PC Foundation Receives Kirkpatrick Foundation Grant for CAST Program
Above: During the pilot phase of its Community and Schools Together Program (CAST) the Putnam City Schools Foundation facilitated a partnership between the FC Energy and Central Elementary School.
The Kirkpatrick Foundation recently awarded the Putnam City Schools Foundation a grant for $25,000 to expand the Community and Schools Together program. Known by its acronym CAST, the program began as a pilot serving the schools in the Putnam City High School feeder pattern. The goal of the program is to match the need in our public schools with the human potential to help.
“Since coming into this position, I’ve seen our principals work diligently to balance their many roles. In addition to the mentoring and curriculum work they do, parents regularly ask them for help with social services and community needs. They are getting reading buddies from the local business and pizzas from the local parlor. Thanks to the Kirkpatrick Foundation, we will soon have people in place to be that community liaison for the schools so principals and teachers can focus on educating our students,” said Jennifer Seal, President of the Putnam City Schools Foundation.
Louisa McCune, Executive Director of the Kirkpatrick Foundation explained why the Putnam City Foundation’s project was selected.
“We are impressed by the innovative vision of the Putnam City Schools Foundation and believe wholeheartedly that public schools must have strong relationships with the surrounding neighborhoods and business community. Our new grant demonstrates the trust we have in Dr. Fred Rhodes and Ms. Jennifer Seal. By fostering local business investment in the schools, the new CAST program will connect Putnam City Schools to northwest Oklahoma City in new and different ways that will most certainly yield long-term and durable results,” shared McCune.
Seal says that the PC Foundation will be looking for community partners to help their local school in the 2021-22 school year. The partnerships are dynamic, innovative, mutually beneficial and contribute significantly to education and preparing students to be successful in their community.
“If you have a Putnam City school nearby and you want to help students reach their full potential, reach out and let’s see how we can work together to support kids,” said Seal.
CAST is governed by a steering committee which contains local leaders from a variety of organizations. Nonprofit groups, churches, government officials and educators meet monthly to discuss the current needs in schools and brainstorm ways to solve those problems. Seal intends to build steering committees in each feeder pattern for the fall semester in anticipation of the increased interest.
About the Putnam City Schools Foundation
The Putnam City Schools Foundation’s mission is to enhance and enrich the educational opportunities of children in Putnam City Schools. We serve the students, teachers, and staff of Oklahoma’s fifth-largest school district, through support, recognition, and advocacy, and have for over 30 years. More than 19,500 children and their families benefit from the work we do every day. The support we provide doesn’t just impact our schools. It enables our students to dream big and continue building the strong community we share. To learn more about the Putnam City Schools Foundation call (405) 495-5200, ext. 1205, or visit www.pcf4kids.org.
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April 15, 2021
