps are held in their new offices at LaunchHouse.

“There will be one million unfilled jobs in IT by 2020,” explains McGee. “It’s a very in-demand industry and it continue to grow. Our whole economy is becoming IT based. There’s such a lack of diversity in IT. Employers would like to have more diversity.”
 
We Can Code IT held its first boot camp in March, and has partnered with several area employers, such as Hyland Software and OEConnection, to place its graduates in jobs. The next part-time coding boot camp starts this Saturday, June 20. The class meets Saturdays and Sundays from 8am-4pm for five months.
 
The cost of the program is $10,000, but women and minorities are eligible for a $1,000 grant. Starting with the upcoming session, We Can Code IT is testing a program where students don’t pay the tuition until they get a job.
 
“We’re trying to make it very appealing,” says McGee. “We have bent over backwards to make this doable for our students, who are coming from jobs where they are underemployed and unemployed. So we are offering an option where we don’t get paid until they get a job. We’re putting our money where our mouth is.”
 
We Can Code IT is also offering a free one-hour program, Programming Experience, on Thursday, June 18 at 7pm at LaunchHouse to learn about an IT career. Register through Meetup.
 
Registration for the part-time boot camp ends Thursday, June 18. Click here to apply for the program. The next full-time boot camp starts September 8.