More Great Seats 4 Kids Newsletter: State Stimulus Funds Grant Impact
Are you looking for funding related to a facility project? Through the NY State Stimulus Funds (SSF) Grant program, the Institute is now accepting proposals that focus on facility construction, renovation, financing, and other improvements and expenses. New York charter schools, regardless of authorizer, are eligible* to apply for this critical reimbursement funding – the only source of public state grant funding available for facilities related projects.
Since the launch of the program in 1999, the SUNY Charter Schools Committee has awarded over $54 million in SSF grants to charter schools. In 2019-20, Elmwood Village Charter School Hertel in Buffalo received a $200,000 grant to stabilize the building, repair its roof, replace plumbing and electrical, and install an HVAC system. Merrick Academy in Queens received $165,000 to install new hardwood court floors in their gymnasium, along with foldable bleachers, room partitions, and additional A/V equipment, rigging, and stage upgrades.
Truxton Academy Charter School, meanwhile, benefited from $123,000 in grant funding in Spring 2020 to construct an outdoor pavilion, install a new floor and ceiling in their art room, and a new security camera system and electronic door access controls. The outdoor pavilion and presentation space, which was outfitted with electrical, a projection screen and sound system, proved quite fortuitous following the onset of the pandemic.
“During the 2020-2021 school year, this enhanced structure provided covered outdoor learning space and even allowed us to have a spring musical production event that we would not have been able to hold indoors due to the pandemic,” said Sarah Petit-McClure, Head of School.
Moving forward, the space will continue to offer significant learning opportunities in all seasons, including math lessons, fine arts, and even independent reading. “Most recently, we had a guest come and teach all our classes about maple syrup production, teaching both modern methods of tree tapping and traditional indigenous methods of tree tapping. The pavilion was the perfect space for this lesson,” said McClure.
Stories like these are so heartening. Please, I can’t emphasize enough – take a moment to read through the RFP and consider applying for stimulus funding. The deadline is April 20, 2022 at 3 pm and the maximum grant award for this year is $100,000. And, of course, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Institute with any questions!
*Read through the eligibility requirements.