Centre County Community Action Grants

Bellefonte Reads The mission of Bellefonte READS is to foster a love of literacy within the community by putting quality books into the hands of children and families. The AAUW grant funds books for their One Book, One Bellefonte initiative, where thousands of a selected collection of books, chosen along a specific theme, are made available for free to community members. This year’s theme was Discover Your Roots and featured four children’s books. https://sites.google.com/a/basd.net/bellefonte-reads

Program Grant: $1,500

C-NET Centre County C-NET is a not-for-profit government and educational access network that informs the public on subjects useful and beneficial to the community via cable television channels and internet communications. The AAUW grant funds support training and administration for a C-NET production internship for three semesters. C-NET internships provide hands-on production experience for female college students who have chosen to major in a technology or communication field. While many women now pursue these career fields, it is still far less common for women to be leaders in the technology side of the media industry. http://www.cnet1.org

Program Grant: $1,500

Centre Volunteers in Medicine Inadequate dental care can have a host of consequences. Dental problems can lead to severe pain and lost work time; missing teeth can affect self-esteem and impact job opportunities, and oral infections can lead to potentially life-threatening infections throughout the body. Research shows that women are more likely than men to defer dental care and subsequently have more dental emergencies. There are also several associations between poor oral health and mental health, social withdrawal, and low self-esteem. The AAUW grant provides dental services for women. https://www.cvim.net/

Program Grant: $10,000

Community Diversity Group The Community Diversity Group brings diverse peoples together to cultivate inclusive, engaged communities. One of their special programs, the Cultural Empowerment for Women (CEW) lunches, are held twice a year and are open for anyone to attend. The lunches provide a networking opportunity and feature women panelists sharing an important aspect of their lives. The AAUW grant subsidizes these lunches to make them affordable to many more people.  http://www.communitydiversitygroup.org/

Program Grant: $1,447

Jana Marie Foundation Through the power of dialogue and creative expression, Jana Marie Foundation builds connections and promotes mental well-being among young people and their communities. The AAUW grant funds Side by Side, where the mother-daughter relationship is explored through creative expression, engaging activities, and a variety of communication tools. The mother/daughter bond is important to maintain, especially through the middle school years. The program includes girls in grades 6-8 and their mothers or caregivers. janamariefoundation.org/

Program Grant: $2,250

Mid-State Literacy Council MSLC is a non-profit group providing adult education instruction. Programs include Basic Literacy, English as a Second Language, and health literacy, helping students gain essential skills to navigate their lives, helping them to advance in their career, and obtain a higher level of education. Students work with a tutor or take small classes to help them achieve their education and communication goals. 70% of MSLC students are women. Mid-State Literacy Council does not turn any student in need of literacy services away due to an inability to pay the registration fee. The AAUW grant funds scholarships for the classes. https://www.mid-stateliteracycouncil.org/

Program Grant: $11,000

RISE – Reading IS Enlightening Reading IS Enlightening (RISE) was created to ensure that childhood educators in Centre County elementary schools have access to high quality children’s books that affirm diversity in the world. The group recognizes diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) race, disability, sexual orientation, and religion, as well as social justice issues. The AAUW grant funds the purchase of books for children that focus on the importance of diversity and social justice. Books are distributed to Centre County schools and pre-schools. https://www.facebook.com/ReadingISEnlightening/

Program Grant: $5,000

Schlow Centre Region Library Reading fiction can enhance empathic responses in readers, helping readers better understand the lives of those around them and the world they live in. The AAUW grant funds dozens of fiction books for teens, opening pathways to global social and cultural issues. Titles reflect the diverse lived experiences of women globally. www.schlowlibrary.org

Program Grant: $1,550

Youth Service Bureau One program of the Youth Service Bureau is Stormbreak, a residential group home that provides shelter for dependent and delinquent girls ages 12-19 within a safe, structured, and nurturing environment. For girls living at Stormbreak, it is unlikely that the adults in their lives have taken them to an amusement park, an activity that most kids from healthy homes get to experience. The AAUW grant provides the girls an overnight trip to Hershey Park – a special activity to get out and enjoy a break from routine and experience. The trip addresses challenges that the girls are working on but in a different environment – creating new challenges but also new definitions of success. https://ccysb.com/

Program Grant: $1,795