JPR, Geos among Rogue Valley recipients of OCF grants

Local report
The Oregon Community Foundation has announced more than $650,000 in 31 grants to Southern Oregon nonprofits, including a $30,000 grant to the Jefferson Public Radio Foundation and $25,000 to the Ashland-based Geos Institute.
According to an OCF release, the grant to Jefferson Public Radio Foundation will go toward its work with Southern Oregon University’s Division of Performing Arts to construct a new studio that will serve as a cultural and academic center for SOU students.
The Geos grant is intended to assist the environmental organization in “engaging a diverse, cross-sector group of local leaders and residents” to develop a community plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase community resilience.
Other Ashland grants include:
$17,000 to the Dancing People Company, Ashland, to hire a part-time development director.
$8,000 to the Rogue Valley Symphony Association, Ashland, for Link Up, a music education program giving weekly music lessons to all third- and fourth-graders in the Phoenix-Talent School District.
$5,000 to the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center, Ashland, for a multi-agency effort to protect 90,000 acres in the south Kalmiopsis wildlands.
$4,500 to Rogue Farm Corps, Ashland, to provide full-immersion on-farm internships, classroom learning, farm tours and independent study to beginning farmers and ranchers.
$3,000 to Southern Oregon University, Ashland, to support the Cesar E. Chávez Leadership Conference in promoting leadership among area Latino high school students.
Grants awarded in Southern Oregon focused on education, both in and out of school, and protecting natural areas and resources. Among the other OCF grants to Southern Oregon agencies were:
$85,000 to College Dreams, Grants Pass, to expand college and career preparation services to 480 new sixth- and seventh-grade students.
$80,000 to Kids Unlimited, Medford, to build capacity and expand out-of-school STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) programs for middle school students.
$50,000 to Asante Foundation, Medford, to support a new trauma-informed model of care for the Behavioral Health Unit.
$47,000 to Rogue Valley YMCA, Medford, to improve aquatic facilities.
$40,000 to Josephine Community Libraries, Grants Pass, to update the 1960s-style children’s libraries in Grants Pass and Illinois Valley.
$30,000 to St. Vincent de Paul, Medford, to strengthen programs for assisting the homeless.
$30,000 to Dome School, Cave Junction, for the addition of two permanent classrooms to the Takilma Community Building in Cave Junction, which will be used for community events and for the Dome School, a parent cooperative elementary school.
$25,000 to Boys and Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley, Grants Pass, to support hands-on STEAM programs for school-age children in Josephine and Jackson counties.
$22,152 to the Compass House, Medford, to lease a facility for transitional living and on-site case management services for homeless adults with mental health issues.
$20,000 to the Rogue River School District to partner with the Seven Basins Watershed Council to help students explore careers in natural resources.
$17,000 to the Down Syndrome Association of Southern Oregon, Medford, to help develop a mentoring program.
$15,897 to Greenleaf Industries, Grants Pass, to reduce the resource consumption and improve the quality and quantity of plants grown and sold in a nursery that is staffed by people with disabilities.
$7,540 to Pacifica — A Garden in the Siskiyous, Williams, for emergency repairs to the roof and floor of the Cedar Center, which provides a space used by the community.
$5,000 to Phoenix Elementary School, Phoenix, to support the CRISP Club Project (Confident, Responsible Individuals Seeking Possibilities) to support 30 third-grade Latina girls with after-school activities to learn team building and leadership skills.
$2,500 to Community Works, Medford, to support youth ages 11-22 who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, by providing transitional living services, mentoring, substance abuse support and truancy reduction programs.
$2,500 to Southern Oregon Child and Family Council, Central Point, to support a literacy program in Medford and White City for 71 Spanish-speaking families, emphasizing the importance of parental involvement in education.
$1,500 to Spartan Boxing, Medford, to support 10 Latino at-risk youth to join the sport program and receive youth development support and life skills.
$500 to Ballet Folklorico Ritmo Alegre, Talent, to support the Cultural Bridges to Friendship program that teaches about Mexican culture, presents a ballet folklorico dance performance involving 800 K-12 students from Medford schools and creates a portable exhibit of art and writing from the students.