Grant Impact Story
DuBois Central Catholic School students were able to experience classroom technology enhancements and spiritual growth thanks to grants from the Catholic Foundation.
“Our school’s mission is to empower our students by providing them with a strong educational foundation rooted in the Catholic faith,” Sandra Sherry, Advancement and Admissions Assistant, wrote in her grant application. “We fulfill this mission when we provide our students with not just information, but also the tools to evaluate and use that information wisely. Technology is an increasingly necessary component of education.”
The school had found many high school students choose to take advanced science courses in anticipation of going into the medical field. To prepare students for the college level courses and lab work they will experience, the grant supported the purchase of digital microscopes and lab materials. The rest of the grant benefited all high school students, with the purchase of Promethean smartboards, updated laptops for teachers, and a charging cart for existing student laptops.
Sandra shared that teachers have reported the new technology was a great benefit to their classrooms, with enhanced learning and increased student engagement. Shelly Sebring, a science teacher, said, “I received a Promethean board this year and it was a game changer teaching Anatomy and Physiology. It enabled students to better visualize abstract anatomy and physiology concepts.” Jenny Osterman, the technology teacher, shared how having the laptop cart made class time more efficient, since the laptops were charged and neatly organized for each class to use.
To continue in their mission of providing students with a solid and fruitful religious education, Amber Winkler, Director of Admissions and Marketing, sought a grant to support different retreat and spiritual opportunities for the students.
The Inspire series of lectures took place throughout the school year bringing in a variety of speakers. “While each presenter had unique life experiences, they each shared something in common – how they found peace only when they took the time to listen to God and do his will.” Amber shared. “These varied stories challenged students to think about how they are being called by God to serve him. The honesty from speakers about the hurdles and mistakes in their own lives truly were inspirational for our middle and high school students.”
Eighth and eleventh grade students from DuBois along with eighth grade students from Saint Francis School in Clearfield were able to take a pilgrimage to Erie to see Saint Peter Cathedral and Saint Mark Catholic Center to visit the diocesan offices. “Because of the distance, this was the first time many of our students had visited the diocesan headquarters,” the school shared on Facebook. “The impressive architecture and art on display at the Cathedral left many of the student awestruck. It was a wonderful experience for our students from both schools!”
Additionally, a nature and garden retreat for high school students and the creation of an outdoor prayer space on the school campus helped the students find quiet time to contemplate and pray.
Amber wrote in thanks, “We thank all the generous donors of the Foundation who have provided our young people with these opportunities to draw closer to their Catholic faith and more importantly, to God.”
These projects were supported by grants from the Education Endowment of the Catholic Foundation. Your gift to the Foundation in any amount designated for this endowment increases our capacity to award grants for impactful projects and programs throughout northwest Pennsylvania.
“We thank all the generous donors of the Foundation who have provided our young people with these opportunities to draw closer to their Catholic faith and more importantly, to God.”