Foundation for Appalachian Ohio accepting grant applications to support K-12 civics education

NELSONVILLE, Ohio – The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), in partnership with the Longaberger Family Foundation, is accepting grant applications to support K-12 civics education programming throughout the region.

Grant applications are open to K-12 public schools, educators, students and public and nonprofit organizations serving K-12 students across Appalachian Ohio’s 32 counties. Funding is available for projects and programs that support and encourage civics education opportunities for K-12 public school students with a goal of providing the children of Appalachia the knowledge and skills necessary to become informed and engaged citizens.

Grant requests must be between $500 and $5,000, and at least $30,000 in funding is available. Additional information and the grant application are available at www.AppalachianOhio.org/civics. Applications will be accepted through March 12.

“We know that children need access to many educational opportunities,” said Matt Kaido, Longaberger Family Foundation representative. “Civics education is greatly underfunded, so we are passionate about removing a barrier for our future leaders and supporting them in developing the skills they need to be engaged in their communities, state and nation.”

Since launching its Civics Education in Appalachian Ohio program in partnership with the Longaberger Family Foundation in 2019, FAO has awarded more than $56,000 through grants that have provided K-12 students with opportunities to study, participate in and experience what it means to be engaged in their communities.

During the last funding round, a total of 11 grants were awarded to:

• Alexander High School to support students attending the Ohio Model United Nations Conference and to purchase civics education learning materials for sixth-graders in the district.
• Belmont County Sheriff’s Office (BSCO) to expand and enrich BSCO Explorer Post #7 by recruiting new candidates and building the skills of existing Explorers.
• Cambridge High School Ohio Model United Nations to help cover students’ travel expenses and fees to attend the annual state conference.
• Fort Frye High School to support American Government students who volunteered their time and service to research and clean gravestones in a local cemetery.
• Ohio Alliance of YMCAs Foundation to support delegation clubs at three Appalachian Ohio schools as they assessed community, state and national needs; wrote legislative bills; and held a “State Assembly” at the Ohio Statehouse.
• Ohio FFA Foundation to provide scholarships for students to attend the Ohio Legislative Leadership Conference and develop important advocacy skills for agricultural education.
• Ohio University to advance WOUB Public Media’s documentary film project, through which students from five regional high schools learn about Appalachian cultural identity, community, media literacy and multimedia storytelling.
• Ohio Valley Youth Network and Sycamore Youth Center to provide junior high school students a semester-long civics engagement course that exposed them to the history, structure and operations of local government.
• Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association to support the Ohio 6^th to 8^th Grade Youth and Government Seminar, exposing students to how their state government functions.
• Vinton County Middle School to implement a civics education program, which included lessons on civic engagement and field trips.
• Zanesville High School to fund a student travel experience to sites key to the founding and evolution of our nation.

“Civic engagement is essential not only for our individual well-being but also the health of our communities,” said Cara Dingus Brook, FAO president and CEO. “In fact, studies have shown that increased levels of civic participation correlate to better population health outcomes. We are incredibly grateful for the Longaberger Family Foundation’s continued investment to ensure that our communities and our children flourish.”

For more information about the Civics Education in Appalachian Ohio program and how you can support it and other opportunities through FAO, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org, email info@ffao.org or call 740.753.1111.