GRINNELL, Iowa — The Grinnell Education Partnership (GEP) is pleased to announce a recent grant award from the Bayer Fund in the amount of $10,000. This grant will be an integral contribution to GEP’s work to support children and families in the Grinnell area.
Grant funds will be used to purchase snacks for two community summer learning programs supported by the Grinnell Education Partnership (GEP). GEP programming is based on the unique education needs of the Grinnell area and follows some of the principles of the National Campaign for Grade Level Reading, founded on the idea that the entire community must support children, families and schools. Brian Conway, Davis Elementary Principal and Lisa York, Grinnell-Newburg School District Instructional Coach are co-managing the “Summer Learning Is Cool for Kids” or SLICK program. York shares that “this grant provides support to our summer program and the LINK summer program including around 240 children. These young people are enjoying fun activities focused on art, music, and science with guest speakers from Olson Farms, Absolute Science and the Poweshiek County naturalist.” Ashley Risting, Executive Director of the LINK afterschool and summer program adds that “summer learning is infused with activities designed to prevent summer slide which is the tendency for students to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year.”
Steve Gant, the Manufacturing Director – Western Corn Region for Bayer Crop Science, commented “throughout the years, the grants given through Bayer Fund have helped strengthen our communities across the United States and we are proud to be able to provide funding to the SLICK and LINK summer programs to help combat the critical issue of food insecurity and ultimately ensure even more children in the Grinnell area have access to healthy, nutritious food.” This grant coupled with another grant the GEP received from the Tiger Packs program will help support about 80% of the snack costs for the two summer programs.
About the Grinnell Education Partnership
Since the 2015–16 school year, the Grinnell Education Partnership has engaged more than 160 AmeriCorps members and more than 20 local organizations. Through the backbone support of Grinnell College and Greater Poweshiek Community Foundation, the partnership has enrolled AmeriCorps members who have piloted or enhanced more than 20 community-based programs to help support kids and families in Grinnell. GEP has generated more than $200,000 in grant funding and private donations to support community-based learning activities. To learn more about the Grinnell Education Partnership visit https://www.grinnelleducationpartnership.org/ .
About the Bayer Fund
In 2021, Bayer Fund awarded more than $13.1 million to over 3,400 charitable and nonprofit organizations to help address essential needs in Food and Nutrition, STEM Education and Health & Wellness. Over the last five years, nonprofit organizations across the U.S. have received more than $75 million. To learn more about the Bayer Fund visit https://www.fund.bayer.us.
