In the News
Grants Received
April 15, 2009
Gifts for Our Community awards Columbia Springs $2,500 grant to provide scholarships for at-risk youth.
Grant recipients accept checks from Divine Friends on Wednesday, April 15, 2009.
Project Summer Access was created with the vision of creating equitable access to the natural world through directed outdoor science education at Columbia Springs. Through the generous grant of $2,500 from Divine Friends, a fund raising committee of Gifts for Our Community and Divine Consign, Columbia Springs can target and provide outdoor summer camp scholarships to students who are homeless, live in transitional and other subsidized low-income housing, qualify for free and reduced lunch, or are in foster care.
During the week-long summer camp experience youth will engage in daily nature walks, learn about eco-systems, fresh water ecology, biology of fish, stewardship and land ethics and the importance of habitat while playing games, and having fun. Scholarship requests will be accepted on a need-based system. Divine Friends blend their passion for decorating and showcasing the most beautiful homes in their community with their compassion for those in need. This year the group supported projects supporting at-risk youth. To learn more about Divine Friends visit their website http://www.divineconsignfurniture.org/grants.html
December 12, 2008
SWIFT awards Columbia Springs $50,000 grant to partner with Project Green Build and the At Home At School program for under served youth to build a 700-squre foot outdoor "green" classroom.
Photo by STEVEN LANE/The Columbian
Brandon Tauscher, founder of Project Green Build, left, and Gala Miller and Alishia Topper from Columbia Springs accept grant money from SWIFT on Thursday, December 11, 2008. Sheila Guenther, right, one of SWIFT’s founders.
Columbia Springs focuses on teaching through multi-sensory experiences. Their newest project made possible through a generous $50,000 award from the Allen Weinstein SWIFT for Kids grant will support this goal by funding a unique partnership to engage under served youth in the construction of a green cordwood classroom.
This project is a collaborative effort with Columbia Springs, Project Green Build and the At Home At School program, of WSU Vancouver. Gala Miller, Columbia Springs' executive director stated, "We are honored to be a recipient of the Allen Weinstein SWIFT for Kids grant. These funds will support the building of one of the first green outdoor classrooms in Clark County by youth and for youth."
Once completed, the building will serve as a functional classroom space for over 7,500 student who engage in on-site field trips and other educational activities at Columbia Springs.
“Imagine low income and at-risk youth empowered to build a classroom that thousands of kids will use annually,” said Miller. “This is an amazing partnership and project that we would not have been able to pursue without the generous support of SWIFT.”
Dr. Susan Finley, director of At Home At School a program of Washington State University Vancouver said, "the SWIFT Outdoor classroom built by youth, for youth, fits beautifully with AHAS goals of preparing under-served students for higher education and other life experiences through fun, complex, forward-thinking curriculum. A project such as this inspires students' interest in all of the integrated academics--science, math, literacy, as well as providing an outstanding opportunity for cooperative learning."
“I've shared the plan with several of our students and each and every one has responded with unguarded enthusiasm. The project has a WOW factor for students," said Dr. Finley.
Dr. Finley is not the only partner to see the benefit of the project. Brandon Tauscher, founder of Project Green Build stated, “It is excited to help AHAS students learn to become active participants in connecting the natural and built environment. From timber extraction to production, transportation to materials installation, students will be there every step of the way learning hands-on how these natural and man-made systems connect. Understanding connections is important not only to help build environmental literacy in students, but in empowering people to one day affect the process. Who knows, in the future we may see a cordwood community in SW Washington as a result of the program."
The project will commence on January 10, 2009 and the dedication is scheduled for August 14, 2009.
Thank you SWIFT for all you have done for our community! The Allen Weinstein SWIFT for Kids Classroom will have a lasting impact on future generations and 1000's of kids.
If you would like more information about this project contact Alishia Topper, Development Director at (360) 882-0936 ext. 222 or atopper@columbiasprings.org.
November 12, 2008
Vancouver Rotary Foundation supports technology upgrades.
The Vancouver Rotary Foundation, exists to foster, develop, promote, and encourage the health, education, and general welfare of the residents of Vancouver and Clark County. With this mission the Foundation awarded Columbia Springs a generous $4,000 matching grant to strengthen their technological infrastructure by increasing efficiencies through program interconnectedness and community accessibility. A new phone system will be installed to create better access to Columbia Springs' six programs.
Columbia Springs is honored to be a recipient of these funds and our community will benefit from the Vancouver Rotary Foundation's support.
The Vancouver Rotary Foundation has granted $1,465,246 to the Vancouver community with emphasis on youth programs in the past 32 years (1973-2005). Over half of all the grants ($802,580) were awarded during the past 5 years (2001-2005).
October 15, 2008
Clark-Skamania Flyfishers grants $4,875 in support of Salmon in the Classroom Program.
Clark-Skamania Flyfishers, dedicated to the preservation of wild fish stocks and the natural resources that sustain them awarded Columbia Springs a grant to purchase three new tanks and the equipment needed. Three additional classes in Clark County can now participate in the Salmon in the Classroom program. In addition to covering the tank costs, operational funding was included and approved to support the work of the program. THANK YOU Clark-Skamania Flyfishers!
Clark-Skamania Flyfishers board of directors and members. Alishia Topper from Columbia Springs accept grant money supporting Salmon in the Classroom program from Denny Way, president of Clark-Skamania Flyfishers on Wednesday, October 15, 2008.
http://www.clark-skamania-flyfishers.org/
April 29, 2008
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission awards Columbia Springs $42,550 for a No Child Left Inside Grant.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission announces the first awarding of grants to 25 organizations and agencies around Washington as part of the No Child Left Inside program, created to get kids connected with nature.
Organizations receiving the grants include the Columbia Springs, a non-profit organization located on over 100 acres of urban green space just east of I-205 on the old Evergreen Hwy. Columbia Springs was the only Southwest Washington organization recipient and was awarded $42,550.00 to target and provide outdoor and environmental education to students who are low-income or homeless. Funds will be used to provide these youth opportunities to discover everything from birds and bugs to trees and plants, create environmentally conscious construction projects, student created nature video and photography, and learn a respect for the natural world. This will be accomplished through a partnership with Dr. Susan Finley an education professor at Washington State University Vancouver, where she heads the master’s in teaching program and oversees the At Home At School Program (AHAS).
“Columbia Springs is honored to be a recipient of these new grant funds to offer our living laboratory to help under served kids discover the wonders of the natural world.” said Gala Miller Executive Director. “Working with Susan Finley, and the AHAS Outdoors program is going to expose over 250 deserving students in scientific inquiry, art in nature, and nature journaling. This is an amazing partnership that we would not have been able to pursue without this wonderful grant award.”
The 2007 Washington Legislature established the No Child Left Inside program, provided $1.5 million in funds and appointed the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to administer the program. State Parks convened an advisory committee of 22 organizations, natural resource agencies, private businesses and outdoor education leaders to set grant criteria and help with selection. A total of 238 grant applications were received, totaling more than $8.6 million in requests.
“It is very exciting to get this program on the ground so fast and get the awards made so organizations can get started getting kids outdoors,” said Rex Derr, State Parks director. “Washington is the first state in the nation to have its Legislature establish and fund a No Child Left Inside grant program like this one. This puts Washington on the cutting edge of the national conversation going on right now about how essential it is that we provide a connection to nature for young people, for their own well-being and for the future health of our environment.”
January 21, 2008
Qwest awards Columbia Springs $5,000 grant in support of developing senior fishing festival.
June 2008 marks the first Columbia Springs event targeted to benefit seniors in Clark County. Qwest generously granted $5,000 to make a senior fishing festival possible through a partnership between Qwest, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The objective of the Family & Work Development Fund is to provide new or expanded initiatives in the areas of child, youth, disabled adult, or elder care services.
See BNet Business Network's June 11, 2008 article: "Qwest Foundation Announces Two Grants in Vancouver."
January 1, 2008
Clark County Board of Commissioners awards Columbia Springs $39,350 Historical Promotions Grant.
Clark County through the Historical Promotion Grant program awards Columbia Springs a generous $39,350 grant to cover expenditures related to constructing an educational water-powered sawmill and gristmill kiosk. Columbia Springs is located adjacent to the home of the first 1828 sawmill in the Pacific Northwest. Two gristmill stones from Lewis Love's late 1860 mill have been refurbished and will be on display in the new kiosk. The kiosk and educational materials are expected to be completed by December 31, 2008.