Jonesville schools receives funds through Heartwood Solar & HCCF grant program

Corey Murray, Hillsdale Daily News
·2 min read
From left, Jonesville High School Principal Katie Griffiths, teachers Michelle VandyBogurt and Andrea McKelvey, Toby Valentino of Ranger Power, and Jonesville Community Schools Superintendent Erik Weatherwax pose for a photo with a ceremonial check representing a $4,400 contribution from Heartwood Solar to the schools.
From left, Jonesville High School Principal Katie Griffiths, teachers Michelle VandyBogurt and Andrea McKelvey, Toby Valentino of Ranger Power, and Jonesville Community Schools Superintendent Erik Weatherwax pose for a photo with a ceremonial check representing a $4,400 contribution from Heartwood Solar to the schools.

JONESVILLE — A new Jonesville Community Schools grant program recently announced by Ranger Power's Heartwood Solar Project in partnership with the Hillsdale County Community Foundation will fund an influx of school programs and initiatives.

“The Foundation is honored to assist Heartwood Solar in making an impact in the education at Jonesville Community Schools,” Hillsdale County Community Foundation president and CEO Sharon Bisher said in a news release. “This is an amazing example of a business and its individuals giving back to the community it serves.”

The new biannual Heartwood grant program will be open to educators at all grade levels with the mission to support and enrich educational programs and other projects to enhance the quality of educational opportunities for students enrolled in Jonesville Community Schools, the release said. The Heartwood Solar grant program will transition to a long-term endowment fund with the Hillsdale County Community Foundation once the solar energy project reaches commercial operations.

“We would like to thank Heartwood Solar for their partnership with our teachers. The two grants that were awarded just this year will go towards our new robotics course and a meal prep course for our resource room at the high school. These two programs will give our students hands-on experience that can assist them in the future,” Erik Weatherwax, Jonesville Community Schools superintendent, said in the release. “We are grateful for Heartwoods' commitment to enriching the education of our students.”

The grant awardees who received funding during the first round of the inaugural grant cycle include:

• Jonesville High School Robotics Program: The grant funds will enable the purchase of equipment kits for a new Intro to Robotics class that will allow teams of two students to learn and collaborate on first building custom model cars and then moving on to creating autonomous robots.

• Jonesville High School Resource Room Education Daily Living Skills: Grant funding will support purchasing food and cleaning items throughout the school year to help practice meal preparation and life skills for independent living. Supplies will also be purchased to establish a "good hygiene" closet accessible to the entire student body.

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"Ranger Power is thrilled to partner with the Hillsdale County Community Foundation to provide these critical funds aimed at enhancing the educational experience for Jonesville students,” Toby Valentino, development manager for Ranger Power, said in the release. "This is a special community, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to support the wider Jonesville community for years to come. Through grant programs like this one with HCCF, we hope to provide needed supplemental funding for education programs in many of our project host communities."

Representing a $150 million investment, Heartwood Solar is projected to generate millions of dollars in tax revenue over the project's lifetime, providing funding for local schools, libraries, fire and police, roads, and community services.

This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Jonesville schools get funds through Heartwood Solar & HCCF grant