Several Years in Development, New History Center Will Preserve Community’s Past

    WANAKENA — A pair of Community Foundation grants will help bring the past to life at the Wanakena Historical Association’s new History Center, which officials plan to open later this year at 21 Second St.

    The Foundation’s board of directors recently approved $16,000 in funding for the Historical Association. A $6,000 grant will fund equipment and supplies at the center and a $10,000 matching commitment will help build an endowment at the Community Foundation for the center.

    Several years in planning, the project gained momentum after a group of partners stepped forward to purchase and restore the Second Street house to its original design. Construction began last year with renovations continuing through early summer. The center will feature a collection of exhibits, modern presentations and meaningful artifact displays tied to the region’s past while also promoting historical and genealogical research and local tourism.

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Donors Work to Expand Opportunities for Educational Aid Through New Awards, Initiatives

    WATERTOWN — The Northern New York Community Foundation, in partnership with private donors, 33 public school districts and two private schools, has awarded scholarships to 531 students from Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence counties that will help them pursue post-secondary educational goals.

    Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of donors who continue to make gifts that support Community Foundation scholarships, opportunities for students this year have grown through the establishment of new awards and partnerships. Awards to 531 students in the three counties total more than $900,000. In the past year, donors created 28 new scholarships at the Community Foundation. Another three scholarships were transferred to the Foundation from donors and partnering school districts to administer on their behalf.

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Gifts to Permanent Community Foundation Fund Will Help Resurface 10 Courts

    WATERTOWN —The Watertown City School District Educational Foundation, a permanent fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation, is seeking charitable donations to resurface the 10 tennis courts at its Washington Street campus.

    This worthwhile community project will greatly benefit students, tennis team members, and the Frontier League. Watertown High School hosts the annual Frontier League Tennis Championship Tournament for boys and girls tennis. The 10 centrally located league courts make the venue attractive for this event. The city also hosts a tournament on the courts each September.

    The original tennis courts were installed around 1953. The present courts were resurfaced in 1973 and again in the late 1980s or early 1990s. In 1997, the courts were repainted. The courts presently have 800 feet of cracks in them and the surface is weathered.

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Up to $1,000 in Funding Available from Daniel J. Briggs Fund for Integrity

    WATERTOWN — Local school districts pursuing grant funding to support bullying prevention and character education programs are encouraged to apply to the Daniel J. Briggs Fund for Integrity of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

    The charitable fund was established in 2015 at the Community Foundation to provide financial resources dedicated to key educational programs that raise awareness of bullying in local schools and the community, as well as support for professional development programs to educate school administrators, teachers, faculty and staff. The fund is also designed to support projects and initiatives that promote leadership development, student responsibility, respect and trust for the community. Four grants have been awarded in the last two years to school-based programs designed to increase student experiences in music, create campus-wide awareness campaigns, and build overall student confidence and engagement.

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17 Agencies, School Programs in Two Counties Will Share $12,000 in Grant Support

    WATERTOWN — Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors Partners with Community Foundation to strengthen Inventory for Pantries, Backpack Programs $12,000 to Be Awarded to Assist 17 Agencies and School Programs in Two Counties

    A matching challenge between the Jefferson-Lewis Board of Realtors and the Northern New York Community Foundation resulted in $12,000 to support food pantries and school backpack programs in two counties.

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