(December 2024) – The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina (CFWNC) recently awarded 52 grants totaling $108,111 to regional schools from the Learning Links grant program. The grants provide local teachers with funding for activities designed to make required coursework engaging and relevant for their students.
“As a first-time Learning Links grant reviewer, I was impressed by the innovative ideas that WNC teachers brought to the table,” said Alana Nottage, Leadership Associate. “Learning Links grants empower educators to bring hands-on and experiential opportunities to their classrooms. It is exciting to see how these projects can create lasting, real-world connections that inspire students to think critically and creatively.”
Learning Links offers grants up to $1,000 per classroom to public school teachers in Avery, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford and Swain counties to provide experiential learning projects for students. The goal is to increase students' enthusiasm for learning and school. The grants are funded through the Ben W. and Dixie Glenn Farthing Charitable Endowment, Cherokee County Schools Foundation Endowment Fund, Leon C. and Grace E. Luther Charitable Fund, Fund for Education, and Clyde and Mildred Wright Endowment Fund. The Dr. Robert J. and Kimberly S. Reynolds Fund also provided co-investment for the cycle.