Preschool Donates $62,000 to Classrooms Can! Grant Program

Greater Wenatchee Preschool Board Treasurer Suzi Graden, President Stacy Humphries, and Community Foundation Executive Director Beth Stipe.

Greater Wenatchee Preschool Board Treasurer Suzi Graden, President Stacy Humphries, and Community Foundation Executive Director Beth Stipe.

The Greater Wenatchee Parent-Child Preschool (GWPCP) has closed its doors and donated their remaining $62,000 in funds to the Classrooms Can! grant program at the Community Foundation of North Central Washington.

Through a partnership with the United Way of Chelan-Douglas Counties and funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationClassrooms Can! provides funding for certified K-12 teachers in Chelan, Douglas and Okanogan counties that supports innovative classroom projects developed to better engage students, especially the hard-to-reach learner.

Founded in 1966, the GWPCP was formed to meet a need in the community that didn’t exist: a cooperative preschool model that included parent involvement. The preschool had to close its doors in September 2013 due to low enrollment, not because of any fiscal issues. The money came from families and businesses that supported the school and its mission. As a nonprofit entity, GWPCP was required to move any leftover funds to another nonprofit, and they felt supporting the Classrooms Can! program at the foundation was the best fit.

“Many of the kids from GWPCP are in the school system now”, said Suzi Graden, former board treasurer and parent. “We thought, wouldn’t it be great if our kids benefited from some of these grants?” 

Another part of their decision was that the preschool’s model was “learning through play”Classrooms Can! grants encourage teachers to develop projects that are interactive and make learning fun, getting kids excited about coming to school.

“We felt the grants serve the same purpose as the school did and would have a great impact” said Stacy Humphries, former board president and also a parent. “Plus, the Community Foundation has supported us for years. It was a good fit.”

Last year, Classrooms Can! awarded $47,000 in grants to schools across the region. The deadline for the 2014 grants was April 1st – recipients of those awards will be announced in May and projects will be implemented in the Fall of 2014. The funds received by the GWPCP will begin supporting projects in 2015.

Applications for the next round of awards will open in January 2015.

To learn more, visit www.cfncw.org/classroomscan.

Leave a Comment





Subscribe to the CFNCW e-newsletter for donor news, scholarship opportunities, and good work being done in the community. 

Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

GIVE TO A FUND

ESTABLISH A FUND

GIVE FROM YOUR WILL

GIVING CARD

BECOME A PIG

GIFTS OF STOCK

YOUR GIFT AT WORK

Cruz.Xitlali

Xitlali Cruz

SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

I am currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science at Stanford. Since the beginning of my freshman year I have been involved with clubs such as Stanford’s Space Initiative (SSI) and the Society of Latinx Engineers (SOLE). In SSI I built a rocket and launched it.

ThomasSmith

Aero Methow Rescue Service

GRANT RECIPIENT

Due to being rural, remote, and geographically isolated, we must be prepared to do more than respond to emergencies. We have become a healthcare partner who fills gaps in service. The grant allowed our board the time and ability to work with a Strategic Planner to modify our plan to address those gaps.

2019RIGOutreach-RosieYardSigns-Crop

Chelan Douglas Volunteer Attorney Services

GRANT RECIPIENT

The grant provided funds to hire a Housing Justice and Outreach Coordinator to visit rural and underserved areas. Rosie’s bilingual and bicultural skills and experience have increased equity of service. Rosie is building partnerships with local organizations through events such as the Columbia Valley Community Health’s Back to School Drive, as well as posting yard signs.

Tenoch Mandujano

Tenoch Mandujano

Scholarship Recipient

My father was a migrant agricultural worker who eventually started his own cherry and apple orchard. He told me if I wanted to live a better life, I had to get an education. I plan on starting a career with the Chelan PUD with a passion for renewable energy and in turn give back to my parents and community for supporting my dreams.

$0 M

ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT

$0 M

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED

0+

CHARITABLE FUNDS

FOUNDATION FACTS

arc-darkest-green-01