News Release
October 5th, 2015
Scott Community Foundation Awards over $50,000 in General Fund Grants
The Scott Community Foundation recently awarded $52,982.00 in grants to local organizations through the General Fund. Traditionally, the Scott Community Foundation awards $30,000 each year through the General Fund. The Scott Community Foundation has several individual donors that fund projects which help increase the dollar amount dispersed to local organizations.
Scott County Library received $5,000 in funding. The library serves Scott County and the surrounding area as a center of reliable information, to serve as a research and reference center, and to provide opportunity and encouragement for children and adults to educate themselves continuously. The purpose of this grant is to upgrade the technology for patrons and children’s programs. The patrons will have access to the newest services as the library continues to upgrade the computer labs. The funding will be used to purchase six new patron computers, an I-pad with a Bluetoothspeaker, and a “Look-Up Tablet” that will allow younger patrons to search the online card catalog.
Scott County Arts Council received a total of $8,000 of funding for two separate projects. The first project received a $4,000 grant and is titled “Touring Artists-Schools.” It will include programs in the schools where students will have a hands-on experience to learn more about literature, history, writing, creativity, and music. Park Lane Nursing Home residents and the Golden Rule pre-school students will also benefit from the programs provided. The Scott County Arts Council also received a $4,000 grant for a project titled “Children’s Theatre.” The Children’s Theatre is designed to provide the children of Scott County with the opportunity to participate in an after-school and summer activity. The experiences of the children’s theatre will help to provide participants with a lifelong love for the arts, as well as building self-esteem and confidence.
The Scott Community High School Science Class received $832.00 towards the purchase of a scientific skeleton. The skeleton is adult size and made of unbreakable synthetic material made to last. The model will be used in the forensic science class to teach students how to determine sex, age, and race from a skeleton. It will be also used by all the Human Body class students throughout the entire school year and each year after that. This will help the students learn about the skeletal system. It will be especially beneficial to students with a future in a health related career.
Scott Community High School’s Digital Media classes received $2,168. The purpose of this grant is to fulfill the continuing needs of the Digital Media classes. The community is now able to view many of the Digital Media classes’ projects on Channel 12 and also watch their streaming website. The overall goal is provide another career opportunity for Digital Media students. With the addition of this new equipment many would have a chance to make the Digital Media classroom, live stream, and Channel 12 a better experience for everyone in the community and even those that no longer live in Scott City.
The Scott Community High School Library received $1,662 in funding from the Albert and Dee Hoeme Memorial Fund. The funding will be used to help purchase Library E-Books. Using technology has become a major part of education. This is the second year that students at SCHS have had their own I-pads. These e-books will provide books with information about the United States Constitution, Word War II, the Holocaust, the Great Depression, various health topics, and general fiction. All of the books will be accessible to the students on their I-pads.
The Scott City Middle School Library received $1,010 in funding from the Albert and Dee Hoeme Memorial Fund. The funding will be used to help purchase Library E-Books. Technology has become a major part of education at the Scott City Middle School. Seventh and Eighth grade students have their own I-pads and next year the Fifth and Sixth grades will also receive I-pads. The technology integration with I-pads will allow the students opportunities to read through e-books with the goal being to engage more students in reading with the option of doing so on their I-pad.
The Scott City Elementary School Library received $2,000 in funding from the Albert and Dee Hoeme Memorial Fund. The funding will be used to help purchase Library E-Books. E- Books provide teachers with up to date easily accessible titles that support instructional needs and can be used with classroom computers and I-pads. The E-Books will be handpicked by the classroom teachers. They will help provide support to the teachers and their classroom curriculums as well as modeling the use and availability of digital resources to the students.
The Scott City Middle School Science Department received $950 in funding. The funding will be used to purchase Engineering Education Materials. The materials to be purchased include two Knex education kits, a kit for building projectile launchers, and a kit for building balloon race cars. These teaching tools will enhance the classrooms and allow teachers the proper materials needed to engage students in learning the new standards set by the department of education.
Russell Child Development Center received $500 in funding that will be set up in a donor advised fund through the Scott Community Foundation. The funding will be used for projects designated by Russell Child Development Center’s future projects.
The Scott City Middle School Instrumental Program received $2,000 to help fund upgrades to the Scott City Middle School Instrumental Department. The focus for utilizing these funds will be for overall instrumental equipment that can be utilized by every student as they learn rhythm and percussive techniques.
Scott City Elementary School 1st and 2nd grade music classes received $300 in funding. The purpose of the organization is to educate students in music according to the standards and criteria determined by the state of Kansas. The funding will help provide additional costumes, props, and materials for the 1st and 2nd grade musical titled “EIEI Oops.” Through this project the students will learn performance skills, how to work with a microphone, projecting their voice and the importance of using clear enunciation.
Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center received $2,000 in funding. The mission of the WKCAC is to heal the trauma of child abuse to children and families through prevention, support and services. The funding will be helping to implement a pilot program, transitioning Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center into digital recording that will be installed in the Scott City location. The recording quality will be increased allowing the Western Kansas Child Advocacy Center to continue to do an outstanding job of delivering services to children and their families as well as providing a higher quality product to Law Enforcement Officers and Prosecutors in the service area.
Park Lane Nursing Home received $6,200 in funding from an anonymous donor. The funding will be used to upgrade equipment at the nursing home. The residents of the nursing home will benefit from the purchase of a staff training manikin and a warming cabinet for blankets and towels. These products will increase the quality care for the residents of Park Lane Nursing Home.
The Scott City Middle School Athletics received $2,000 in funding to help with updating and replacing uniforms for the sports teams including football, basketball, wrestling, and track. Track uniforms will be the first priority as they are the oldest and in the poorest condition. Also, track has the highest number of student participants. Between the 7th and 8th grade combined there is an average of 100 students who participate in track each spring. With the new uniforms the students will be able to proudly represent Scott City at their competitions.
The Scott Community High School Chemistry Lab received $850 in funding. The purpose of this grant is to purchase five magnetic stirrers to help speed the process of mixing solutions. Innovations in the field of science are occurring at an alarming rate. This change must filter down to the students in the school system and one way for that to happen is the keep the labs as updated as possible. The magnetic stirrers will help keep the students engaged and allow them more time to work on their labs.
The Scott Community High School Construction Technology program received $3,000 in funding to go towards the purchase of a 3-D technology printer. This new technology will empower students to think, imagine, create, craft, and print in 3-D. This will aid students to develop design, production, and problem solving thinking abilities. The SCHS Construction classes educate students involving design and problem solving technologies using traditional hands-on activities mixed with high tech computer design and problem solving technologies.
Scott Community High School’s Survivor Health Fair received $750 in funding. The Survivor Health Fair is an opportunity for grades 9-12 students to learn about health issues that directly affect them. Students can get their blood chemistry profile done at a minimal cost, blood pressure checked, free fluoride treatment, chiropractic screening, height/weight/BMI, and receive nutritional recommendations just to name a few.
Scott Community High School’s English Department received $650 to help fund the replacement of old novels, update some torn up novels, and purchase new novels for student use and staff development. The anticipated outcome of this purchase is that students will develop test taking skills and advance literary studies that meet the current Kansas Department of Education curriculum standards.
The Scott City Middle School Family and Consumer Science Department received $500 in funding. It will be used to help purchase new and replacement materials for the classroom, specifically cooking knives. The knives at the Family and Consumer Science lab kitchens at the Scott City Middle School have not been replaced for over ten years. Through this project the students will learn safe knife handling techniques and create a variety of healthy foods while learning a variety of cuts.
Scott Recreation Commission received $500 in funding. This grant will be used to make improvements to the Scott City batting cages. The batting cages are a service that is offered for the youth of Scott City to get practice with hitting before, during, and after the baseball and softball seasons. New coin machines are needed as well as other parts for the batting cages. These improvements will assure working operations during the seasons that the batting cages are needed.
The Scott County VIP Center received $10,000 in funding from an anonymous donor. The mission of the VIP Center is to give a quality of life to the elderly in Scott County by serving meals at the center and offering at home delivery. The funding will be used to improve the parking on the west side of the VIP Center Building. The asphalt will be removed and replaced with cement. Also, gutters will be added.
Scott Community High School’s Athletic Department received $1600 in funding from an anonymous donor. The funding will be used to purchase Hudl, an online film program. Hudl has many components that will allow growth in athletics and also helps students meet recruiters needs for film if SCHS athletes wish to go on and compete in college. Hudl film can be divided into highlight segments and sent by our SCHS coaches to college coaches instantly. Hudl will be used for football, volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and wrestling.
The Wichita County Arts Alliance received $510 in funding from Berta Binns. A recent gift to the Arts Alliance was a piece of property downtown near the main intersection in Leoti. It was given with the intent that something artistic be placed on this property. This funding will be used to proceed with the landscaping in this area of downtown Leoti.
Grant making is one of the most visible activities that the Scott Community Foundation undertakes and it is at the heart and soul of the Foundation. The Scott Community Foundation would like to thank the Scott Community for their generous support that enables these grants to be given year after year. If you are interested in funding a specific project or creating a fund to support local non-profit organizations contact the Scott Community Foundation for more information.