The Vandalia-Butler Foundation has been awarded nearly $7,000 in educational grants to support such innovative initiatives as a Muse Machine, artist-in-residence at an elementary school, and yoga instruction for preschoolers in the Vandalia-Butler City Schools, all primarily done through the VISIONS Endowment Fund.
This year’s awards include:
• $3,014 to Smith Middle School to partially fund a spring trip to Camp Kern for fourth graders. The grant includes $900 for 10 scholarships and $1,314 for camp T-shirts. The Vandalia-Butler Foundation stepped up with an additional $800 to cover expenses for National Honor Society students to assist with daytime activities.
• $2,100 to Demmit Elementary School for first graders to work with a Muse Machine artist-in-residence on creating a script, choreography and music for a live performance.
• $950 to Butler High School to purchase a “real care baby simulator” — an electronic baby — to help students in a child development class learn parenting skills.
• $750 from the Vandalia-Butler Foundation’s Cotterman Fund for yoga classes and the purchase of a color printer, copier and toner cartridges for Vandalia Preschool to support special needs preschoolers.
Every year, the VISIONS Endowment Fund grants a minimum of $5,000 to classroom teachers to fund creative learning opportunities for students in the district. To date, more than $58,000 has been awarded through dozens of grants.
For those wishing to make a contribution to the VISIONS Endowment Fund, tax-deductible donations can be mailed to VISIONS Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 90282, Dayton, Ohio 45490. To make an online donation, visit www.visionsendowmentfund.org.
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