By Meeting Student Needs Outside the Classroom, New Fund Will Help Students Learn

Tessa Logan Legacy Fund Opens at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio

Nelsonville, OH – Tessa Logan was the kind of teacher who gave every child in her class the attention they deserved. She was known for investing her undivided attention in her kindergarteners, one child at a time. Ms. Logan just had a single request of her students – that they made sure she knew they needed one-on-one attention by touching her arm or holding on to her skirt. As long as they remained there, she knew they needed this individual time and would spend the time with them that they needed.

The Tessa Logan Legacy Fund named in her honor at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) will allow this legacy to live on, long after her time in the classroom ended. The Tessa Logan Legacy Fund will make grants to local schools in Athens County and beyond, allowing principals and teachers to meet the unmet basic needs of their students. Ms. Logan knew that students with unmet needs could not be full participants in their education. Grants from the Fund named for her will allow educators to meet these needs and encourage full student participation in their education, whether it’s by making a field trip possible or providing everyday needs, like warm winter jackets, that a student might otherwise go without.

Ms. Logan, a longtime teacher and co-founder of the River Valley Community School in Athens County, touched not only her students, but also her fellow teachers during her life. As a teacher, she taught mostly kindergarten students, but spent time in first and second grade classrooms as well. As the only teacher at River Valley Community Schools in the early days, her commitment to teaching was a beacon for others to follow.

“Tessa loved watching her students grow and change over the course of a school year as they figured out who they were and their place in the world,” said John Schmieding, a former colleague at River Valley Community School and a representative for the Tessa Logan Legacy Fund. “Tessa would be delighted that we are working to make sure students’ diverse needs are being met, something she was passionate about during her life.”

The Tessa Logan Legacy Fund joins the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio after over a decade of existence as a scholarship granting organization for students at the former River Valley Community School. Looking to honor its original purpose while remembering the legacy of Tessa Logan, representatives of the Fund found a new home at FAO. The Fund’s move to FAO lets it remember Ms. Logan’s commitment to meeting students’ needs, while entrusting the day-to-day stewardship of the Fund to the Foundation’s dedicated staff.

The mission of the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is to create opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. A central part of this work is to support communities across five areas essential to community and regional quality of life. Called the Pillars of Prosperity, these areas include arts and culture, community and economic development, education, environmental stewardship, and health and human services.

Gifts to the Fund are tax deductible and can be made in many ways, including cash, bequests, and life insurance. To mail your donation, please designate the Tessa Logan Legacy Fund and mail to the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio, PO Box 456, Nelsonville, OH 45764. Gifts can also be made online at www.AppalachianOhio.org by selecting the Tessa Logan Legacy Fund when donating.

For more information about the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio and ways you can honor the legacy of others making a difference in our region, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740.753.1111.

About the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio

The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is a regional community foundation serving the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio. A 501(c)(3) public charity, the Foundation creates opportunities for Appalachian Ohio’s citizens and communities by inspiring and supporting philanthropy. For more information about FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org.

 

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