Students Award Grants to Six Local Nonprofits Through Centre PACT

Centre County high school students this week awarded $8,495 in grants to six local nonprofit organizations to cap their yearlong participation in the Centre Foundation Program Centre PACT (Philanthropic Actions Created by Teens).

Students kicked off the second year of the program in September by selecting a theme of ‘Educating and Inspiring Youth for a Healthier, Brighter Future,’ to guide decisions on awarding grants in the spring. They began with a $1,000 pool provided by Centre Foundation and $2,000 from a new endowment fund for the group. The students then campaigned to raise $5,495 from 37 donors.

‘Since September, these amazing students have rolled up their sleeves and learned about philanthropy in a very hands-on way, learning everything from granting to fundraising,’ said Molly Kunkel, executive director at Centre Foundation. ‘They have made such an impact, and in the areas that really speak to them. It’s been so inspiring to watch these young philanthropists grow during the course of this program.’

The group created its own application and put out a request for proposal. The students then reviewed applications and made site visits to finalist organizations to get an up-close look at the programs and their impact and to ask questions of the staff.

Kunkel said the application and review process gave students an understanding of how the granting process works and how nonprofits operate.

‘I am tremendously excited about the impact our funding will make for all the organizations we have chosen to support,’ said Centre PACT member Aja Kukic-Bartoo.

Students, parents, community supporters and nonprofit representatives came together on Sunday at Centre Foundation for a check presentation event.

• Students Joanna Switala and Emma Riglin presented $750.00 to Front & Centre Productions of Philipsburg. 

‘I’m excited about giving money to Front & Centre Productions,’ said Riglin. ‘I have experienced their program and their impact. They truly provide great programs for youth in Centre County, especially Philipsburg which is so important.’

‘It is an honor to be receiving a grant from the amazing young philanthropists of Centre PACT,’ said Stephen Switala, Executive Director of Front & Centre Productions. ‘We are excited to utilize the grant to offer a Children’s Choir to our community as another outlet for youth creativity through the arts. INSPIRE Children’s Choir will offer young vocalists the opportunity to sing with others while spreading a message of inspiration, self-worth, and encouragement through music.’

• Ann Marie Paul and Kukic-Bartoo presented $872.50 to Darren and Anne Narber of Penns Valley Youth Center (PVYC), which serves 6th through 12th grade students in the Penns Valley area. The funding will establish a new Integrative Arts Program to help students strengthen their success in and out of the classroom.

This was the second year that PVYC received a grant from Centre PACT students. Darren Narber noted his appreciation for the growing relationship with Centre PACT students, whose financial support has impacted students attending PVYC.

• Joey Feffer, Patrick McNutt and Katherine Kim presented $872.50 to Debbie Lower and Gail Addison-Guss of Park Forest Preschool (PFP) for the Love of Arts program. The grant will provide funding to enhance the music and art programs with more instruments, art easels and other materials needed for open-ended arts activities.

Kim said that the grant would ‘give every kid the opportunity to become the best that they can be.’

‘With this grant, the children at Park Forest Preschool will be painting, dancing, playing instruments, and singing to creatively support the development of the whole child,’ said Addison-Guss, board chair of PFP.

• Bella DiNallo, Brontë Clingham-David, and Grace Handler presented $1,000.00 to Marisa Vicere of the Jana Marie Foundation, a second-time recipient of a Centre PACT grant.

‘We are so grateful for the support of Centre PACT,’ said Vicere, president of the Jana Marie Foundation. ‘Because of their ambition and dedication to improving Centre County, Jana Marie Foundation can continue our efforts to enhance creative thinking and mental well-being of adolescents, ages 11-17, by offering J.A.M. Sessions. Art, music, and creative expression are lifelong sources of resilience, self-confidence and happiness. Thanks to Centre PACT, young people will have the opportunity to experience the benefits of creative expression.’

• Nick Feffer, Saoirse Hopp, and Will Wagner Henne presented $2,000.00 to Andrea Fisher of the Youth Service Bureau (YSB) for the Neighborhood Outreach program.

‘After visiting the Youth Service Bureau site and hearing about all the work they do in the community, I feel very confident in granting this money to their program and believe it will make a very positive impact,’ said Jackie Saleeby.

‘Their program to reach out to less privileged children could change their lives so early on,’ added Caroline Sparrow.

Fisher commended the students’ efforts, and said the grant will provide six months of program funding.The Neighborhood Outreach program sends staff into the field to interact with at-risk youth who experience family strife and poverty. YSB staff members provide healthy snacks, activities, mentoring, homework help, and hope.

• The final grant of the evening was presented by Sparrow, Saleeby, and Joy Zhu. The students presented a $3,000.00 grant to Bella Bregar and Barb Alpert of the ACRES Project, which provides support for individuals with autism.

‘The ACRES project is close to my heart because I have a family member with autism,’ Clingham-David said. ‘Knowing that I can improve the lives of people like her in my own community is very important to me.’

‘After going on a site visit and meeting people involved with ACRES, I am excited to see the impact their after-school activity will have, both in the short-term and long-term,’ said McNutt.

‘We are so humbled to receive this grant,’ said Bregar, executive director of ACRES Project. ‘It will allow us to provide a nine-week social group program, free of charge to young adults or high school students. It will provide a safe space to discuss and learn about friendship, social differences, and how to handle uncomfortable social situations. We are so excited to be able to offer this group.’

Two Class of 2017 Penn State students who helped found the program two years ago — Carver and McQuillin Murphy — were recognized for their efforts to grow the Centre PACT from a concept to a pilot project with seven students. Eighteen high school students participated this year.

Perfect attendance awards were presented to Emma Riglin and Joanna Switala, students from the Philipsburg-Osceola School District who traveled to State College for the monthly Centre PACT meetings. Graduating high school seniors in the program included State College’s Nick Feffer (Dartmouth, Biology), Joey Feffer (Harvard, Math) and Katherine Kim (Carnegie Mellon, Biology) and Philipsburg’s Riglin (Penn State, Public Relations).

Centre County high school students may apply to join Centre PACT during fall recruitment, which will begin when schools reopen in August and September. For more information, visit Centre-Foundation.org or contact Irene Miller, development & events coordinator at (814) 237-6229 or irene@centre-foundation.org.