Local children benefit from Kanuga grant
06.17.2014 - Conference & Retreat, Giving to Kanuga
Books, computers, and tutors will be provided to local students in Hendersonville, NC this summer, thanks to funding from the Patricia Minkler Howell Endowment for Children’s Outreach, a subfund of Kanuga’s endowment. The recipient program, Jump Start 2014, is administered by St. James Episcopal Church in cooperation with La Capilla de Santa Maria Episcopal Church, Holy Family Episcopal Church and Henderson County Public Schools.
The program is designed for approximately 20 students, grades 1–5, to receive tutoring during the summer in the areas of reading, math, and computers so that they might succeed and excel academically during the 2014–15 school year. Specifically, the major goal is to help the students to be prepared to work at their grade level when they return to school in the fall. The program will run from June 23–July 23, 2014.
“Our hope is to spur these students’ interest in math, computers, and science,” said St. James Outreach Commission Co-coordinator Larry Winecoff. “We also want to help bring them up to speed in reading as much as possible.”
Key to the program is the engagement of five teenage tutors to work with the younger students in math and computers while adult tutors conduct the reading portion of the learning sessions. The goal is to build trust and relationships across boundaries for the young learners, their parents, and the tutors.
“We are honored to support such an excellent program where you have youth helping each other learn,” said LeeAnne Martin, vice president of youth programs at Kanuga. “This program can make a difference in our community.”
The funds from the Minkler Howell Endowment will be used to purchase reading and math books which the students will use during the teaching sessions and be able to keep at the end of the program. Also, five computers will be purchased to be housed at the La Capilla de Santa Maria Episcopal Church after the summer for continued use by students.
The Patricia Minkler Howell Endowment for Children’s Outreach assists community-based efforts by parishes, dioceses, and nonprofits that focus on children’s ministry and emphasize children serving other children. Grants are administered by Kanuga annually. Previous recipients include Grace Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC and St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta, GA.
Applications for the grant are reviewed each year between November 1 and April 15, with the recipients being announced in May. If your group would like to apply for next year’s grant, click here to learn more.