Akron Community Foundation awards nearly $4 million in quarterly grants

The Akron Community Foundation has awarded $3.8 million in quarterly grants for education programs.

More than 40 groups will receive funds:

ACE Mentor Program of Greater Akron-Canton: $4,000 to support a mentorship program that introduces students to careers in architecture, construction and engineering.

Akron Children’s Museum: $12,000 to support the Mobile Museum in a Box program, which brings interactive learning experiences to Head Start classrooms in Akron.

Akron Fossils & Science Center: $500 to support the Science Adventure Club program, a five-week STEM program for local schools that includes interactive lessons.

Akron Inner City Soccer Club: $11,000 to support youth academic and social development through after-school soccer programming for low-income families in Akron.

Akron Promise: $6,000 to support the social and emotional health of students and families at Garfield and Innes CLC.

Akron Public Schools: $75,000 for the middle school partner liaison position, which connects nonprofits and students with service learning and career exploration opportunities.

Akron Zoo: $7,850 to provide in-school programming for Akron Public Schools kindergartners.

Alchemy Inc.: $7,500 to support an in-school group mentoring program for urban adolescents in Akron that features mythological storytelling, drumming circles, mentors, journaling and other activities.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina & Stark Counties: $12,500 to support one-to-one mentoring for children in Summit County.

Boy Scouts of America, Great Trail Council: $10,000 to support career exploration and workforce development opportunities for youths.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio: $65,000 to support academic success for underresourced youths.

Bright Star Books: $10,000 to support children’s book-giving programs in Summit County

Building for Tomorrow: $92,500 to support early childhood home visits for residents of Akron Metropolitan Housing Authority focusing on parents’ engagement in their child’s education with an emphasis on social-emotional and early math and literacy skills.

Child Guidance & Family Solutions: $81,000 for the Toddlers and Preschoolers Succeeding Program, which offers training and on-site support for teachers, students and families to increase the social and emotional well-being of young children in preschool programs.

Citizens Akron Church: $5,000 to support the Vincent House, a hub for after-school programming, youth development and community events in Akron’s Middlebury neighborhood.

Cleveland Museum of Natural History: $7,500 to support third grade reading success in Akron Public Schools through Dig In, Akron, a multifaceted, multidisciplinary science, literacy and math learning program.

The Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio: $8,000 to support equity and inclusion education for students in Akron Public Schools.

Dreams Academy: $6,000 to provide mentorship programs at East CLC.

Economics Center for Education and Research: $7,500 to support financial education for students in Summit County.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio: $11,850 to support leadership development and STEM programming for girls in Akron Public Schools.

Global Ties Akron: $12,500 to support global education and cultural diversity programs in Summit County schools.

Greater Akron Chamber: $10,000 to connect high school and college students to work opportunities through the creation of a portal where employers can post job opportunities.

Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio: $10,000 to support the development of a three-year strategic plan to help them gain a holistic perspective of how this student support organization fits into the workforce, entrepreneurship and financial literacy space.

Kent State University Foundation: $5,000 to provide summer enrichment activities to students impacted by foster care in Summit County.

Law & Leadership Institute: $6,000 to support a college pipeline for local high school students interested in pursuing law careers.

Leadership Influencing Teen Empowerment: $3,500 to provide emotional intelligence and leadership programs for students in Summit County.

Limitless Ambition: $8,500 to empower teen girls in Summit County through an art enrichment entrepreneurship program.

National Inventors Hall of Fame: $10,000 for Camp Invention, a weeklong summer enrichment STEM program for kindergarten to sixth grade students.

Project GRAD Akron: $24,350 for the Bridge to Kindergarten program, which prepares children for kindergarten through a summer academy, parent engagement activities and family support services.

Project Learn of Summit County: $18,850 to support a high school equivalence (HSE+) course in West Akron.

Proyecto RAICES: $10,000 for programming that supports Hispanic youths academically, emotionally and culturally.

Shanti Community Farms: $5,000 to support the Yard Corps Youth program, which provides agricultural, academic and cultural programming for refugee/immigrant students in North and West Akron.

South Akron Youth Mentorship: $7,000 to support academic mentoring programs for students in southeast Akron.

Springfield Assembly of God: $5,000 to support the Power Up after-school program for students in the Springfield school district, including academic support, physical activities and healthy snacks.

Students With A Goal (SWAG): $12,500 to provide after-school mentoring programs, tutoring, and other enrichment activities for middle school and high school students in Akron.

Summit Education Initiative: $31,000 to support Readiness Coalitions, which promote community collaboration and kindergarten readiness in Summit County.

Tri-County Jobs for Ohio's Graduates: $12,500 to support work-based learning opportunities for youths.

University of Akron Foundation: $10,000 to support Summit County K-3 teachers in evidence-based reading instruction for at-risk readers.

Urban Vision: $13,500 for the Set On Success after-school enrichment program, which provides academic support and life skills classes for North Hill students.

Young Entrepreneur Institute at University School: $5,000 to support K-12 Akron educators through the YIPPEE entrepreneurial platform, which allows educators to “shop” for classroom resources at no cost.

YMCA of Akron: $37,500 to support high-quality, affordable early care and education programming.

Akron Community Foundation embraces and enhances the work of charitable people who make a permanent commitment to the good of the community. In 1955, a $1 million bequest from the estate of Edwin Shaw established the community foundation. It is a philanthropic endowment of nearly $260 million with a growing family of more than 810 funds established by charitable people and organizations from all walks of life.

For more information about Akron Community Foundation, call 330-376-8522 or visit www.akroncf.org.

More:GAR Foundation distributes over $2.5 million in grants

More:Akron Community Foundation distributes nearly $2.5 million in quarterly grants

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron Community Foundation awards nearly $4 million in grants