Grants are an important source of support for Wilson College. If you are associated with a foundation, corporation, or other organization that is interested in making a gift to and working in partnership with Wilson College, please contact Jaime Cacciola, Director of Foundation, Government and Academic Grants, at 717-264-4141, ext. 3121 or jaime.cacciola@wilson.edu.
The following list includes a sampling of institutional grants recently awarded to Wilson College:
In June 2010, The Heinz Endowments awarded the College a $25,000 grant to create a model global study/service program for underrepresented populations within Wilson’s Global Citizenship Initiative. The Pathways to Global Learning Program will have a substantial impact on many students who would not ordinarily have the opportunity to study abroad, including students in our Women With Children program. Through this program, student mothers, their children, faculty and others will engage in courses and service projects on language, culture and sustainability in Costa Rica.
In April 2010, the Burket-Plack Foundation awarded Wilson a $30,000 grant to provide medical care for animals in local animal shelters and hands-on medical training experiences for Wilson Veterinary Medical Technology students. Through the support of this grant, Wilson College’s faculty and students are working with two local animal shelters--Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter and Antietam Humane Society--to provide spay and neuter services and related medical care for cats and dogs at no cost to the shelters.
In January 2010, the Eden Charitable Foundation generously renewed a $35,000 grant in support of the College’s Helen Carnell Eden Chaplaincy. The Helen Carnell Eden Chaplain provides invaluable spiritual guidance and support to Wilson College students and community members, as well as leadership for student service activities in local and regional communities.
In September 2009, the Henry Luce Foundation awarded a $25,000 grant through the Foundation’s special grants program to support Wilson College’s Global Citizenship Initiative. The grant provided support for seven Wilson faculty and administrators to meet with colleagues at higher education institutions in South Korea and China in June 2010. These important discussions strengthened and expanded Wilson's existing educational partnerships in Asia and have helped the College to forge new partnerships. In these meetings, Wilson representatives and their Asian colleagues discussed the ways in which the institutions are preparing students to address critical environmental challenges and identified strategies for future collaborative work and exchange programs.
In June 2009, the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology awarded the College a $1,000 grant for a one-day science and mathematics conference for girls in grades 8-10, which was held on April 24, 2010. Workshop leaders included distinguished female science and mathematics faculty from Wilson College and Shippensburg University. Activities included hands-on workshops on environmental science, computer science, geographic information systems (GIS) technology and the mathematics of games. The conference also engaged students in discussion of high school course selection to prepare for majors in science and mathematics in college and career and graduate school options.
In July 2009, the U.S. Department of Education, through an appropriation from Senator Arlen Specter, awarded the College $95,000 to support Molecular Biology and Biochemistry equipment in the Brooks Science Complex. The equipment creates important learning and research experiences for undergraduate students, as they have an opportunity to work hands on with the scientific equipment that they will one day use in future professions. This equipment is used for student instruction and research in cell biology, molecular biology, cancer, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and biotechnology, and will help to prepare students for graduate school and/or careers in the pharmaceutical industry, biotech companies, environmental or forensic testing laboratories, academic research laboratories, government or military laboratories, and more. This project was supported by a Congressionally directed grant from the U.S. Department of Education. However, the information provided above does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
In June 2009, Wilson was selected by the Josiah W. and Bessie H. Kline Foundation to receive a $20,000 grant for the Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology. The Foundation, which is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and which has historically provided important support for the College, is dedicated to supporting arts and culture, children and youth, health, higher education, social and human services, and sports and recreation.
In May 2009, The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation awarded Wilson a $50,000 grant to support the College’s Environmental Studies programs.
In May 2009, the Wal-Mart Foundation’s State Giving Program awarded Wilson a $50,000 grant to support Aquatics Systems in the Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology. The grant will support freshwater and saltwater aquatics systems, a mini mass embryo production system, and a saltwater aquarium to be used for student and community education and research in biology and environmental science. The Wal-Mart Foundation selected Wilson for this grant because of the College’s academic excellence and our shared interests with the Foundation in education, workforce development, particularly in the areas of science and math, and environmental sustainability.
In October 2008, the Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler Foundation awarded a $300,000 grant to establish new scholarships at Wilson College through the Stabler Scholarship Endowment. The grant will provide need-based scholarships for students who might not otherwise be able to enroll at Wilson. The grant given by The Stabler Foundation has been placed in a special scholarship endowment for students. It is the Stabler Foundation's hope that the student scholarship recipients will at some point make their own contribution to this fund for scholarships for future Wilson students.
In June 2008, the Booth Ferris Foundation provided Wilson with a $200,000 grant towards the construction of and purchase of equipment for the Harry R. Brooks Complex for Science, Mathematics and Technology. The Foundation, which is based in New York, NY, supports Wilson’s efforts to provide exceptional science education and research opportunities for undergraduate students and middle and high school students. The Foundation’s investment in this building also has allowed it to serve as an important resource for meetings, events, conferences and more for the local and regional community.
In May 2008, the Richard Lounsbery Foundation awarded Wilson a grant of $67,650 for Wilson’s Institute for Women and Girls in Science, Mathematics, and Technology (WISMAT). Through the support of the Lounsbery Foundation, a new Coordinator position was created. The WISMAT Coordinator is moving forward a number of efforts including: organizing and coordinating science education programs for local high school and middle school students; building and enhancing key networks with schools, colleges and universities, and other organizations to promote science, mathematics, and technology education for girls; initiating a Wilson Alumnae Mentor Program; and working to secure grants for science programs and initiatives.
In October 2007, West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF) awarded the College a grant of $66,000 to support two energy-efficient initiatives in the Brooks Complex: a solar hot water system and a dedicated outdoor system. These two systems, which demonstrate Wilson’s commitment to sustainability, are integral to the building’s energy conservation capacity and the LEED certification process for the building. Wilson’s partnership with WPPSEF on this project promoted our shared goals to promote the use of clean and renewable energy, as well as energy conversation and efficiency.
In September 2007, the National Science Foundation awarded Wilson a $313,175 to support student scholarships in biology and chemistry through the College’s “Scholarships to Enhance Biology and Chemistry Learning and Research” (SEBCLAR) program. The Wilson College SEBCLAR scholarship program, under the direction of Dana Harriger, Ph.D., Deborah Austin, Ph.D., and Bradley Engle, Ph.D., is designed to support higher educational opportunities for women wishing to pursue degrees in biology or chemistry. These scholarships strengthen Wilson’s ongoing commitment to educate women in fields in which they are underrepresented and to support our current growth within the disciplines of biology and chemistry.