NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Awards Grants To Promote Health Science and Education Announces Blue Ribbon of Hope Grant Recipients
(RTP, NC) March 25, 2008 - The North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation today announced its 2007 fiscal year grants, continuing to create better lives for people of all ages across the state by promoting programs related to the sciences, health and education. The Foundation also bolstered the Women in Science Scholars Program by providing $725,000 in additional endowment funds, and announced the 21 inaugural grant recipients under its newest program, the Ribbon of Hope, to assist nonprofits across the state.
The 2007 grants support a range of health and science-related programs, such as those that address health disparities in the Hispanic community, reach out to organizations that are committed to improving the health of women in low-wealth communities, improve literacy and reading skills for both children and adults, address shortages of nurses and pharmacists around the state, and are devoted to science education.
The Foundation, chartered in 1986, began awarding grants in 1987. To date, the Foundation has provided $40.6 million in grants, with another $2.8 million approved as part of multi-year commitments. The Foundation supports programs in North Carolina that help to meet the educational needs of today's society and of future generations.
"In 2007, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation continued its partnership with those agencies and individuals who constantly push forward with innovative programs and inspired leadership to truly make a difference in people's lives," said Robert A. Ingram, Vice Chairman Pharmaceuticals GlaxoSmithKline, and chairman of the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation's Board of Directors.
Women in Science Scholars Program: For the past decade, the Women in Science Scholars Program has opened doors for students by offering a unique combination of scholarships and mentor relationships with professional women scientists. In 2006, the program expanded from 25 to 29 colleges and universities. In 2007, the Board strengthened its support of the program by adding $725,000 in additional endowment funds.
Ribbon of Hope: This new program is the result of a two-year "Learning Tour" during which staff visited eight regions and met with representatives from more than 300 nonprofit organizations, including executives, educators and community leaders, to learn more about the services they provide in the areas of health, education and science. Based on the information gathered, the Board launched the Ribbon of Hope program, inviting nonprofits to apply for one-time grants of $25,000 for projects furthering science, health and education in their communities.
In its first round, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation announced the first 21 recipients of the grants for the Ribbon of Hope today. (For individual news releases on these grant recipients and their programs, contact Laurie Moore at 303 337-0990.) They are:
Ribbon of Hope Grant Recipients & Projects:
Allegro Foundation - Charlotte (Mecklenburg County): Allegro's free classes at Carolinas Medical Center empower medically fragile children with disabilities to reap the health and educational benefits of movement.
Catawba Science Center - Hickory (Catawba County): Establish a teen volunteer program in which participants will be trained to conduct hands-on science activities for the public visiting the Center.
Centro de Enlace - Burnsville (Yancey County): The College and Career Mentoring Program will link at-risk Latino immigrant youth in Yancey County with academic and social mentoring to help them reach educational and vocational goals.
Chatham Family Resource Center - Siler City (Chatham County): Lay Education Advisors (LEAs) project will provide parenting education services to 75 families of 115 children prenatal to 3, to help parents better prepare their children for school.
Children First of Buncombe County- Asheville (Buncombe County): Adult literacy programs, Motheread and Plazas Comunitarios, that will serve low-income adults.
Communities In Schools of Cleveland County, Inc. - Shelby (Cleveland County): Fund the Mad Science program, hands-on laboratory experiences, to groups of students in 3rd-8th grade to improve science literacy and increase interest in science careers.
Coordinating Council for Senior Citizens (Council) - Durham (Durham County): Implement a mental wellness promotion program to raise awareness about symptoms and treatment of depression in older adults and to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness.
Cumberland County Education Foundation - Fayetteville (Cumberland County): The Science Investigators Program exposes students to hands-on learning activities that promote academic growth and enthusiasm for science.
Exceptional Children's Assistance Center- Raleigh (Wake County): Will pilot the Block FestTM program in four NC communities: Rutherford, Catawba, Davidson and the Albemarle region. The interactive exhibit promotes early science and math learning through block play.
Friends of the W. Kerr Scott Lake, Inc. - Wilkesboro (Wilkes County): Plan, design and implement a hands-on-learning exhibit on Habitat Conservation in the Environmental Education Center.
Futures for Kids, Inc.- Raleigh (Wake County): Technology-based career exploration program that helps middle school students better define their career goals and create a successful plan for high school graduation.
Girls on the Run of Western North Carolina (GOTRWNC)- Fletcher (Buncombe County): Prevention program for girls in grades 3 - 8 that promotes healthy lifestyles through exercise, food choice and community service.
HandMade in America- Asheville (Buncombe County): The Science of Sound and Space program will teach students math and science concepts using puppets and dulcimers, taught by artists-in-residence.
Housing for New Hope - Durham (Durham County): Develop public/private partnership to provide mental health intervention and support activities for homeless individuals.
Literacy Council of Union County - Monroe (Union County): The "Compute to Literacy Project" will provide one-on-one and small group tutoring to adults currently functioning at the lowest levels of literacy.
Neuse River Foundation and Center for Applied Aquatic Ecology - New Bern (Craven County): The RiverKids Floating Classroom Program will teach 8th grade students and teachers how to monitor water the river and take part I local community water quality programs.
Scotland County Literacy Council - Laurinburg (Scotland County): Expand the Empower To Achieve project to 50 new and 50 existing adult learners to improve their literacy skills in reading, writing, numeracy, problem solving, and speaking standard English.
Stokes County Mental Health Assn. - Walnut Cove (Stokes County): Fund a mental health educator position to teach the community about the risks of mental illness and advocate for those who need assistance.
Student U. - Durham (Durham County): Provides undergraduate students teaching experience by tutoring public school students in grades 5 - 8 to boost their reading and math skills.
UNC Charlotte Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education - Charlotte (Mecklenburg County): The "Science Club Program" is a community-based outreach initiative that promotes the exploration of science and technology among more than 600 at-risk children and youth ages 4 to 18.
United Hmong Association, Inc. - Hickory (Catawba, Burke Counties): Mental health initiative to combat depression and other mental health crises that many Hmong refugees face following their post-war flight from Laos.
Traditional Grants: In 2007, the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation awarded grants or continued multi-year grants through its traditional grant program to:
- Campbell University, $120,000. To increase awareness, promote career pathways in pharmacy and pique the interest of minority students underrepresented in the fields of pharmacy, pharmaceutical science and clinical research, Campbell University reaches out to students through its "Advancement of Underrepresented Minority Pharmacists Program."
- East Carolina University, $722,266. Latinos seeking medical care often face enormous challenges in navigating the health care system, and may receive inadequate care due to lack of understanding of Latino culture and language. This grant supports a "virtual" immersion program targeting health professionals who have little or no knowledge of Spanish and is modeled after "¡A su salud! Intermediate Spanish for Health Professionals." Partners include ECU, UNC-Chapel Hill, Wake Technical Community College, the Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the educational subcommittee of the NC Public Health Directors' Association.
- Elizabeth City State University, $750,000. The nation is facing an increasing shortage of pharmacists, and in North Carolina, the problem is most pronounced in remote regions of the state. To address the shortage, especially in eastern North Carolina, the UNC Board of Governors created a Pharmacy Partnership Program with Elizabeth City State University in 2005. This unique program, which uses interactive video conferencing equipment to create real-time instructional experiences, will graduate the first PharmD class in spring 2009. This three-year grant will help to increase the number of professional pharmacist faculty and to establish a health sciences library and drug information center.
- Friends of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, $105,000. The organization is developing seminars to serve teachers with environmentally related program. In its first grant year, the group held training seminars for teachers and used extensive outreach strategies to spread the word about the program.
- Hill Center (The), $1,250,000. Since 2003, NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation grants have helped fund and expand The Hill Center's successful Reading Achievement Program in the Durham Public Schools. Now The Hill Center wants to share its solution with many more educators and students. This new four-year grant will expand the program (known as HillRAP) model and implement a needs-based, multi-year reading and written language remediation initiative for at-risk K-5 students in the Durham Public Schools or other low-wealth district. Through its new initiative, called "Sharing the Solution Campaign," The Hill Center is developing online courses to extend access to educators through virtual workshops. The grant includes $250,000 for the Endowment for Student Financial Aid.
- Museum of Life & Science, $450,000. The five-year grant supports environmentally based learning programs, specifically to expand the 12-acre outdoor science park "BioQuest."
- KidSenses Children's Museum, $160,000. This multi-year grant funds the "Alphabet Trail Emerging Reader Program," a research-based, activity-rich language development initiative that promotes literacy in emerging readers (0-4 years old).
- North Carolina A&T State University, $495,000. In order to keep science students motivated and encouraged to not only graduate but to move on to professional and graduate degree programs, the University is creating a "Retention Initiative for Students in the Biological Sciences," designed to provide experiences that effectively transition students into the university environment and provides support along the way. This three-year grant will fund a pilot project that will target students interested in the biomedical sciences.
- NC Center for Public Policy Research, $451,000. The four-year grant is being used to complete the final phase of the Performance and Future of Higher Education in North Carolina. In 2006, the Center released its report on governance of public universities in North Carolina, which led to establishment of a University of North Carolina Tomorrow task force to examine long-range planning issues, and to more coordination to help students move more smoothly between community colleges and public universities.
- NC Coastal Federation, $224,500. This five-year grant is allowing the federation to implement a "Coastal Habitat Education Program" along the state's southeastern coast to address the growing issues around land management education regarding water quality and coastal resources. The Federation is in the process of partnering with 600 volunteers and 8,000 members to improve protection and restoration of water and land, environmental standards and education along the coast.
- North Carolina Healthy Start Foundation, $135,000. This grant will fund a one-year pilot project, called "Resources in Communities Helps Encourage Solutions," that focuses on building the capacity of the community-based organizations that are committed to improving the health of women. RICHES proposes to identify and create an inventory of these organizations, establish a network for sharing information and providing support, and provide them with culturally and linguistically appropriate materials and other resources that will make their efforts more effective.
- North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities, $100,000. This grant will help fund an endowment to support undergraduate research opportunities for students attending North Carolina's 36 independent colleges and universities. As part of its Undergraduate Research Program, NCICU proposes to provide scholarships of $2,000 annually to students in the system so they may perform undergraduate research in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
- North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics Foundation, $85,000. The three-year collaborative efforts between the Foundation and the Departments of Chemistry and Physics/Astronomy at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill allows high school students to design and carry out independent research projects that will encourage their interest in science and improve their competencies in the field. The program is called RECAP, or Research Experience in Chemistry, Astronomy and Physics.
- North Carolina State University - Institute for Emerging Issues, $650,000. The Institute for Emerging Issues is known for tackling vexing public policy issues that affect all citizens of North Carolina, such as health care, education, economic and community development, and energy and the environment. A key aspect of these policy discussions is the groundwork laid by the Faculty Fellows Program in Public Policy and Engagement, which the North Carolina GSK Foundation helped launch with a grant in 2003. This new three-year grant will allow the Institute to expand the Faculty Fellows Program to increase the number of faculty involved across the University of North Carolina system, community colleges and private and independent colleges, incorporate graduate students and significantly expand training for faculty across the system.
- University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill School of Law, $250,000. Founded in 2001, the UNC Center for Civil Rights is dedicated to confronting racial and economic inequality that remains prevalent in some areas of the United States. Since then, the Center has grown into a major regional and national force for advocacy and reform, using grassroots outreach, mobilization and civic engagement strategies, along with public education and training. This grant will be used to help the school seek scholarships for J.D. Fellows working on issues involving educational inequities.
- University of North Carolina - Wilmington, $400,000. North Carolina is projected to need at least 108,000 registered nurses by 2020 to meet the rising demand for nursing - and is expected to fall short of these needs by an estimated 76,000 nurses. In an effort to address this looming shortage and also to encourage racial/ethnic minorities and males to pursue nursing, who are underrepresented in the profession, this three-year grant will support the expansion of a nursing and health academy, and allow the university to collaborate with Winston-Salem State University's Division of Nursing to replicate Camp BONES in Forsyth and surrounding counties. The program exposes participating students to an intensive four-year nursing and health academy that includes math, chemistry, biology, anatomy and other natural sciences courses to prepare them for college admission.
The Foundation also provides annual support for the GlaxoSmithKline Child Health Recognition Awards Program, which recognizes public health workers and programs that improve the health status of children. The program honors public health professionals and departments for innovative, creative and successful approaches to improving the lives of our younger generations.
For more information about the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation, contact representatives at 919-483-2140.
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Media Contact:
Mary Ann Rhyne
GlaxoSmithKline
(919) 483-2839
NC GlaxoSmithKline Foundation Awards Grants To Promote Health Science and Education Announces Blue Ribbon of Hope Grant Recipients
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