Gifted students from Elyria and Lorain City Schools will have the opportunity to participate in an intensive outdoor experience with a focus on green-building and ecology thanks to an $11,375 grant made by The Community Foundation to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association who runs the program.  Other projects benefiting from the latest round of Foundation grants include Main Street Elyria, who received $20,000 in the form of a challenge grant for downtown revitalization, Our Lady of the Wayside, who received $10,000 to assist with providing transportation to its residents, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Lorain County, who received $25,000 for its school and site-based mentoring programs.  The Community Foundation's Board of Directors approves nearly $2 million in competitive grants annually during two grant cycles.  The following agencies also received grants in July 2008:
Arts and Culture

Great Lakes Theater Festival - $21,045 for Lorain County School Residencies and Student Matinee Series

Lorain Palace Civic Center - $20,000 for general operating support

Oberlin Choristers - $6,000 for general operating support

Ohio Dance Theatre - $26,000 for general operating support

Community-Building

Humility of Mary Housing, Inc. - $35,000 for organizational capacity building to meet housing needs for vulnerable populations

Leadership Lorain County - $5,000 for scholarships

Lorain County Heritage, Inc. - $5,500 for the 2008 Lorain County Beautiful Awards Program

Lorain County Urban League - $20,000 for general operating support

Lorain Growth Corporation - $20,000 Challenge grant for general operating support

Zion Community Development Corporation - $15,000 to fulfill goals of the agency’s strategic plan

Education

Cleveland Museum of Natural History - $10,000 to improve science literacy through health and life science education outreach

Health

Cleveland Hearing & Speech Center - $15,000 Challenge grant for Lorain County operations

Family Planning Services of Lorain County - $26,500 Challenge grant for general operating support

Social Service

Catholic Charities Services of Lorain County - $45,000 for Community Connections:  Day Shelter, hot meals, and family night

Heart of Ohio Council, Inc. – Boy Scouts of America - $19,800 for Lorain Scoutreach

Lorain County Lutheran Presbyterian Cooperative Ministries - $15,000 for food distribution