Foundation Board Awards 2023 Education and Workforce & Economic Development Grants

Foundation Board Awards 2023 Education and Workforce & Economic Development Grants

by | Mar 30, 2023 | Grants

Foundation Board Approves First Grant Cycle of 2023, Awards $73,000 to Education and Workforce & Economic Development Programs

Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met for their regular meeting on Thursday, March 16, at the Active Adult Center. The board approved eight grants totaling $73,009.04. The board also approved Renea Macko and Rob Pursley as new Friends of the Foundation, and thanked Dr. Suzanne Allen, who is retiring from her role as executive director of Barberton Community Foundation on March 31. Tiffany Peters, director of finance, has been named as interim executive director.

Grants:

Barberton City School District was awarded $22,975.32 for their partnership with AMHA to expand support for families and students. The grant supports more on-site tutoring days, bussing to parent/teacher conferences, and bi-monthly resident meetings to educate parents about school services and opportunities. AMHA expects to serve 800 individuals through these programs.

National Inventors Hall of Fame received $15,000 for 2023 Camp Invention financial support for 120 students who would like to attend. Camp Invention is a summer enrichment program led by Barberton teachers with STEM-based curricula.

Child Guidance & Family Solutions received $10,000 for their Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding (TAPS) program. TAPS provides on-site training for preschool and childcare staff on how best to respond to challenging classroom behaviors and improve kindergarten readiness. Child Guidance anticipates serving 380 preschoolers with this funding.

Barberton City School District was awarded $6,533.72 to support the primary school’s Magical Reading program, which teaches parents how to read to their children in creative, educational and engaging ways. Funding supports the purchase of books for families to read together, crafts and operations for the event.

United Way of Summit & Medina received $5,000 to support Financial Empowerment Center services provided to Barberton residents. The Center estimates they will serve 215 residents through free financial empowerment programming, including financial coaching, tax preparation and banking assistance.

Junior Achievement was awarded $5,000 to provide programming within Barberton City Schools to 320 students in middle and high school. Programs include JA Personal Finance, JA Inspire, JA Company Program and JA Economics for Success.

The International Soap Box Derby received $5,000 for programs and field trips for Barberton City School students, including their popular Gravity Racing Challenge program. Funding supports the purchase of derby car parts, supplies and program books for 180 students.

SCORE Akron received $3,500 for their Barberton Community Workforce Development programs which include mentoring and workshop programs for entrepreneurs interested in starting their own business or expanding their existing business.

Foundation awards Arts and Community Grants

Foundation awards Arts and Community Grants

by | Dec 1, 2022 | Uncategorized

Foundation Board Approves Third Cycle Grants for Arts and Community

Barberton Community Foundation’s Board of Directors met on Thursday, November 18, to approve six grants totaling $97,244.14 for arts and community cycle programming. The board approved the Foundation’s 2023 spending policy and selected 2023 officers: Jason Slater, Chair; Lynne Holcomb, Vice Chair; Jennifer Bidlingmyer, Treasurer; and Deb Shreiner, Secretary. The board also approved four new members to the board, who will begin their terms beginning in January, 2023. They are Susan Wynn, Hugh McMichael, Ann Hutchison and Theresa Osborne.

Grants:

The Foundation awarded $25,000 to Magical Theatre Company for their program, Performing Arts Can Teach. This program supports resident performances at Magical Theatre for Barberton City School students and traveling performances to the schools.

CareStar Community Services received $23,744.14 to provide wraparound services to Barberton school students and their families. The program will consist of community health worker services, including home visits to help families connect with appropriate healthcare, mental health and social services in the community.  

The Foundation awarded $15,000 to White Rabbit Galleries for a monthly series of events that invite the public to create art projects with their family or friends, along with artist meetups to encourage growth of an artist community in Barberton.

Habitat for Humanity of Summit County received $15,000 for their 2023 Neighborhood Reborn Initiative. This program supports Habitat for Humanity’s first Neighborhood Reborn project in Barberton. This program blends private home repairs with a neighbor-led public space cleanup to transform and revitalize several street blocks over two days.

Barberton Parks & Recreation received $15,000 to support many of Barberton’s favorite special events, accessible programming and use of neighborhood parks through 2023.

United Way of Summit and Medina received $3,500 to continue their 2-1-1 Information and Referral Services for Barberton Residents. 2-1-1 is a free, 24/7 helpline and website that assists residents navigate health and social services available in Summit County. In 2021, more than 3,500 Barberton residents used 2-1-1 for referrals to services or resources.