Community Foundation invests in SHS 150, among other projects

Jeff Green | Dec 14, 2022

There were only a few grants allocated directly to Frontenac County based programs among the 42 that were announced by the Community Foundation of Kingston and Area this week, but a number of the Kingston based programs that received support provide a rural component to their service that benefits Frontenac County residents

All told, $500,000 was granted.

“Many of these initiatives will build resilience in individuals, families, and communities by promoting strong early childhood development; supporting youth in achieving success in education and employment; addressing mental health and substance use; increasing food access and security; and assisting local charities continue to adapt to and recover from the pandemic “, said Stacy G Kelly, executive director.

SHS 150th

The Sydenham High School 150th anniversary project will receive $5,222.30, to be used mainly for a digitization project. The money will be used to digitize the yearbooks between 1946 and 2022, as well as 3 historical booklets, and to upload all the material to the school’s website.

The goal of the project is to “foster a sense identity and well-being by connecting students, alumni and staff at SHS” and to “decrease barriers to access by creating an online repository for year-books.

Queen’s QUILL Project

Among other projects receiving support is the Elbow Lake Environmental Education Centre, a Queen’s University facility which is located near Perth Road. The Queens University Indigenous Land-based Learning STEM program (QUILLS) has received $17,150.

Queen’s has developed a new educational program that, working with local Knowledge Keepers, brings Indigenous knowledge to the forefront, marrying this to western science within the Ontario curriculum. They refer to this new program as QUILLS (Queen's University Indigenous Land-Based Learning STEM).

The program includes lesson plans for Grades 7 through 10 that focus on environmental issues, using Indigenous perspective to help find solutions. The funds will apply towards honoraria for Indigenous Knowledge Keepers as they share their teachings and give guidance in professional development workshops. Funding will also be used to hire a part-time educator to assist with delivering the in-person Indigenous programming to teachers and students.

Wintergreen Studios – Winter Tracks and Traces: What Can we Learn

Winter Tracks and Traces will offer a window into the beauty and diversity of the winter months in the Frontenac Arch. In partnership with the Canadian Wildlife Federation, Wintergreen Studios will dovetail with the CWF Below Zero Program, including the recording of tracks in iNaturalist.

The relatively small grant, $3,400, will help Winter Tracks and Traces to offer day-long adventures to targeted groups as well as to the public throughout the months of February and March 2023. Targeted groups will include local schools, the Sistema Kingston organization, university-aged students, and local families.

Participants will have a host of opportunities to explore Wintergreen's 200-acre sanctuary, taking part in activities that highlight the rich diversity of life on the land in the winter months.

Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac – Rural Community Worker

Victim Services aims to continue and expand on a Rural Community Worker role who would have an expertise in supporting the needs of those in rural. This worker will work closely with OPP detachments and other community services within the Frontenac area to ensure the needs of the victims within rural areas are met.

These needs could include safety planning, financial support, emotional support, practical assistance, referrals and more. Having a worker who could support clients from a rural satellite office within the community would enable Victim Services of Kingston and Frontenac to continue the expansion of the service as well as make it more accessible to our rural communities.

Bereaved Families of Ontario – Kingston Region, expanded staffing.

The number of new clients supported in a year within Kingston and Frontenac County has more than tripled since 2017. To keep up with the demand, BFO-Kingston has been recruiting more volunteers, providing more support and more volunteer hours. This has created more work for the Office and Program Administrator, BFO-Kingston's only paid staff member. The grant of $10,712 will allow that position to increase to 30 hours per week.

Boys and Girls South East – Summer Camp Subsidies

This $16,000 grant will provide 80 subsidies for families in need, to access week-long summer camps in 2023. Camps will deliver activities to children ages 4-12, across different locations in Kingston & Area.

This project will benefit 1,500 unique children in 2023. Summer camps will provide professional development opportunities to 100 local youth through quality employment experiences. Summer camps will provide: