Rochester Area Community Foundation aids school districts with grant money
Written by Site Hub on May 9, 2020
The Rochester Area Community Foundation has announced that it will aid local school districts by distributing grant money from the COVID Education Fund created in April by RACF’s Board of Directors. The RACF has earmarked the money for students who need computers and internet access from home.
According to the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, a local survey revealed that over half of the high school students in the district had no access to internet services while affluent students in wealthier school districts could access remote learning opportunities effortlessly. Rural areas were even worse.
RACF’s president and CEO Jennifer Leonard stated: “The lack of technology, coupled with schools not reopening this academic year, creates a crisis that may put many children in danger of falling even further behind in their studies.”
RACF’s vice president of community programs, Simeon Banister, further explained: “This grant opportunity will not solve the challenges of digital disparities, but it can provide an intermediate and immediate solution to the most urgent needs our students and families are facing.”
The first distribution of $221,000 will be from the Maxion Family Charity Fund ($170,000) and the Community Foundation’s fundholders ($51,000) after a review of applications from area school districts. The application process begins this week.
More information about grant opportunities through the RACF can be found at https://www.racf.org/grants/grant-opportunities/ or by emailing grants@racf.org. The RACF is also still accepting tax-deductible donations toward the COVID Education Fund at http://www.racf.org/covideducation.
Sources:
RACF
