Educational Grants

Each year the Peekskill Rotary Club is pleased to award a grant of $1,000 to a local teacher for an innovative project or program that cannot otherwise be funded. These grants are typically on a one-time-only basis.

But in an unusual move, the club’s board this year approved the recommendation of its Educational Grant Committee to award a second consecutive grant to the “Read and Bead” after-school program at Peekskill High School.

“This program has as its goal to enrich and enliven high school students’ literacy experiences,” said Don Plunkett, committee chairman. “It is clear to us that because of this program, students are becoming so engaged in literature that they not only are inspired to read more, but also are becoming hooked on award winning young authors.”

Jean Spooner, the Peekskill High School teacher who leads the program, said, “We are so encouraged with the direction that Read and Bead has taken and the enthusiasm that our students are showing for the program and especially for reading! I can’t wait to begin in the fall!”

In the past few years, the Peekskill Rotary Club has helped to fund a number of imaginative and diverse projects in local schools. During the 2004-2005 school year, the club also awarded a grant to Andrea Moffett’s music program at Woodside and Uriah Hill, Jr. Elementary Schools for the purchase of instruments for use by children in the early grades.

In Rotary year 2003-2004, the club awarded a grant to Rita Many of Frank G. Lindsey Elementary School for the AWS WeatherNet program. The club also awarded a grant to Peekskill’s Uriah Hill, Jr. Early Childhood Center for its “Realia” lending library, which is a collection of toys, games & puzzles promoting developmental skills in young children.

Other notable rent projects funded have included Walter Panas’ Shakespeare Garden; a Kurzweil computer system for Hillcrest Elementary School’s special education students; and to Christopher Kness’ classroom at Hillcrest in 2000-01 for his Interactive Natural Environmental project creating a “mini-zoo” promoting experiential learning in his special education classroom. Both Hillcrest School projects are utilized by the whole school as well as by the target population of students.

The Educational Grant Committee welcomes applications from educators from within the Peekskill City School District, the Hendrick Hudson School District, the Lakeland School District served by Panas High School (Panas HS, Lincoln-Titus and George Washington Elementary Schools), and from the private schools within this geographic area.

Since solicitations for grants are sent to the principals of the local schools in late autumn, grant requests for the 2006-2007 school year will be reviewed later this year. Inquiries about the Educational Grant should be directed to Don Plunkett, chair of this committee, on 787-8052.