The GPD Group Employees’ Foundation recently approved grants to 133 organizations in Northeast and Central Ohio, Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, Louisville, Phoenix, and Seattle. The recipients were selected from over 180 applications received during the grant cycle ending January 13, 2017. Nearly $515,000 of grant awards will be disbursed this year by the foundation, whose mission is to make a difference in the lives of children.
Grants were awarded to the following organizations:
- Child Crisis Arizona, Mesa, AZ, $2,000
Early education services supporting Early Head Start and preschool for low-income children’s school success. - Sojourner Center, Phoenix, AZ, $2,000
Educational support for children who are developmentally delayed due to domestic violence.
- Glendale Union High School District, Thunderbird High School, Glendale, AZ, $3,601
Chromebooks Project – Phoenix. - Fulton County Schools, Lake Forest Elementary, Sandy Springs, GA, $760
Coding in Kindergarten. - The Center for Children and Young Adults, Marietta, GA, $1,000
Homeless youth outdoor movement and art therapy storage shed.
- Coweta County Schools, Newnan High School, Newnan, GA, $1,000
Advanced Placement environmental science class trip to Sweetwater Creek State Park.
- Creating Connected Communities, Atlanta, GA, $1,500
New May and September outreach events. - Cobb County Schools, Mt. Bethel Elementary, Marietta, GA, $1,500
Sensory room makeover. - Childkind, Inc., Atlanta, GA, $2,000
Home Based Services to improve parents’ medical compliance preventing children with medical complexities from entering foster care. - Atlanta Public Schools, J. Scott Elementary, Atlanta, GA, $2,000
Scott Rams Mentoring Program to provide academic support, positive adult interaction and community exposure to 3-5 grade students. - Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation, Atlanta, GA, $2,500
Music therapy in the Pediatric ICUs.
- Cystic Fibrosis-Reaching Out Foundation Inc., Stone Mountain, GA, $3,000
Reaching out to provide children with cystic fibrosis in the state of Georgia emergency, nutritional, insurance, medication, and medical supply assistance. - Camp Twin Lakes, Atlanta, GA, $4,000
Camper Scholarship Program to send an entire cabin of 10 children with a serious illness, disability or life challenge to a week-long therapeutic summer camp at Camp Twin Lakes in summer 2017. - Perry Township Schools, Indianapolis, IN, $1,000
Preschool Digital Assessment Program to incorporate a digital assessment tool to track progress and preparedness for over 270 preschool students. - Joseph Maley Foundation, Indianapolis, IN, $1,000
disABILITY Awareness Program to increase the capacity of disability awareness. - Avon Community School Corporation, Avon Middle School South, Avon, IN, $1,000
Get Fit to help students learn to live a healthier life.
- Avon Community School Corporation, Avon Middle School South, Avon, IN, $1,000
To replace books that have been “loved,” as well as add more books that are currently “loved” by sixth grade students, and will be “loved” in the future. - Western Wayne Schools, Western Wayne Elementary, Pershing, IN, $1,250
Robotics Club to give elementary students experience in working on STEM projects. - Down Syndrome of Louisville, Inc., New Albany, IN, $2,000
Early Childhood Education Program for Children with Down Syndrome to help children, birth to 5 years, with Down syndrome to achieve developmental milestones. - Central Indiana Youth for Christ (City Life Wheels), Indianapolis, IN, $2,500
Automotive equipment for their new vocational training facility that teaches car repair and life skills to teenage youth in Indianapolis. - James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Assoc/dba Riley Children’s Foundation, Indianapolis, IN, $3,000
Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health School Program to enable hospitalized children to continue their education while removed from their traditional school environment. - MSD of Lawrence Township, Indianapolis, IN, $8,290
Kaleidoscope Swimming to enable medically fragile students to go swimming as a part of their school day to improve their range of motion, confidence and independence. - Special Olympics Kentucky, Louisville, KY, $2,000
Unified Champion Schools to build a culture of inclusion by bringing together youth with and without intellectual disabilities through sports, education and awareness activities. - Father Maloney’s Boys Haven, Inc/dba Boys and Girls Haven, Louisville, KY, $2,000
BGH Campus School / STEM Initiative to expose students to critical STEM skills / concepts that will potentially ignite further successful learning and stimulate interest in STEM related careers. - Dorman Preschool, Shelbyville, KY, $2,500
Speak Out! to provide services to ensure all children are ready for kindergarten. - Cuyahoga Falls City School District, Lincoln Elementary, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, $380
Flexible seating for Mrs. Hayes’ Third Grade class to allow diverse learners the ability to engage in more active learning experiences. - Westerville City Schools, Westerville, OH, $404
Updated language materials for students that have a variety of speech / language deficits. - Stow Munroe Falls City School District, Stow, OH, $550
American Studies: an interdisciplinary course that teaches high school freshmen the connection between American History and American Literature. - Norton City Schools, Norton, OH, $600
Technology to support student needs by providing access to an iPad for the use of Snaptype to complete assignments. - Dublin City Schools, Daniel Wright Elementary School, Columbus, OH, $683
STEM-Based Interactive Learning Project to enhance academics / creative thinking with a multisensory technology system that uses an iPad and Osmo to bridge real and digital realms in the classroom. - Tallmadge City Schools, Tallmadge Middle School, Tallmadge, OH, $720
Create an individual identity portfolio of their writing from the year that will be professionally printed. - Westerville City School District, Westerville, OH, $885
Life Town to provide a realistic indoor city for special needs students to practice life skills via role play. - Westerville City School District, Westerville, OH, $953
iPad and Osmo educational game system to foster learning in key focus areas in special education including problem solving, counting, addition, spatial relations, phonics, and nonverbal communication. - Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District, Brecksville, OH, $1,000
Community Outing Project to take special education students on community outings to work on social, money and behavioral skills as well as introduce them to different career choices. - Dublin City Schools, Scottish Corners Elementary, Dublin, OH, $1,000
Flexible furniture in elementary classrooms to enhance learning. - Big Walnut Local Schools, Sunbury, OH, $1,000
Intermediate STEM LittleBits for Learning to provide materials for fifth and sixth graders to experience hands-on and interactive engineering opportunities. - Fairborn City Schools, Baker Middle School, Fairborn, OH, $1,100
Field Trip to Young’s Dairy to provide a reward for 6th grade students with no disciplinary action against them during the 4th quarter. - Communities In Schools of Central Ohio, Columbus, OH, $1,200
A, B, C’s On Track Incentive Project to help struggling, at-risk students stay in school. - Westerville City School District, Westerville, OH, $1,200
Terrific Teaching Technology Project to enhance the academic instruction of cognitively delayed students. - Westerville City School District, Westerville, OH, $1,489
Blendon Bulldog Buddies to foster relationships through games and activities. - Dublin City Schools, Dublin, OH, $1,493
Osmo to foster learning in key areas such as creative problem solving, art, STEM, and common core. - Canton Local Schools, Faircrest Memorial Middle School, Canton, OH, $1,500
Freedom Is Not “Free” to provide students resources and opportunities to be involved in a school-wide Veterans Day celebration. - Canton Local Schools, Canton, OH, $1,696
High Tech: Building Skills through CAD and 3D Printing to enhance students’ engineering and basic problem-solving skills. - Nordonia Hills City Schools, Macedonia, OH, $1,800
Second Graders in History-Take 3 to allow children to see history come to life on a field trip to Hale Farm and Village. - Mogadore Local School District, Mogadore, OH, $1,995
Read to Succeed Using QR Codes to expand students’ reading comprehension, listening skills, fluency, and love of reading using the latest technology to engage young minds. - Children’s Concert Society, Akron, OH, $2,000
Free In-School Concert Series to enrich the music education of children by providing live musical concert experiences in the informal setting of their school. - Latino Cultural Connection, New Philadelphia, OH, $2,000
Provide translation, educational and cultural support to the strong Guatemalan community in Tuscarawas County. - Akron Urban League, Akron, OH, $2,000
Summer Enrichment Day Camp to provide scholarships to urban youth, ages 5-12, to participate. - Cleveland Institute of Music, Cleveland, OH, $2,000
Distance Learning Music & Interdisciplinary Education Classes to provide interactive video conferences and the technical license needed to connect to under-served public schools. - Smiles with Style, Inc., Sagamore Hills, OH, $2,000
Fund a Smile at Akron Children’s Hospital: Provide one-on-one makeover and dress-up experiences for children at ACH with a goal of creating smiles and improving self-esteem. - The Childhood League Center, Columbus, OH, $2,000
Early Childhood Intervention and Toddler Classroom Programs to help change the life trajectory for children with special needs with evidence-based early childhood interventions. - Haven of Rest Ministries, Inc., Akron, OH, $2,000
Funds for Emergency Shoes and Clothes for Children to provide children’s clothing and shoes for the weather or school uniforms. - Dublin Special Olympics, Dublin, OH, $2,000
Shamrock Games 2017 to welcome approximately 400 Special Olympics athletes from surrounding Ohio organizations to compete in track and field and tennis events.
- Columbus State Community College, ESL Afterschool Communities, Columbus, OH, $2,000
Cover 20 field trip transportation costs for the Southpark and Prairie Norton sites serving immigrant and refugee elementary age students from July 2017-May 2018. - Aultman Hospital, Canton, OH, $2,000
Youth Wellness and Cancer Prevention Program to expand the wellness program for youth obesity prevention and cancer prevention in the schools. - The Morton Foundation dba The First Tee of Central Ohio, Reynoldsburg, OH, $2,000
AfterSchool All-Star’s Program to provide transportation for students to participate in their youth development life skills program. - Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools, Brecksville, OH, $2,000
Create a STEAM / Makerspace Media Center as a transitional space that corporates books, technology and activities that allow students to think, make and improve STEAM projects. - Westerville City Schools, Westerville, OH, $2,000
Provide a tool for students with multiple disabilities and on the autism spectrum to use to exercise their voice and interact with the community. - Dublin City Schools, Dublin, OH, $2,000
Mini-Makers: Cultivating a Culture of Innovation to provide elementary-aged students the opportunity to explore STEM fields through the use of materials in the school’s makerspace. - Woodridge Local Schools, Peninsula, OH, $2,000
Woodridge Destination Imagination to compliment the K-12 educational experience by fostering courage, curiosity and creativity in solving open ended problems. - Galion City School District, Galion Middle School, Galion, OH, $2,000
Lego Education: Story Starter to bring writing to life and engage our students in a hands-on way. - Bucyrus City Schools, Bucyrus Elementary School, Bucyrus, OH, $2,022
Create a sensory room that will provide students the necessary support for their emotional, social and educational success. - Stow Munroe Falls City School District, Stow, OH, $2,031
The Five Senses in Education to incorporate all the senses for complete and long-lasting learning. - Mogadore Local School District, Mogadore, OH, $2,190
Use self-organizing learning education research method in the classroom to allow students to use their research, presentation and critical thinking skills to drive the learning process. - Victory Gallop, Akron, OH, $2,420
Project Petie to support an in-hospital visitation program featuring Petie, a miniature pony, who visits seriously ill or injured children at Akron Children’s Hospital. - Greenleaf Family Center, Akron, OH, $2,500
Adolescent Suicide Prevention Program to provide educational presentations to middle and high school students throughout Summit County regarding depression and suicide. - Embracing Futures, Inc., Akron, OH, $2,500
Milton Rubin Oral Health Education Program to teach children how to effectively brush their teeth and develop favorable attitudes toward oral health through awareness, education and demonstration. - Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, $2,500
Reach Out and Dance to embed professional dance instructors for a year-long program of in-school sessions at local elementary and middle school special education classrooms at Akron Public Schools.
- Akron Public Schools, Akron, OH, $2,500
Provide special needs students in Mrs. Moses’ classroom with technology in order to help them access the general education curriculum more successfully. - Louisville City Schools, Louisville Elementary Multi-Disabled Units K-5, Louisville, OH, $2,568
Functional Daily Living Skills to provide students with the materials and experiences to become more independent community members,. - Galion City School District, Galion Middle School, Galion, OH, $2,700
KNFB Reader – Text to Speech App to provide a high quality app for students with disabilities. - The Kelly Reeves Memorial Foundation, Munroe Falls, OH, $3,000
Kelly’s Grief Center / In School Counseling Program to provide grief counseling to groups of students that are dealing with the loss of a loved one. - Near West Theatre, Cleveland, OH, $3,000
Annual Sensory Performance to provide a sensory-friendly performance for young audience members on the autism spectrum and those with other sensitivities. - ArtSparks, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, $3,000
Fabulous Fitness Program to include 6 more special ed. classrooms for the 2017-18 school year. - Big Walnut Local Schools, Sunbury, OH, $3,000
Personalize, Engage, Grow: Creating an Innovative Library to create a space in which students will have the opportunity to work individually and collaboratively to perform and create. - Hilliard City Schools, Brown Elementary, Hilliard, OH, $3,000
Giving teachers a space to bring students to experiment, observe, perform, and to bring nature into the classroom by bringing the classroom into nature. - Lakeview Local Schools, Warren, OH, $3,100
Provide charging stations and carts for classroom mobile wireless devices for grades K-3. - Stow Munroe Falls City School District, Stow, OH, $3,343
Indian Trail – Green Schoolyard – Stage 1 to provide outdoor education and environmental studies to create engaged, lifelong learners with the skills and confidence to influence the world around them. - The Up Side of Downs of Northeast Ohio, Independence, OH, $3,500
The Learning Program, a literacy program for grades K-3 to complement formal public school instruction in literacy, with occupation and speech therapy components. - Pegasus Farm, Hartville, OH, $3,500
Financial assistance program for students enrolled in the Take Flight therapeutic equestrian program. - Stow Munroe Falls City School District, Stow, OH, $3,500
Writing Center video project to allow students to create videos while teaching writing skills. - Pleasant Local Schools, Marion, OH, $3,500
Brodie’s Challenge to provide a Merlin LCD in support of a student with cerebral issues. - Field Local Schools, Mogadore, OH, $3,600
Learning in Motion to furnish sit / stand student desks for general education classrooms. - Pathway Caring for Children, Canton, OH, $4,000
Mental Health Services Outreach to provide treatment, community advocacy and resource linkage for at-risk and homeless teens and families. - Junior Achievement of North Central Ohio, Akron, OH, $4,000
Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders to provide experiential education on financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship to students at Akon Public Schools’ NIHF STEM Middle School. - Akron Public Schools, Akron, OH, $4,014
Summer Reading Counts to extend the school year for at-risk primary students and engages families with training and resources to support their child’s literacy development. - Alliance Early Learning School, Alliance, OH, $4,472
Playground Improvement Fund to provide children with disabilities a safe environment for outdoor play. - Project Summit, Inc., Akron, OH, $4,500
Donovan’s Kids Camp to provide programs for children who are amputees or have limb differences. - Homes For Kids of Ohio, Inc., Niles, OH, $4,500
Therapy room redesign to create a therapeutic and child-friendly environment for foster children and behavioral health clients. - Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, Columbus, OH, $4,500
NICU Lending Library to provide literacy opportunities for patients and families to promote reading, family involvement, early intervention, and sibling engagement to medically fragile children. - Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools, Brecksville, OH, $4,800
Great Balls of Fun to provide a ball pit and crush resistant balls for sensory integration for students with moderate to intensive special needs. - Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, Cleveland, OH, $5,000
Youth Technology Academy to ignite the interest of high school students in STEM studies and career pursuits via robotics training, competitions and college credit in technology courses. - Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP), Cleveland, OH, $5,000
A School to Work Program for Youth with Disabilities to improve academic achievement and career prospects in high school, leading to competitive employment upon graduation. - Child Guidance & Family Solutions, Akron, OH, $5,000
Intensive Services Therapeutic Materials to enhance treatment plans for youth who require intensive services for issues like sexual behavior problems, violence or substance abuse. - Rainey Institute, Cleveland, OH, $5,000
Summer Arts Day Camp to support a 6-week program for 225 at-risk children in Cleveland, offering music, dance, theater, visual arts, reading, writing, and math. - Inspiring Minds, Warren, OH, $5,000
Educational Enrichment Component to provide after-school and summer programs for K-12 students. - RePlay for Kids, Medina, OH, $5,000
Toy Adapting Workshops to host 4 workshops promoting STEM education for Northeast Ohio public high school students, helping students with and without disabilities. - Akron Children’s Hospital, Akron, OH, $5,000
Reach Out and Read Program to distribute new, developmentally-appropriate books to children served by their network of primary care offices. - Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio, Wooster, OH, $5,000
Adaptive Sports for Youth with Disabilities to support weekly adaptive sports sessions and their annual Dream Camp. - Cleveland Society for the Blind dba Cleveland Sight Center, Cleveland, OH, $5,000
Early Intervention Services for Children Who Are Blind or Have Low Vision to support children aged 0-3 who are blind or have multiple disabilities, providing parent education throughout the process. - Children and Books, a division of Lenibug Foundation, New Franklin, OH, $5,000
Literacy for All Project to provide new books for elementary-aged children living in poverty. - The Ohio State University Foundation, Columbus, OH, $5,000
Toy Adaptation Program to adapt toys so children with special needs are able to use them at no cost. - University Hospitals Health System Inc., Cleveland, OH, $5,000
University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital Sibshop Program to offer siblings of children with special needs opportunities to have fun, express their feelings and create friendships. - Summit Education Initiative, Akron, OH, $5,000
Summit County CLASS Scholars Pilot to improve the quality of early childhood instruction and Kindergarten readiness in Summit County. - Crown Theater Productions, Columbiana, OH, $5,000
Summer Drama Camps & Special Need Camps to offer two of each camp in 2017. - Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank, Cleveland, OH, $5,000
Provide four books each to 7,254 children in Cleveland’s 20 lowest performing elementary schools to foster literacy, a love of reading and academic and lifetime success. - Girls on the Run of Greater Summit dba Girls on the Run Northeast Ohio, Akron, OH, $5,000
Secure updated curriculum, activity sheets, accompanying parent guides, program supplies, and train staff / volunteers in delivering the learning goals. - Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Akron, OH, $5,000
Hunger Hero Assisted Student Volunteer Program to support high school students with special needs to volunteer at the Foodbank to help improve the lives of those in our community facing hunger. - Lakeview Local Schools, Lakeview High School, Warren, OH, $5,000
Full STEAM Ahead: Space for Lakeview High School Makers to provide shared resources, beyond the normal classroom budget, to students and staff to support STEAM education. - Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH, 5,100
Summer Treatment Program: Financial Need Scholarships to provide evidence-based behavioral treatment in a day-camp setting to empower children with ADHD and their families to improve behavioral, social and academic functioning. - Embracing Futures, Inc., Akron, OH, $5,393
Orthodontic Care Program to put orthodontic braces on children’s teeth with severe orthodontic problems, growing up in a poor or working poor family situation. - Muscular Dystrophy Association, Middleburg Heights, OH, $6,000
MDA Summer Camp to provide a week-long, overnight camp that is 100% adapted to give kids with Muscular Dystrophy a true summer camp experience. - Stow Munroe Falls City School District, Stow Monroe Falls High School, Stow, OH, $6,000
Let’s Build a Person to allow anatomy and physiology students to use clay on a skeletal structure to build a person, including muscles, tendons and veins. - The First Tee of Akron, Akron, OH, $6,800
Changing Futures through the Game of Golf 2017 to support the expansion of the education, golf-based youth development programming to Akron Public Schools’ students. - Summit County Education Service Center (ESC), Cuyahoga Falls, OH, $6,951
Hear, Talk, Learn Expanded to continue maximizing auditory access for children with hearing loss in the Summit County region through hearing technology and specialized professional learning. - City of Akron Police Department, Akron, OH, $7,000
Safety Town and Safety Town PLUS programs to provide hands-on safety education for school children of all abilities. - A Kid Again, Twinsburg, OH, $7,500
Programs of A Kid Again-Adventures to provide cost-free, fun-filled, year round group adventures that allow critically ill children, their siblings and parents to put illness aside and be a “normal” family. - National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc., North Canton, OH, $7,500
Camp Invention 2017 to support STEM-based enrichment serving underserved Akron and Grandview, Ohio youth. - Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve, Akron, OH, $7,500
Academic Success & Healthy Lifestyles Programs to provide after school programming for Akron youth grades K-6. - Lordstown Local Schools, Warren, OH, $7,500
Innovation Center to bring opportunities to Lordstown students that involve the click and the brick. - Camp Quality Ohio, Akron, OH, $10,000
Family Weekend September – Cancer Awareness Month to host children with cancer and their families at Kalahari. - Autism Society of Greater Akron, Akron, OH, $10,000
iCan Bike Program to host the 6th iCan Bike Camp for individuals with disabilities to learn to ride a conventional two-wheel bicycle independently. - Anne T. Case PTA, Akron, OH, $10,000
Growing beyond the classroom to provide all students the ability to participate in hands-on learning in a variety of ways within a greenhouse. - Akron Public Schools, Akron, OH, $10,000
APS Robotics Begins! to expand the STEM robotics concepts and programs in the district. - International Soap Box Derby, Akron, OH, $11,000
2017 Inclusion Day to provide Summit County youth who have various special needs the opportunity to race down the infamous Derby Downs Track in a dual controlled Soap Box Derby car. - Providence House, Inc., Cleveland, OH, $15,000
Support for infants and children in the Wellness Nursery whose safety is jeopardized by medical conditions that cannot be supported due to family crisis or unstable living conditions. - Zanesville City Schools, Zanesville, OH, $15,000
STEM / Robotics Program to provide elementary, middle and high school students access to the STEM technology required to succeed in current and future careers. - Strongsville City Schools, Strongsville, OH, $20,000
SHS Makes! Strongsville High School MakerSpace: Project-Based Learning Labs to provide innovative spaces centered around STEM / STEAM equipment. - Akron Children’s Museum, Akron, OH, $30,000
Mini Maker Fab Lab to build a Fab Lab at the museum to encourage children to make, take apart, re-create, and fabricate to foster curiosity and learn 21st century skills. - Plano Independent School District, Rose Mary Haggar Elementary, Dallas, TX, $2,055
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Initiative to teach SEL skills to promote a learning environment where kids are self-aware, empathetic and can make responsible decisions. - Dallas Independent School District, W.E. Greiner Middle School, Dallas, TX, $5,000
Special Education Program to allow the special education students on campus to access and utilize 21st technology and better help teachers be more efficient and confidential. - WestSide Baby, Seattle, WA, $2,000
Community Collections and Distribution Program to help vulnerable families properly care for their children by providing them with free children’s clothing and diapers, and safe cribs and car seats. - Skully Serves, Seattle, WA, $5,500
Superhero Capes / Masks for Homeless and Medically Ill Children to make 15,000+ capes / masks for children nationwide.
GPD Group (GPD) is an employee-owned, full-service architecture and engineering firm with over 540 design professionals. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, GPD has satellite offices in Chardon, Cleveland, Columbus, Marion, and Youngstown, Ohio, and Atlanta, Dallas, Indianapolis, Louisville, Phoenix and Seattle.
GPD employees established the GPD Group Employees’ Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3), in 2014 to help channel donations to enrich the K-12 public education experience and support children with medical and special needs in communities where the firm works.