Fall Grants Awards Announced
The Fall 2016 Grant Cycle of the Huron County Community Foundation has just come to a close. This year ten applications were received covering everything from STEM education to agriculture, and placemaking to preservation of our natural areas. Over $16,000 was awarded to local projects this week as the grant award winners were announced.
STEM Education was a large theme in this year’s applications. Many local educators received training this summer on the VEX robotics system. This system has separate robots for both and middle/high school classrooms, varying their complexity and programming ability. This system, while complimentary to the robotics teams, is designed to be used in the classroom as a hands-on part of the curriculum for every student. Three local high schools received a total of $8,500 to bring the VEX robotics program into their classrooms: Laker High School, Ubly Community Schools, and North Huron Schools. Laker High School will be using part of their grant funding for Robot Roundup, an event aimed at increasing awareness of robot related careers and allowing high school students to serve as ambassadors to younger generations, peaking their STEM interest early.
With the help of two HCCF Grants, youth agricultural opportunities will be getting a boost. A new 4-H club, Clovers-N-Cows, was started to encourage youth to pursue and explore dairy. Through an HCCF grant, this club will receive club educational supplies aimed at fostering a love for agriculture in the next generation. For our youth already engaged in showing animals, HCCF is proud to be the first supporter of the small livestock barn adoption project at the Huron Community Fair. The revamping of this building includes adding windows and ventilation along with repainting the interior and exterior of the building.
A full list of grants can be seen below. Funding for these projects was provided by HCCF Field of Interest and Discretionary funds including: Robert Emil Thuemmel & Matthew Keillor Fund, Arts and Culture Fund, Education, Reading and Literacy Fund, Health and Medical Fund, Recreation Resources Trust Fund, Huron Medical Center Fund, Huron County Community Trust Fund, Huron County Economic Development Fund, Huron Natural Areas Preservation Fund, and the Judge McCallum Memorial for Disadvantaged Youth.
Greater Port Austin Art and Placemaking Fund – 2017 Port Austin Art and Street Sculptures - $1,000
Laker High School – Robot Roundup - $4,500
North Huron Schools – Playground Project - $1,000
Huron Community Fair – Small Animal Barn Adoption - $2,500
Caseville Elementary—Hear My Voice - $1,000
Ubly Community Schools – STEM/Mechatronics Classroom Part II - $2,500
Huron County Nature Center – Ground Upkeep Material - $1,000
North Huron School – VEX Robotics Controllers -- $1,500
Clover-N-Cows 4H Club – Club Educational Toolkit - $487
Port Austin Lions Club – Butterfly House Project - $1,000
