WindsorEssex Community Foundation Announces $5,350 in Funding to Local Schools
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation (WECF) has announced that a total of $5,350 has been granted to nine local elementary schools through the KidStart 
Grant Program.
Lisa Kolody, Executive Director of the WECF stated, “We’re proud to support local schools working to make Windsor-Essex an even better place to live and grow. These teachers and students are very dedicated to building community and the WECF is pleased to be able to provide them with opportunities to support this.”
The KidStart Grant Program—done in partnership with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and the Greater Essex Country District School Board—provides small grants of up to $500 in funding to support elementary classrooms taking on special projects. This year’s projects support seniors, music engagement, the environment, newcomers, and provide support to at-risk populations and newborns.
St. Angela Catholic Elementary School received a grant to support the St. Angela Children’s Choir. Funding from the KidStart Grant Program will provide the choir with music robes and transportation to community venues to perform. Kimberley Klyn, teacher at St. Angela said, “We are extremely grateful to the WindsorEssex Community Foundation for providing this grant for the St. Angela Catholic School choir. Word of this gift will quite literally bring music to the ears of the St. Angela school community for years to come.”
A kindergarten class at Parkview Public School also received a grant to support the project Our Kinder-Garden. Danielle Piccinin, teacher at Parkview said, “We will be building an outdoor garden to support the wonderful ways our environment can act as a classroom and a third teacher. Our future garden will inspire students to reconnect with the natural world, learn vegetable gardening skills and agriculture concepts.”
The following schools have received KidStart Grant funding:
- Tecumseh Vista Academy
- Prince Edward Public School
- Parkview Public School
- AV Graham Public School
- Begley Public School
- St. Angela Catholic School
- St. Bernard Catholic School
- Hetherington Public School
- Coronation Public School
The WindsorEssex Community Foundation, originally founded in 1983 as Heritage Windsor, is a perpetual community trust for philanthropic purposes. It exists to manage donors’ legacy funds and make grants to support local community programs. Through grant making activities, the WECF is able to establish partnerships to assist a broad range of community organizations.
