Gulfport Energy Fund Announces Spring Grant Recipients
Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio Awards 14 Grants to Organizations in Gulfport Service Area
Nelsonville, OH – The Gulfport Energy Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO) is pleased to announce 14 grants awards totaling nearly $40,000 in support for nonprofit and public organizations in Belmont, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, and Noble counties. The 2016 spring grant cycle focused on projects related to education.
“We are very pleased to have completed another successful grant cycle focused on Education within the six counties where we operate,” said Mike Moore, CEO and President of Gulfport Energy Corporation. “This round marks the first grant cycle following our expansion into Jefferson and Noble Counties and we look forward to continuing to support all six counties by investing in projects that will have the most long-lasting impacts in the local communities where we live and operate. This Fall, we are extending the scope of our grant funding and are thrilled to also now be able to support project funding in the areas of Health and Human Services as well as Environmental Stewardship.”
The Gulfport Energy Fund at FAO was created to support nonprofits, schools, and communities through projects that increase quality of life, create access to opportunities, or identify and implement a solution for a community need in the counties where Gulfport Energy operates.
Spring 2016 grant recipients include:
The Blessings in a Backpack program in the Harrison Hills City School District received a $2,500 grant to provide a backpack of food to a student in poverty for one year.
The Rolling Hills Local School District in Guernsey County received a $515 grant award for its Creating Art with iPads program. The grant will be used to buy color laser printers and color cartridges for three schools in the district so students can have permanent, physical copies of their creative work.
Shenandoah Elementary School, part of the Noble Local School District in Noble County, received a $5,000 award for the What I Need Matters program. This funding will be used to purchase leveled reading books, storage containers, and carts serving kindergarten through fourth grade.
The Guernsey Health Foundation, which serves Guernsey and Noble County residents, received a $5,000 grant for its CHOICES-Guernsey County Drug Suicide Coalition. The Coalition is focused on the rising risk of drug abuse among youth.
Hills Elementary School, part of the Indian Creek School District in Jefferson County, received a $1,415 grant for its Layers of Technology program. This grant will allow the school to purchase Chromebooks to align with technology at the school and build out options available to students.
Martins Ferry High School, part of the Martins Ferry School District in Belmont County, received a $2,500 grant for its school and community garden project. This community garden project will engage K-12 students and community members in hands-on activities related to real world problems that have educational value.
River Elementary School, part of the Switzerland of Ohio School District in Monroe County, received a $2,800 grant for the River Elementary Build-A-Lab Science Fund. This grant will support the purchase of Chromebooks for the science lab.
A $2,500 grant was awarded to St. Clairsville Middle School, part of the St. Clairsville City School District in Belmont County for the I.N.C. Connect project. This is part of a global collaborative project with schools from around the world, including California and Sweden. This grant supports the purchase of iPads for the project.
The BE AWARE Program, serving youth in Guernsey, Noble, Monroe, and Belmont counties, focuses on drug and alcohol abuse and prevention activities. This $1,500 grant will support the BE AWARE Program’s Interactive Education Trailer.
Caldwell Elementary School, Caldwell Exempted Village School District in Noble County, received a $4,635 grant to support the Discovery Education Digital Techbook Initiative. Building on a previous project for 4th and 5th grade students, this grant will support 7th and 8th grade students.
River High School, part of the Switzerland of Ohio Local School District, received a $4,000 grant to purchase new microscopes for students from Monroe, Belmont, and Noble counties.
Meadowbook Middle School, part of the Rolling Hills Local School District in Guernsey County, received a $2,500 grant to purchase MacBooks for 8th graders to support an initiative for computer learning in English, writing, and text design.
Secrest Elementary School, part of the Rolling Hills Local School District in Guernsey County, received a $1,999 grant to support its learning to code using robotics project. The grant will support STEM technology learning using Dash and Dot robots.
Belmont College, received a $2,883 grant to support the purchase of an oil and gas well simulator. This simulator will allow students to see how actual field equipment reacts to changing conditions.
This year’s second grant round, set to open August 1, will focus on projects relating to health and human services and environmental stewardship. Please sign up for the Foundation’s e-newsletter on our website at www.AppalachianOhio.org for the latest news on when grant opportunities become available.
For more information about the Gulfport Energy Fund and past grant recipients, please visit www.AppalachianOhio.org or call 740.753.1111.
About Gulfport Energy:
Gulfport Energy Corporation is an Oklahoma City-based independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company with its principal producing properties located in the Utica Shale of Eastern Ohio and along the Louisiana Gulf Coast. In addition, Gulfport holds a sizeable acreage position in the Alberta Oil Sands in Canada through its 25% interest in Grizzly Oil Sands ULC.
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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