Settlement School Receives Funding Approvals

In the past several months the Settlement School has received funding approval for a couple of programs. These grants will help to ensure the continuation of important work in our dyslexia and folk arts education programs.

The Oxley Foundation of Tulsa, OK has approved a three-year matching grant to support the Summer Tutoring Program for children with dyslexic characteristics. The Foundation has agreed to match new donations up to $20,000 per year, for three years. The goal of the Summer Tutoring Program is to identify students who, despite adequate intelligence, are having trouble learning, and equip them with the academic skills necessary to succeed in public schools and pursue post-secondary education. Funding for the Summer Tutoring Program covers both full and partial scholarships for students who are unable to afford full tuition. Tuition is $5,000 for boarding students and $2,500 for commuting students.

The Juanita H. Fasola Foundation of Knoxville, TN has provided a grant of $20,000 to provide scholarships for the 2009 Summer Tutoring Program. During her lifetime, Ms. Fasola was a long-time supporter of this program.

The Steele-Reese Foundation has approved $30,000 per year for two years to support the Settlement’s Folk Arts Education program. The program is divided into two main components: providing a culturally relevant arts and humanities curriculum for Knott County schools and providing cultural outreach to the wider community. It includes weekly cultural heritage programming for 5th and 8th grade students attending five Knott County public schools and the James Still Learning Center (which houses the Settlement School’s dyslexia program). In the broader community, the program works with senior citizens, nursing home residents, a rehab center, a Head Start program and a biweekly Kid’s Radio program.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Juniors have provided a $20,000 gift to support the Early Childhood Initiative, a project of the James Still Learning Center. The goal of the Initiative is to reach children who demonstrate early signs of learning differences and prevent them from failing by providing education services at an early stage in their educational development (see related story).