Berks County Community Foundation invests almost $60,000 in rural arts programs – bctv.org – Local news about Berks County and Reading, Pa.: Arts, Museums, Exhibits In Berks Berks County Community Foundation invests almost $60,000 in rural arts programs

Berks County Community Foundation is a nonprofit corporation that serves as a civic leader for our region by developing, managing and distributing charitable funds aimed at improving the quality of life in Berks County.

READING, PAA a The board of Berks County Community Foundation has approved $59,717 in grants from the Berks County Arts Fundas Rural Arts Grant Program to seven organizations that are bringing the arts to under-served areas of the community.

The Community Foundation created the Berks County Arts Fund to encourage local residents to support the arts in Berks County through their donations. In 2014, the Community Foundation’s board of directors approved a grant of $50,000 a year for five years from the Hawley and Myrtle Quier Fund to the Berks County Arts Fund to support arts programming in outlying areas of Berks County where residents do not have ready access to the offerings provided by the established arts community.

Programs may include performances, exhibits, interactive activities or other creative ideas that bring art aout of the establishmenta and to the residents of our community. Since the Arts Fest has drawn far fewer people, the Our Town Foundation plans to add venues, interactive art activities such as a community mural, and more live entertainment to draw more local residents.$12,625 to the Yocum Institute for Arts Education, Wyomissing, to bring a live performance of the jazz story aBalloonacya to rural elementary schools. For weeks after that opening run, the grant will bring the performance to nearly 3,000 fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade students at Tilden Elementary Center and Perry Elementary School in the Hamburg Area School District; Oley Valley Elementary School in the Oley Valley School District; Bethel Elementary School and Penn-Bernville Elementary School in the Tulpehocken Area School District; and Honey Brook Elementary Center, Robeson Elementary Center, and Twin Valley Elementary Center in the Twin Valley School District. In addition to the performances, Yocum Institute will provide pre-show study guides for teachers to use with their students and Yocum-led post-show workshops with the children.$10,450 to Art in the Fields to develop an interactive, community-led art history project for Alsace Township, including the collection of oral histories to turn into performances. In addition, Clay on Main will work with Berks Encore to bring fused glass workshops to senior centers in several communities.$4,500 to the Reading Pops for a free aside-by-sidea concert with Hamburg Area School District students at the band shell at Hamburg Community Park on Sunday, July 24, in an effort to repeat the successful side-by-side concert held at Tulpehocken Junior-Senior High School in 2015. A side-by-side concert allows students to practice, play, and perform with the Reading Pops musicians.$3,300 to the Ringgold Band for a free, traditional Americana concert at the band shell at Hamburg Community Park on August 20.$3,000 to Reading Choral Society to bring its aSummer Sing!a program to three additional communities. 19604 | 610-374-3065 | bctv@bctv.org

Copyright 2016, bctv.org – Local news about Berks County and Reading, Pa., Reading, PA.

For children in low-income families, it can be very hard to find the same opportunities as those in middle or upper class households.

And The Community Foundation, a local non-profit group, has completed a three-month research project on this so-called “opportunity gap.”

The research consisted mostly of listening sessions with parents, teens, and advocacy groups on behalf of those directly and indirectly impacted by this issue.

The findings didn’t surprise those that conducted the research.

They show that both Duluth and Superior have childhood poverty rates above state averages.

And that while grants for community programs are important, sometimes children just need caring and nurturing adults in their lives.

The Community Foundation wants a more collective approach to taking care of children’s issues.

“So often we think about our kids, we think about our sons and we think about our daughters.

Community Foundation launches $1.5 million grant fund to address opportunity disparity
Community Foundation launches $1.5 million grant fund to address opportunity disparity

“What we’re really talking about is our generational differences, where 30 or 40 years ago there wasn’t much of a distinction on outcomes for low-income kids and kids living in higher-income families,” said Holly Sampson, president of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation.

However, that’s not the case today, she said. Cargill Foundation, will be used to offer grants to partner organizations working to help financially disadvantaged families find pathways to a brighter future.

Sampson noted that 23 percent of children in Duluth and 31 percent of children in Superior are living in poverty.

“We think those numbers aren’t OK,” she said.

Sampson contrasted the Twin Ports’ elevated local child poverty rates with statewide child poverty rates of 14 percent in Minnesota and 18 percent in Wisconsin.

In all, she said an estimated 5,500 children in the Twin Ports experience poverty on a daily basis.

Jim Zastrow, a retired banker who served as chairman of the foundation’s Opportunity Gap Convening Committee, said an assessment of the local scene revealed that people of color were disproportionately poor.

Henry Banks, a radio show host and community activist, called for at least one-quarter of the funds to go “directly to African-American and Native American communities that have organizations in Duluth that are run by members of our communities, because what we find is that typically those folks who say they’re representing us within organizations in Duluth don’t look like us. “We’re starting with a three-year initiative, but we want to secure additional resources to really work over a five- and 10-year period.”

Keri Cavitt, director of community philanthropy for the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, said most grants will likely be offered in the range of $100,000 to $300,000, but she said larger awards could perhaps be provided, depending on the scope and duration of a project, up to a maximum three-year commitment.

The foundation will host a workshop to provide more information on the grant program from 3-4:45 p.m.

Philanthropic youth group raises $61K for 27 nonprofits | NJ.com The Jewish Community Youth Foundation giving $4,000 to one of 27 nonprofits.

ROBBINSVILLE The Princeton Jewish Community Youth Foundation announced at its 13th annual ceremony that its members will donate $61,000, raised in 2015, to 27 nonprofits.

The 13th annual Philanthropy Fair and Check Presentation Ceremony highlighting the fundraising efforts of students in the teen philanthropy group was held at Robbinsville High School on Feb. 21, Celeste Albert, coordinator of teen programs at the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County, said.

Albert said more than 650 people attended the ceremony to celebrate 170 eighth to 12th grade students from 18 area synagogues, 11 middle schools and 21 high schools who work throughout the year fundraising and learning about philanthropy.

The Jewish Community Youth Foundation giving a $360 check to one of 27 nonprofits. From left: Rachel Levitan, Associate Vice President of Global Programs Strategy and Planning at the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society and Stephanie Blitzer of East Windsor, JCYF Distinguished Alumni Award Winner.Sarah Merians

“Teens donate $120 each year either using their B’nai Mitzvah money or jobs like babysitting, tutoring, walking dogs,” Albert said.

She said the money youth members raise is then matched by the Ricky and Andrew J. This year students raised $360 each.

Albert said an additional $200 was raised through the program’s No Small Change grant, which was then given to Ewing-based nonprofit Greenwood House: The Robert and Natalie Marcus Home for the Jewish Aged.

“The No Small Change grant (is) an initiative where spare change is collected at each meeting and the pooled money goes to an organization selected by senior class representatives,” Albert said.

She said each year the students learn about various philanthropic themes one theme is chosen per grade. Then local and national nonprofits are chosen to receive donations, announced at the annual ceremony.

Albert said the $61,000 raised this year went to 27 organizations including the Friendship Circle of Greater Mercer County, the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Mercer County, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, the Lower East Side Tenement Museum and Thank Israeli Soldiers.

Albert said also at the ceremony, youth foundation 2013 graduate Stephanie Blitzer of East Windsor was awarded the sixth annual Distinguished Alumni Award for “her participation in many philanthropic and community service activities.”

Albert said Blitzer a junior at American University in Washington D.C. “My experience in the program has enabled me to understand who I am and the importance of giving back to those in need.”

The Jewish Community Youth Foundation is a teen philanthropy program and project of the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County located on Alexander Road in Princeton.

Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com.

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South City hosts biotech summit: Program focuses on granting local students access to life science jobs – – San Mateo Daily Journal South City hosts biotech summit: Program focuses on granting local students access to life science jobs

City officials and administrators from Skyline College and the South San Francisco Unified School District have worked to create partnerships which provides students specialized education programs designed to put them on the path for employment in the biotechnology industry.

The prime example of the collaboration between agencies is a school program which offers 25 select South San Francisco students an opportunity to take intensive courses training them for careers in the life sciences industry, said Gupta.

North Carolina Secretary of Commerce John Skvarla visited the Rattling Conference Center at Davidson County Community College on Thursday morning to discuss what the state needs to do to stay competitive in the national job market and highlighted services provided by the department to support job seekers and businesses.

“We have a huge variety of programs in the State of North Carolina under the Department of Commerce,” Skvarla said. The 17-site tour brings senior Commerce officials to regions across the state for a series of economic development sessions to give communities the tools they need to help them better compete for business in today’s global economy.

Skvarla outlined several significant factors that impact employment growth, including average cost of living; average yearly temperatures; average effective income tax rate; statewide union membership; and the shared population over the age of 25 with a high school diploma.

Will Collins, assistant secretary of Workforce Solutions, spoke on the importance of connecting job seekers with employers through education and expanded opportunities. NCWorks is customer focused, but we also respond to the need of businesses.”

Some of the programs Collins identified to support jobs seekers and businesses included NCWorks Career Centers, including the NCWorks online job search website, NCWorks apprenticeship programs and NCWorks veterans’ services.

Dr. Patricia Mitchell, assistant secretary of rural economic development, discussed grants and programs that are available to communities to improve commerce and rural economic development. She identified several grant programs including building reuse grants; Community Development Block Grants; Industrial Development Fund utility account; Main Street Solution Fund; and the Appalachian Regional Commission.

“Our goal at the (Commerce Department) and in the rural division is to be a partner with communities,” Mitchell said. Competes for Jobs Tour’ event at Davidson County Community College on…March 10, 2016 6:22 PM

North Carolina Secretary of Commerce John Skvarla visited the Rattling Conference Center at Davidson County Community College on Thursday morning to discuss what the state needs to do to stay competitive in the national job market and highlighted services provided by the department to support job seekers and businesses.

“We have a huge variety of programs in the State of North Carolina under the Department of Commerce,” Skvarla said. The 17-site tour brings senior Commerce officials to regions across the state for a series of economic development sessions to give communities the tools they need to help them better compete for business in today’s global economy.

Skvarla outlined several significant factors that impact employment growth, including average cost of living; average yearly temperatures; average effective income tax rate; statewide union membership; and the shared population over the age of 25 with a high school diploma.

Will Collins, assistant secretary of Workforce Solutions, spoke on the importance of connecting job seekers with employers through education and expanded opportunities. NCWorks is customer focused, but we also respond to the need of businesses.”

Some of the programs Collins identified to support jobs seekers and businesses included NCWorks Career Centers, including the NCWorks online job search website, NCWorks apprenticeship programs and NCWorks veterans’ services.

Dr. Patricia Mitchell, assistant secretary of rural economic development, discussed grants and programs that are available to communities to improve commerce and rural economic development.

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Michigan county awarded state grant to help fund highway resurfacing | Transportation Infrastructure News Daily

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) recently gave Saginaw County a state transportation grant to finance a resurfacing project for Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Transportation and Infrastructure Daily (TI News Daily) provides everyday online coverage of federal, state and local transportation policy, updates of current and proposed transportation projects, corporate and national association news, and more.