Legacy Fund helps area schools in effort to bridge learning gap
The Legacy Fund of Seward County is part of a nearly $1.2 million statewide effort to bridge the learning gap in the face of COVID-19.
Through a funding opportunity available exclusively to affiliated funds of Nebraska Community Foundation, The Legacy Fund of Seward County COVID-19 Response Fund will receive $4,400 in funding to benefit the following schools: Milford Public, Seward Public, St. John Lutheran and St. Vincent Catholic.
In addition to the money from the Bridging the Learning Gap Grant, Seward also received funds from the John and Darlene Wood Family Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of the Nebraska Community Foundation that then gave the Legacy Fund $20,000 offered in a 1:1 local match. With those two sources and the generous donations from the community that's over a $39,000 investment in local students.
These funds will help the schools with the following needs; assisting the compensation for an additional school nurse, purchasing hardware and software, providing professional development for online platforms and providing sanitizing equipment.
Nebraska Community Foundation's Bridging the Learning Gap initiative was capitalized by an anonymous donor and the Alice DeVoe Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of Nebraska Community Foundation, as well as several NCF donor-advised funds, and numerous local donors who have stepped up to help meet the 1:1 local funding match required of the opportunity. In Seward County, matching funds will come from a variety of donations from the Seward Community.
St. Vincent de Paul School thanked the Legacy Fund from Seward County, the John and Darlene Wood Family Fund and the NCF's Bridging the Learning Gap initiative.
"Our school has benefited in so many ways - teachers have completed several professional development programs that have been made possible through the grant funding from this program. Our two-week summer boot camp that served 35 children in the community was funded through the Legacy Grant," a statement from the school said. "We have also been able to secure a special disinfecting device that enables us to keep our facility clean in a timely manner. We are truly grateful to the many community members and the members of the Legacy Grant, who have helped to make this possible. May God bless you."
"We are extremely thankful for the Legacy Fund and the people behind the donations who support our schools to be able to meet the ever-changing needs of our students in this Pandemic," said Dr. Matt Dominy, director of Curriculum and Staff Development with Seward Public Schools. "The funds we recently were awarded allowed us to enhance our school nurse program to meet the physical, emotional, and mental health needs of our students. We are grateful to the Legacy funds for helping us make these services available to all students in Seward Public Schools."
Grants were approved and allocated by a committee of six volunteer NCF affiliated fund leaders who have educational expertise, including teachers, administrators and school board members. All applications received funding. Importantly, learning gap needs were identified locally by school leadership, as were proposed solutions.
"We are deeply proud of
the way the NCF network of the way the NCF network of affiliated funds came together to meet this need," said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. "We are so grateful to the visionary donors who are supporting this important work and to the local leaders and educators who are rolling up their sleeves to ensure our kids receive the educational experiences they deserve, even in the midst of a global crisis."
About Legacy Fund of Seward County
Established in 2019, the Legacy Fund of Seward County is dedicated to serving the communities of Beaver Crossing, Bee, Cordova, Garland, Goehner, Milford, Pleasant Dale, Seward, Staplehurst and Utica.
The Legacy Fund is currently in the middle of an Every Seed Counts Campaign where it works toward a three-year goal of reaching $1,000,000 throughout the county. It currently has a challenge grant in the amount of $50,000. People can help by making a gift, providing matching gifts that will encourage further giving, becoming an advocate for the Legacy Fund or joining the fund advisory committee.
The COVID-19 Response Fund started in March is to raise funds to support the work of community-based organizations to address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the community/region and vulnerable community members. The Covid-19 Response Fund has reinvested over $129,000 into Seward County.
For more information or to support the COVID-19 Response Fund, visit www. sewardcountylegacy.org.
Seward County Independent September 9, 2020
