Early Childhood Education Fund invests in our children’s future

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Investment in early childhood education makes sense for so many reasons: economically, socially, and developmentally. A local fund, the Early Childhood Development Fund, was established at the McKean County Community Foundation to assist families with financial needs in obtaining early childhood education for their children. Anyone can make an investment in the future of our community by donating to this special fund supporting early education in McKean County.

The Early Childhood Development (ECDF) Fund has a mission to support accessible child-centered care with tuition assistance.  The fund is primarily established to support families that have children enrolled in Earl Childhood Programs who are at risk of pulling the child from the program due to unforeseen financial hardships. Non-profit agencies that provide early childhood education in the McKean County area are able to recommend a student/family with special financial needs to obtain funding assistance through the ECDF fund to help their child attend a qualifying program. Bob Esch, Board President of the McKean County Community Foundation, stated: “Investment in early childhood education can have long-term effects on graduation rates, college attendance, and adulthood self-control and self-esteem. This fund will make a lasting difference in McKean County.”

A letter received from a family stated, “I just wanted to let you know how grateful I am that you were willing to help my family out with our tuition. When we started school, my kids were so scared, didn’t want to leave me, had no confidence in themselves. My 2-year-old can count to 20, knows his alphabet, can recognize his name on things and has such an imagination. He isn’t so shy anymore and isn’t scared. My 4-year-old has just made leaps and bounds. From last year to today, it’s a complete 180. I am grateful for your generosity and compassion to us during our struggles. I try to keep my kids in things that will help them along life’s way and I’m glad they were able to attend this school year and stay there with your help.”

Early childhood education helps prepare the next generation of workers and contributes to a more prosperous community. But lower income families face many issues when it comes to providing education and child care for their infants and preschoolers. For these families, the care of a young child is a double-edged sword. They cannot afford to pay for child care or send their children to early education programs. As a result, they are unable to enter the workforce to provide for a better lifestyle for their family because they must be at home caring for their children.

According to a 2018 article in Fortune Magazine, in 28 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, the cost of center-based infant care exceeded one year’s worth of tuition and fees at a four-year public university. The commitment of the generous local donors who have embraced the cause of child care and early childhood education is enriching the future of children in McKean County.  Community-minded individuals and groups can support the Early Childhood Education Fund by making a donation through the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 708, Braford, PA 16701.

The McKean County Community Foundation is a non-profit organization that strives to strengthen our region through development, stewardship and grant making as it works with donors to achieve their philanthropic goals. For more information, contact MCCF at 844-238-2289 or by email at mccf@mckeancountyfoundation.org.

Photo: Pre-kindergarten students at Growing With Grace Christian Preschool and their teachers paused for a photo Tuesday, Jan. 15, on National Hat Day.

Kane Day School establishes scholarship fund

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The McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) is excited to announce a new scholarship fund established by the Kane Day School Board of Directors.  The Day Schools is a learning environment dedicated to educating, caring about and nurturing the children in Kane and the surrounding areas. Their goals is to prepare students for kindergarten.   Now the staff and board of the school wants to help their alumni when they are ready to start their post-secondary education.

To be eligible for the Kane Day School Alumni Scholarship a student must be a graduating senior from Kane School District; an alumni of the Kane Day School; pursuing a post-secondary 2 or 4-year degree or attending a vocational program; and be active in in school and community. The first $500 scholarship award will be given in the spring of 2019.   Applications will be available at the Kane High School’s Guidance office in February. The board’s hope is to raise enough funds to ensure a permanent annual scholarship.  If anyone is interested in donating to the fund they can send a check made payable to the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box 708, Bradford, PA 16701 (please indicate the Day School Scholarship in the memo line).   Individual could also make the donation through the school as well.

The Kane Day School chose to partner with the MCCF, an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Northern Alleghenies, whose mission is to strengthen the region through development, stewardship and grantmaking as donors achieve their philanthropic goals. In addition, funding may also be available to recipients of this scholarship through the Community Foundation’s involvement with the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. This, essentially, could double the dollars a scholarship recipient can receive. This program is administered through PHEAA which provides matching dollars to qualified candidates.

The Community Foundation is anxious to assist other donors who have an interest in starting a fund to benefit nearly any charitable organization or cause in which they have a vested interest, whether as a named fund or in memory of a deceased family member or friend. Interested parties are encouraged to contact the MCCF for more information either by calling (844) 238-2289 or e-mailing us at mccf@McKeanCountyFoundation.org or check out their Facebook page.

Pictured: Mrs. Hearst, along with the 4-year-old who were “trying on for size” the graduation caps and gowns!

Boiler stack bricks available locally

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American Refining Group Inc. (ARG) will offer bricks from its recently dismantled coal boiler chimney 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

The bricks are available on a first-come, first-served basis for a suggested donation of $5 to the McKean County Community Foundation until 2 o’clock or the supply is gone.

Things will be set up in ARG’s employee parking lot adjacent to the GE Energy (formerly Dresser) access road, just across that road from Hull Electric’s new location off North Kendall Avenue.

“We want to emphasize that these ‘bricks’ are far from perfect,” said Jeannine Schoenecker, ARG president and chief operating officer, “but they are definitely a chunk of our community’s history.

“While our Maintenance and Operations personnel did kindly sort through what was left of our boiler stack for those bricks still more or less in one piece, they are rough and that is why we are just suggesting a donation.”

All proceeds and, perhaps most importantly, awareness generated by the event will benefit the McKean County Community Foundation’s general Fund for the Future.

“It has been fascinating to hear from people all over the country who are interested in having a piece of what was – to those who do or have lived and worked here – really a memorable and even iconic structure,” Schoenecker said.

“From individuals who grew up in the valley and could see the chimney out of their bedroom windows, to folks who worked at the Bradford refinery or have relatives who did, the interest has actually exceeded our expectations.”

Schoenecker continued, “So many people were disappointed to see the stack be torn down, but as a result we hope to build up our new, but growing community foundation.”

For more information about the MCCF, visit www.mckeancountyfoundation.org, send an e-mail to mccf@zitomedia.net, call (814) 834-2125 or follow the foundation on Facebook

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For more information about ARG, visit www.amref.com or follow the refinery on Facebook and LinkedIn.

 

Pastor Craig Smith Scholarship Fund

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The Pastor Craig Smith Memorial Scholarship

 

A new Scholarship has been established at the McKean County Community Foundation by the Mt. Jewett and Hazel Hurst United Methodist Churches to honor Pastor Craig Smith. The Pastor Craig Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide a scholarship to a resident of the Kane or Smethport School District. The recipient will be a high school senior or first year nontraditional adult learner who is an active participant in various activities in their school, church, and community. Scholarship applications will also include a faith-based essay. Anyone wishing to honor Pastor Smith can help this fund grow into a “forever” fund by making a tax deductible donation to the fund through the McKean County Community Foundation.

 

Pastor Smith’s greatest passion in life was his ministry. As pastor of both the Mt. Jewett and Hazel Hurst United Methodist Churches, he touched many lives. He continued his outreach as a very active member of his community. Pastor Smith announced many sporting events for The Hound radio station and was the founder of the radio program “The Light on The Hill” that was broadcast every Sunday morning. As a coach and umpire in Little League, he was a mentor to many children and young adults. “Pastor Smith loved working with both kids and adults, and was one of those special people who always found the good in everyone he met”, said Linda Myers, a parishioner at Hazel Hurst United Methodist Church.

 

Additional funding may also be available to recipients of this scholarship. The Community Foundation is involved with the Partnership for Access to Higher Education (PATH) and will nominate all students who receive a scholarship from them to the PATH program. This essentially doubles the dollars a scholarship recipient can receive. This program is administered through PHEAA which provides matching dollars to qualified candidates.

 

The scholarship applications will be available at the Kane and Smethport Area High School Guidance offices or by contacting the Community Foundation. All applications must be returned to the Community Foundation offices at P.O. Box 934, St. Marys PA 15857 by April 13, 2018.

 

Anyone interested in donating to the fund or establishing a scholarship of their own can contact the Foundation toll-free at 1-844-238-2289 or email mccf@zitomedia.net.

Amanda Dincher earns scholarship

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Amanda Dincher, daughter of ARG Technology Director Tim Dincher, has been selected to receive the inaugural ARG Employees Scholarship. Amanda is enrolled at Penn State Altoona and is well on her way toward earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in May 2021. After completing 15 credits on campus her grade point average worked out to a 3.65. While still at Bradford Area High School through its Bridges Program with the University of Pittsburgh, she completed 29 college credits with a 3.7 GPA.
Amanda is currently serving as an intern with our Engineering Group, reporting to BJ Sayers. At Penn State, she is a member of the Society of Women Engineering (SWE) as well as Students About Living Truth (S.A.L.T.). Her volunteer and community involvement includes Kiwanis Club, Key Club, Bradford Little Theater and chorus.
The $500 scholarship will be paid directly to Penn State on Amanda’s behalf. In 2018, the McKean County Community Foundation awarded 17 students with scholarships totaling nearly $14,500. For more information about the MCCF send an e-mail to mccf@mckeancountyfoundation.org, call (814) 834-2125 or follow the foundation on Facebook.
All proceeds from the ARG Golf Outing (set Aug. 17 this year) will benefit the fund, while the Picnic Committee’s 2018 gift-card raffle proceeds will also be submitted to build the fund balance.
ARG scholarship organizers plan to build this fund to a level where it can distribute at least one $500 scholarship every year in perpetuity, beginning with this award. ARG employees’ children, grandchildren or legal dependents pursuing any post-secondary education are eligible to apply.
Scholarship applications are reviewed by a third-party sub-committee of the MCCF Board of Directors and the selection must be voted upon by the full board before a winner is announced.
Full details regarding the scholarship, eligibility and application instructions will be distributed to all ARG employees when the application period opens again in 2019.