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CONTACT:
Virginia
Hughes, Board Chair
Phil
Sword, Superintendent
Phone: 541-348-2337
Tere Tronson, Director
North Curry Families’ and Children’s Center
Phone: 541 332-1042
Port
Orford-Langlois SD Web Site
BACKGROUND
The southern coastal communities of Port Orford and Langlois have a healthy “independent streak.” They pride themselves in rallying behind their communities to solve problems and pull together. This “can do” spirit resulted in a three-year Rural Community School grant from the Ford Family Foundation.
UNIQUE APPROACH
School boards often reach out into their communities – but how often does the community come knocking on a school door to get involved? The North Curry Families’ and Children’s Center, a non-profit agency, was actually the group to apply for the grant that supported the school district. Work to apply for a grant started over a year ago.
THE GRANT
The partnership secured a $300,000 three-year Rural Community School grant from the Ford Family Foundation of Roseburg. It was the only one of 16 grants awarded to rural school districts that involved an outside agency – not the school district – as the chief applicant. Grants are aimed at strengthening relationships among families, communities and rural schools.
The grant is coordinated through the Willamette ESD in Salem, with Steve Lamb. Sarah Reeve is the contact a the Ford Family Foundation,
541-957-5574.
STRONG TIES
“We were thrilled when the community came to us with this idea,” said Board Chair Virginia Hughes, who serves on the grant’s advisory committee. “Plus, it opens up communication with more people who don’t have kids in school.”
PROGRAM FOCUS
The grant coordinates year-round education such as outdoor school and art programs for students, volunteer activities in the classroom for citizens, and projects such as the “local resource bank” to recruit school volunteers (the Port Orford arts community is strong – a bonus for schools). The grant also funds parenting classes, employment-related training and an “elder wisdom” class for seniors. “We believe in lifelong learning, that schools are resources for the entire community,” Hughes said.
LASTING LEGACY
“Our community has always been proudly independent, wanting to find its own solutions and resources to solve problems,” said NCFC Director Tere Tronson, who coordinates the grant. “Our goal is to create a strong sustainable network of school support that remains long after the grant is gone.”
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