News

The GPD Group Employees’ Foundation recently approved grants to 189 organizations in cities throughout Ohio, Indianapolis, Louisville, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Seattle. The recipients were selected from over 240 applications received during the grant cycle ending January 11, 2019. Over $625,000 of grant awards will be disbursed this year by the foundation, whose vision is to make a difference in the lives of children.

Grants were awarded in the following areas:

Northeast, Ohio, $467,285 to the following entities:

• Akron Public Schools (Akron, OH) eight grants totaling, $23,595
• Cuyahoga Falls High School (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) four grants totaling, $8,071
• Field Local Schools (Mogadore, OH) two grants totaling, $3,795
• Hudson City School District (Hudson, OH) four grants totaling, $16,187
• Highland Local School District (Hinckley, OH) four grants totaling, $16,469
• Louisville City Schools (Louisville, OH) four grants totaling, $7,400
• Nordonia Hills City Schools (Macedonia, OH) three grants totaling, $7,808
• Stow Munroe Falls City School District (Stow, OH) six grants totaling, $7,664
• Tallmadge City Schools (Tallmadge, OH) four grants totaling, $5.450
• Wadsworth City Schools (Wadsworth, OH) two grants totaling, $2,500
• Camp Quality Ohio (Akron, OH) Camp Quality Ohio Kalahari Family Weekend, $10,000
• The First Tee of Akron (Akron, OH) The First Tee of Greater Akron 2019 Summer DRIVE Project, $11,080
• Victory Gallop (Akron, OH) Victory Gallop Summer Fit to Ride Program, $6,500
• Elves & More of Northeast Ohio (Akron, OH) 2019 Elves & More Bicycle Giveaway, $3,000
• Ready to Work Services, Inc. (Bath, OH) Job readiness, Mentoring, College/Scholarship & Community outreach services to our community youth, $2,000
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation (Cleveland, OH) Cleveland Clinic Akron General (CCAG) School-Based Health Program, $6,700
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Western Reserve (Akron, OH) Academic Support Program for Disadvantaged Youth, $5,000
• Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio (Wooster, OH) ASPO Youth Dream Camp for Children with Disabilities, $2,000
• Embracing Futures, Inc. (Akron, OH) Orthodontic Care Program, $5,584
• Stewart’s Caring Place: Cancer Wellness Center (Akron, OH) Stewart’s Caring Place: Kids Summer Camp, $2,500
• United Disability Services (Akron, OH) Providing specialized glasses for children with visual impairments, $2,000
• Donovan’s Kids, Inc. (Akron, OH) 2019 Donovan’s Kids Camp, $10,000
• Autism Society of Greater Akron (Akron, OH) Autism Society of Greater Akron Swimming with Autism Program, $15,000
• Autism Society of Greater Akron (Akron, OH) Autism Society of Greater Akron iCan Bike Program, $5,000
• Tuslaw Local Schools Work Study Program (Massillon, OH) Tuslaw “Spirit Shop”, $1,000
• The Kelly Reeves Memorial Foundation (Munroe Falls, OH) Kelly’s Grief Center/In School Counseling Program, $3,000
• Easterseals Northern Ohio (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) Building Blocks for Literacy: Helping Children Succeed in School and Life, $1,854
• Summit Education Initiative (Akron, OH) Get Ready for School, $2,500
• Alchemy, Inc. (Akron, OH) Developing Heroes: In-school Group Mentoring for Urban Adolescents in Akron, $3,000
• Children’s Concert Society (Akron, OH) To provide 5 “In-School” performances at Head Start, $1,500
• Crestwood Destination Imagination (Mantua, OH) Crestwood Local Schools Destination Imagination, $1,000
• National Inventors Hall of Fame Inc. (North Canton, OH) National Inventors Hall of Fame NIHF Innovation 365 (I365) in Akron Public Schools (APS), $3,750
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Summit, Medina & Stark Counties (Akron, OH) One-to-One and School-Based Mentoring for children in Summit, Medina and Stark Counties, $2,000
• North Canton STEM Alliance (North Canton, OH) Viking Robotics 4121 – North Canton STEM Alliance, $5,000
• Northwest Primary School (Canal Fulton, OH) Sensory Smart Classrooms, $3,000
• Canton Local Schools (Canton, OH) Faircrest Memorial Middle School (Veterans Day) 2019, $1,500
• Norton City Schools (Norton, OH) Panther Purpose: Increasing Accessibility for Unique Learners, $4,077
• Art Sparks (Cuyahoga Falls, OH) Dynamite Duo’s Integrated dance program for students with disabilities and bias, $3,000
• Building for Tomorrow (Akron, OH) 3D Printer for Reach Opportunity Center, $1,244
• Pegasus Farm (Hartville, OH) Financial Assistance for students enrolled in the Take Flight therapeutic equestrian program., $3,500
• Independence Local Schools (Independence, OH) Independence High School Library Project, $10,000
• Child Guidance & Family Solutions (Akron, OH) Therapeutic supplies for children who have mental and/or behavioral health issues, $2,500
• A Kid Again (Twinsburg, OH) Adventures of A Kid Again-2019, $10,000
• Children and Books a Division of Lennibug Foundation (New Franklin, OH) Literacy Matters in 2019, $5,000
• Smiles with Style, Inc (Sagamore Hills, OH) Fund a Smile at Akron Children’s Hospital, $3,000
• Streetsboro City Schools (Streetsboro, OH) Streetsboro Middle School is Ruling Our Experiences (ROX), $2,500
• The Well CDC (Akron, OH) Akron Hope, $1,750
• The Up Side of Downs of Northeast Ohio (Independence, OH) Comprehensive Education Programming K-12, $5,000
• Aultman Hospital (Canton, OH) Healthy U: Aultman Hospital’s Wellness and Cancer Prevention Program in Canton City Schools, $2,000
• International Soap Box Derby (Akron, OH) 2019 Inclusion Day, $12,000
• International Soap Box Derby (Akron, OH) 2019 Soap Box Derby STEM-Based Mini Car Program & Gravity Racing Challenge, $3,289
• Blick Center (Akron, OH) Blick Center therapy supplies, $3,520
• Portage Lakes Career Center (Uniontown, OH) Glasses for students who are color blind, $1,396
• Cleveland Rape Crisis Center (Cleveland, OH) Sexual Violence Prevention Education for Cleveland Students, $2,000
• Mentor Exempted Village Schools (Mentor, OH) Social behavior and reinforcement, $2,000
• Cleveland Society for the Blind dba Cleveland Sight Center (Cleveland, OH) Early Intervention Services for Children Who Are Blind or Have Visual Impairments, $5,000
• Orange City Schools (Pepper Pike, OH) two grants totaling, $2,855
• RePlay for Kids (Medina, OH) Expanding our STEM School Toy Adapting Workshops to Younger Children, $2,464
• Mogadore Local School District (Mogadore, OH) Integrate Technology in My Classroom (ITMC), $3,600
• Providence House, Inc. (Cleveland, OH) Support for the Providence House Pediatric Crisis Nursery, $15,000
• Nature Center at Shaker Lakes (Cleveland, OH) Expanding the Applied Science for Kids Program with the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, $2,000
• Rainey Institute (Cleveland, OH) Rainey Institute Summer Arts Day Camp, $5,000
• Cleveland Kids’ Book Bank (Cleveland, OH) Distribute Books to Low-Income Students in 7 Public School Districts Before Summer Break, $5,000
• Linking Employment, Abilities and Potential (LEAP) (Cleveland, OH) Workforce Development for Young Adults with Disabilities, $2,500
• Oberlin City Schools (Oberlin, OH) two grants totaling, $3,975
• World Elite Zeta (Broadview Heights, OH) Send Zeta Special Needs Cheer team to Worlds April 25-28, 2019, $2,500
• Professional Flair, Inc. dba The Dancing Wheels Company & School (Cleveland, OH) Inclusive Residency Programs to 6 Local Schools, $2,000
• Connecting for Kids (Westlake, OH) Teach Me to Play Westlake 2019, $2,000
• Cuyahoga Community College Foundation (Cleveland, OH) Youth Technology Academy at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C), $5,000
• Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools (Willoughby, OH) STEM and Literacy: A Picture-Perfect Combination, $2,000
• Youth Challenge (Westlake, OH) Arts Showcase for Young People with Physical Disabilities, $2,000
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District (Cleveland, OH) Bird Nerd Club at East Clark School, $2,000
• Pathway Caring for Children (Canton, OH) TRUST Camp, $5,000
• New Philadelphia High School (New Philadelphia, OH) FLEX – Flexible Learning EXperience Project, $10,000
• Wooster City Schools (Wooster, OH) Reading Under the Lights, $2,000
• Junior Achievement of Mahoning Valley, Inc. (Girard, OH) Junior Achievement (JA) Inspire, $2,500
• Struthers City Schools (Struthers, OH) two grants totaling, $3,451
• Lakeview Local Schools (Warren, OH) three grants totaling, $10,900
• Maplewood Elementary School (Cortland, OH) Future ready technology, $5,100
• Amherst Exempted Village Schools – Powers Elementary (Amherst, OH) Powers Makerspace, $2,000
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad (Peninsula, OH) Provide subsidized educational programming to at-risk children, $1,280
• Bolivar Lions Club (Bolivar, OH) Bolivar Lions Club Vision Screening for the Tuscarawas Valley Local School System, $2,000
• Bucyrus City Schools (Bucyrus, OH) two grants totaling, $6,477
• Homes For Kids of Ohio, Inc. (Niles, OH) Enhancing the Lives of Youth at The Royal Mall, $2,000
• Inspiring Minds (Warren, OH) 2019 Inspiring Minds Summer Enrichment Program, $5,000
• McDonald Local Schools (McDonald, OH) Flex Learning Space!, $2,500

Central Ohio Area, $34,419 to the following entities:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Ohio (Columbus, OH) Camp Lionheart, $3,125
• Shelby City Schools (Shelby, OH) Building STEM skills through LEGO Education, $1,870
• Big Walnut Local Schools (Sunbury, OH) two grants totaling, $4,700
• Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio (Columbus, OH) Summer Learning Academy for Children with Down Syndrome, $8,000
• The Center for Architecture and Design (Columbus, OH) Camp Architecture and High School Design Studio, $2,125
• Communities In Schools of Central Ohio (Columbus, OH) B.U.S. T.R.I.P. Building Up Students through Relevant Incentive Programs, $2,000
• Westerville City Schools (Westerville, OH) Technology Grant, $519
• Gahanna Jefferson Public Schools (Gahanna, OH) Adaptive Seating: Let’s All Sit Together, $5,230
• Alton Hall Elementary PTA (Galloway, OH) Headphones for Success, $2,000
• Fairborn City Schools (Fairborn, OH) FHS Coffee Cart, $1,450
• HIllsboro Middle School (Hillsboro, OH) Robotics Competitions, $3,400

Atlanta, Georgia Area, $29,530 to the following entities:

• Cystic Fibrosis-Reaching Out Foundation Inc. (Stone Mountain, GA) “Reaching Out” to children with cystic fibrosis, $3,000
• Bearings Bike Shop (Atlanta, GA) Bike Safety Equipment for Skills for Life Earn-A-Bike Program, $1,250
• Mentor Program (W.J. Scott elementary school) (Atlanta, GA) Scott Elementary School Impact Afterschool Mentor Program, $2,000
• Briarlake Elementary School (Decatur, GA) Briarlake Math & Literacy Student Support, $2,400
• Bethel Elementary/Cobb County Schools (Marietta, GA) STEM LAB Technology for All, $2,130
• The Center for Children and Young Adults (Marietta, GA) Critical Kitchen Equipment Replacement, $1,500
• Camp Twin Lakes (Atlanta, GA) Camp Twin Lakes Camper Scholarship Program, $4,000
• Childkind, Inc. (Atlanta, GA) Childkind Home Based Services, $2,500
• Kincaid Elementary – Cobb County School District (Marietta, GA) Using Technology to Grow & Nurture Writers & Readers with Disabilities and Learning Differences, $2,500
• Dalton Middle School (Dalton, GA) Dramatic Results – Performing Arts for the Exceptional Student, $1,500
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation (Atlanta, GA) CHOA Music Therapy in Pediatric Intensive Care Units, $2,500.
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation (Atlanta, GA) CHOA Aflac Cancer Center North Pole Trip, $2,750
• Creating Connected Communities (Atlanta, GA) Creating Connected Communities’ After-School Programs, $1,500

Dallas, Texas Area, $9,200 to following entities:

• Frisco Independent School District (Frisco, TX) STEAM Club, $1,800
• Northwest ISD Education Foundation (Fort Worth, TX) NEF Innovative Teaching Grants, $2,400
• Prosper ISD-Windsong Ranch Elementary (Prosper, TX) Leveled Chapter Books, $400
• Elevate Dallas (Desoto, TX) Vans for Elevate Dallas to use in transporting mentees and teacher-mentors., $2,200
• Rose Haggar Elementary (Dallas, TX) Breakout Boxes, $2,400

Houston, Texas Area, $19,674 to the following entities

• Fred Roberts Middle School (HOUSTON, TX) Roberts STEMscopes Grant, $2,823
• Klein ISD Education Foundation (Klein, TX) Klein in HD – History Day, $3,000
• Laura W. Bush Elementary (Houston, TX) Innovative Imagineers and Inventors, $3,512
• Spring ISD Education Foundation (Houston, TX) Bits and Bots, $2,939
• Alvin ISD Education Foundation (Alvin, TX) The Alvin ISD J.B. Hensler College and Career Academy Mini Book Bus Libraries Grant, $3,200
• Pasadena ISD Education Foundation (Pasadena, TX) iPads Make (H)appy Students, $4,200

Indianapolis, Indiana Area, $32,490 to the following entities:

• Bunker Hill (Indianapolis, IN) Guided Reading materials, $2,500
• Western Wayne Schools (Pershing, IN) Western Wayne Elementary Robotics Club, $1,250
• Motus Dance Theatre (Indianapolis Movement Arts Collective) (Indianapolis, IN) All Hands-On: Performance Logistics at the MLK Center, $3,000
• Monon Trail Elementary School (Westfield, IN) VEX Robotics, $5,450
• Avon Intermediate School West (Avon, IN) News Crew, $500
• Avon Intermediate School West (Avon, IN) Novels of various Shapes, Sizes, and Styles!, $1,000
• Indianapolis Public Schools (Indianapolis, IN) Reading Tools for Maximizing Inclusion & Independence, $990
• Indianapolis Public Schools (Indianapolis, IN) Sensory Needs for Ms. Lawson’s Classroom, $1,000
• MSD of Lawrence Township (Indianapolis, IN) Adaptive Swings, $2,000
• The Children’s TherAplay Foundation, Inc. (Carmel, IN) Children’s TherAplay Clinic Expansion- Therapy Tables, $7,800
• Joseph Maley Foundation (Indianapolis, IN) Joseph Maley Fitness, $1,000
• James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Assoc/dba Riley Children’s Foundation (Indianapolis, IN) Riley Hospital for Children School Program at Indiana University Health, $1,000
• A Kid Again – Indiana Chapter (Indianapolis, IN) A Kid Again – Indiana Chapter – Giving Illness a Time Out!, $5,000

Louisville, Kentucky Area, $11,600 to the following entities:

• Young Adult Development in Action, Inc. dba YouthBuild Louisville (Louisville, KY) Job Training center for our campus expansion, $2,400
• Father Maloney’s Boys Haven, Inc/dba Boys and Girls haven (Louisville, KY) Boys & Girls Haven/Independence Readiness, $2,400
• Special Olympics Kentucky (Louisville, KY) 2019 Youth Leadership Summit, $2,000
• Wednesday’s Child, Inc. (Louisville, KY) Helping Kentucky Foster Youth through Technology to Achieve Academic Success & Build a Future, $2,400
• Down Syndrome of Louisville, Inc. (New Albany, IN) Early Childhood Education, $2,400

Phoenix, Arizona Area, $12,000 to the following entities:

• Child Crisis Arizona (Mesa, AZ) Early Education Services, $2,000
• Arizona Helping Hands (Phoenix, AZ) Birthday Dreams, $1,000
• Biltmore Preparatory Academy (Phoenix, AZ) Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports at Biltmore Prep, $2,000
• Glendale Union High School District (Glendale, AZ) 2019 Thunderbird High School AZ Chromebooks, $2,000
• Ryan House (Phoenix, AZ) Child Life Program, $2,000
• Sojourner Center (Phoenix, AZ) Music Enrichment for Traumatized Children, $2,000
• A New Leaf (Mesa, AZ) A New Leaf East Valley After School and Summer Program Sensory Science Club/STEAM project, $1,000

Seattle, Washington Area, $10,000 to the following entities:

• YouthCare (Seattle, WA) YouthCare’s Comprehensive Program Model, $2,500
• WestSide Baby (Seattle, WA) Basics for Children in Need, $2,000
• Treehouse (Seattle, WA) Graduation Success, $2,500
• Camp Korey (Mount Vernon, WA) “Camp to You” Hospital Outreach Program for Children with Life-Altering Medical Conditions, $3,000

GPD Group (GPD) is an employee-owned, full-service A&E firm with over 720 design professionals. Headquartered in Akron, GPD has offices in Atlanta, Chardon, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Louisville, Marion, Phoenix, Seattle, and Youngstown.

GPD Group 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 at-risk children or those with medical and special needs in communities where the firm works.