The Cherokee Preservation Foundation awarded 17 spring grants for 2019 recently for a total of more than $2.7 million. Grants were awarded to partners that meet the Foundation’s mission of improving the quality of life for the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian (EBCI) and the surrounding region.
The 2019 spring grants include:
–Western North Carolina Regional Education Foundation (WRESA)
To implement makerspace lab collaborative work areas in Cherokee Central Schools $47,786
— Western Carolina University Cherokee
To support Western Carolina University’s Cherokee language program $59,620
— Nikwasi Initiative
To create a plan for cultural curriculum and primitive campsites on the Hall Mountain Tract $9,130
— Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute -Cherokee Boys Club
To support the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute $313,614
–Jones Bowman Leadership Award Program -Cherokee Boys Club
To continue supporting the Jones-Bowman Leadership Award Program within the Ray Kinsland Leadership Institute’s lifelong-learning, leadership continuum $161,790
–Snowbird Cherokee Traditions Corporation
To support second-language learners participating in the Snowbird summer language camp and adult evening classes $35,540
–The Sequoyah Fund
To support Sequoyah Fund’s efforts to provide training and loans to entrepreneurs to encourage a vibrant business economy within the seven westernmost NC counties $500,000
–Cherokee Historical Association (CHA)
To support the implementation of CHA’s business plan $245,000
–Swain Arts Center
To support Swain Arts Center’s Summer Cultural Arts Camp for older elementary school students $4,970
–Cherokee Central School
To support Phase II of Cherokee Central Schools’ Personalized Education Through Blended Learning and ESTEAM $720,929
–Cherokee Central School
To support Cherokee language instruction at Cherokee Central Schools for the 2019-2020 school year $66,298
— Museum of the Cherokee Indian (MOCI)
To support building MOCI’s sustainability and the creation of a new business plan $459,694
— Snowbird Library
To improve the selection of Native American books, establish a stronger Cherokee language representation in the collection, and increase program offerings by the Snowbird Community Library (SCL) $20,000
–EBCI Kituwah Preservation & Education Program
To provide shared language learning, traditional gardening methods, food preparation, and edible native plant knowledge with New Kituwah Academy students $6,462
–EBCI Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program
To incorporate traditional artistry into the lives of domestic violence/sexual assault victims as a means of reconnecting with their culture $5,000
–The North Carolina International Folk Festival
To continue integrating Cherokee culture into the annual Folkmoot Festival $49,000
–Mainspring Conservation Trust
To continue land preservation efforts throughout western North Carolina $32,900
* Cherokee Preservation Foundation release
