Young Professionals Aid Community Initiatives in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence Counties

     WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation’s LEAD Council will award $6,000 to three programs that make the holidays special for Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County residents through its Holiday Giving Fund.

     The advisory committee of young professionals established the LEAD Holiday Giving Fund at the Community Foundation in 2020 to help brighten the season for tri-county residents in need. Between generous gifts to the fund and a matching commitment from the Community Foundation, three nonprofits that manage holiday programs will each receive $2,000 support to strengthen their efforts. They include:

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Diverse, Extensive Opportunities for Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence County Students

     WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation is now accepting scholarship applications from students in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties who plan to enroll in post-secondary educational programs in the fall of 2023.

     An online application streamlines the process for most scholarships. Students may access the portal, create a user account, and begin an online application by clicking on “2023-2024 Scholarship Application” found at the top of nnycf.org/scholarships/scholarship-overview. With few exceptions, all Community Foundation scholarship applications are due Wednesday, March 15, through the online portal. Scholarships with different deadlines — some after March 15 — are noted on the same web page. Applications cannot be accepted after the published deadline.

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$5,000 Matching Challenge to Double Gifts to LEAD Holiday Giving Fund

     WATERTOWN — The LEAD Council of the Northern New York Community Foundation is working to help bring joy to vulnerable children and families in need this holiday season.

     The advisory committee of young professionals is kicking off its annual LEAD Holiday Giving initiative to support the tri-county region. To begin, the Council’s LEAD Holiday Giving Fund at the Community Foundation will provide a $5,000 matching challenge. Each gift to the LEAD Holiday Giving Fund will be matched, dollar-for-dollar, up to $5,000.

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Up to $1,000 in Funding Available through the Daniel J. Briggs Fund for Integrity of the Community Foundation

     WATERTOWN — School districts pursuing grant funding to support character education, bullying prevention, and social media safety programs are encouraged to apply by Friday, Dec. 2, to the Daniel J. Briggs Fund for Integrity of the Northern New York Community Foundation. Up to $1,000 in funding is available this year.

     The charitable fund was established at the Community Foundation in 2015 to provide resources for key educational programs that raise awareness of bullying in local schools and communities. The fund also supports professional development initiatives to educate school administrators, teachers, faculty, and staff about bullying and ways to identify and prevent it. Projects and initiatives that promote leadership development, student responsibility, respect, and trust for the community are key focus areas as well. 

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Appreciation, Recognition Dinner Honors Students, Founding Donors

     CANTON — Ten St. Lawrence County members of the class of 2023 were recently named as recipients of the Northern New York Community Foundation Evergreen STEM Scholarship. 

     Students are awarded the scholarship due to their interest and intent to study in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field while in college. Students apply during their junior year of high school and are selected in the summer. Recipients will receive a one-year $3,000 scholarship toward their freshman year of college next fall.

     The Evergreen STEM scholarship is made possible thanks to the generosity of former Gouverneur resident and Massena native Charles Owens and his late wife, Higouhi “Hi” Owens. The scholarship is a permanent fund of the Community Foundation and provides $30,000 annually for high school students who live in St. Lawrence County. Since its inception, 70 students have been awarded Evergreen STEM scholarships totaling $210,000 in educational support.

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