Charitable Projects May 2017

Charitable Projects is pleased to announce the grant recipients for 2016-17.

Washington Park Environmental Studies Academy- $5000
Conservancy of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - $4000
Dunham Tavern Museum- $3000

This year The Charitable Projects committee voted to bypass a membership vote and to approve the three recipients. The committee unanimously felt that these three were the only proposals of merit that matched our mission. There is precedent  and we trust your confidence in our committee’s decision-making process . The Charitable Projects committee is very excited about the three projects and we look forward to keeping the club aware of their progress.  Charitable Projects is only as strong as the projects that are brought to us. We depend on you the members to bring us worthy projects to consider. Keep your eyes and ears open for projects of interest for 2017-18.

Washington Park Environmental Studies Academy- $5000

Washington Park Environmental Studies Academy is a career and technical high school that is part of the Cleveland Municipal School District located in Newburgh Heights. The objective of this school is to become a top-rated Career and Technical Academy specializing in horticulture, animal science and agriculture industrial power systems by providing a rigorous program that develops knowledgeable and analytical graduates with transferable skills. Our grant will help fund a program between the Washington Park students and students from the Marion-Sterling elementary school (pre K-8 grades) located in the Central neighborhood of Cleveland. This school has an indoor atrium green space with no plantings in it and has been neglected over time. The Washington Park student team, along with the Career-Technical Education instructors, will meet with the Marion-Sterling’s building leadership team and principal to establish the landscaping design, description of services and scope of the work for the atrium green space. The 6-8 grade students from Marion Sterling will be guided by the Washington Park students in a collaborative, hands-on and active learning setting. The atrium will be utilized as a working garden, living laboratory and educational resource for both school’s students.

Conservancy of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park - $4000

Conservancy of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park manages the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center. Located on a pristine 500-acre campus within the national park, the CVEEC provides unparalleled learning opportunities for over 9,000 children each year via residential, day and summer programs. Our grant of $4000 will be used to underwrite scholarships for the ALL RIVERS RUN multi-day residential program offered nearly every week during the school year. The students enjoy the rare opportunity to live and learn in the national park, especially beneficial for kids from urban neighborhoods. The Conservancy typically pays 75% of the tuition for children from lower income families. When a family or school is unable to pay the remaining 25%, the Conservancy will increase its scholarship to cover 100%. Our grant will allow 26 low-income students to attend the program.

Dunham Tavern Museum- $3000

Dunham Tavern Museum is the oldest building in the City of Cleveland on its original site. It is also the major green space for Midtown Cleveland. Dunham Tavern’s popularity has grown as a destination for the Cleveland Metropolitan Schools, the surrounding Hough neighborhood and our wider community. Our grant will allow the museum to restore its Heritage Trail and Prairie Garden. Their curriculum plan will expand its focus to highlight the importance of 19th century horticultural practices. The knowledge of these practices, as will as the plant material used is still relevant today. For example, did you know that Asclepius tuberosa, native milkweed, was once used in medicine as an expectorant and to treat small pox? This same cultivar is important today as the host plant for monarch butterflies. The heirloom vegetables, herbs and plants of the past are cherished today for their beauty, taste, and pest/disease resistance. Our grant will also allow Dunham Tavern Museum to offer more in-depth explorations for CMSD students and all visitors. A glimpse into the 19th century horticulture practices promotes and educates about conservation and sustainable gardening for future generations.

Click here for a  list of this year's donors.  Additional gifts will be accepted through the end of June and the income will be applied toward next year's grants.

Thank you to our committee members for their help with finding, sponsoring and reviewing the applications: Sarah Dimling, Leigh Fabens, Jen Moeller, Maura O’Donnell-McCarthy, Pam O’Halloran, Cheri Pace, Mary Bruce Rae-Grant, Robin Schachat, Nancy Zambie