Fall Grants Now Open & The Impact of The Foundation’s Grants on Work Force Development
The Piqua Community Foundation’s standard Fall grant cycle is now open to organizations with a 501(c)(3) or equivalent tax-exempt status for projects benefiting Piqua residents. Applicants should submit applications based on religion, education, scientific, literary, or charitable projects. Applications and grant guidelines can be found on The Foundation’s website, with a submission deadline of September 30.
The impact of The Foundation’s grants reaches far and wide, evident with this past Spring cycle where over $94,000 in grant funding was awarded to local organizations including: Children’s International Summer Villages Midwest Ohio Chapter; Piqua Parents as Teachers; Piqua Community Kitchen; Piqua City Schools; Scouting America, Miami Valley Council; Piqua Fire Department; Awakenings Christian Fellowship; Piqua Catholic School; Johnston Farm; We Care Arts; Piqua Area Chamber Foundation; Lehman Catholic High School; The Salvation Army; Piqua Arts Council; Piqua Young Life; and The Edison Foundation.
One of the projects funded named “CAT-apult Your Career” through Piqua City Schools will have a tremendous impact on work force development in the community with the use of a CAT SimLite desktop Compact Track Loader simulator. This simulator will allow high school students to access career-specific practice of various simulated heavy machinery. Through the use and practice of this simulator, students can determine what career field is the best fit for them.
Kalette Hittle, Executive Director of The Piqua Community Foundation asked Scott Bloom, Curriculum Director at Piqua City Schools “What trends or challenges are you seeing in workforce development across our community? And what was the thought behind the simulator request?”
“We are actually trending in a positive way when it comes to job availability. It is connecting students early to the existing jobs that are here and to align their interest and aptitudes with those openings. That is our task, to help kids go ‘I didn’t even know that existed and I really like that. How do I learn more?’”
By giving students the opportunity to practice and get firsthand experiences through the CAT simulator, this provides them with the initial steps to get started in a lucrative industry, like construction, manufacturing, or other related fields the community has a need for.
This is just one of the many examples of the impact grant making has on the Piqua community.
