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Jenny Tinklepaugh
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
888-684-8404

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Press Release

Golden LEAF News - August 2011

Greetings—
 
In August, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded 21 grants totaling more than $8.5 million. Projects funded by the Foundation will support job creation, workforce development, agriculture, education, infrastructure, and tourism development across North Carolina.

Since inception, the Golden LEAF Foundation has awarded 1,110 grants totaling $511 million. Visit www.goldenleaf.org to learn more about Golden LEAF grant and scholarship opportunities, grants awarded and Foundation initiatives.
 
In this edition of Golden LEAF News, read about grants to support science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) projects in Eastern N.C. and Davidson County, Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative projects in Montgomery County, a business incubator in Scotland County, a workforce development project in Sampson County, a loan program in Burke County, and a healthcare facility in Bertie County. Also read about several Golden LEAF Scholarship recipients from Polk, Sampson, Pitt, Surry, Robeson, Stanly, Harnett and Camden counties.

Best,

Jenny Tinklepaugh
Program/ Communications Officer
jtinklepaugh@goldenleaf.org
www.goldenleaf.org

In this edition of "Golden LEAF News":

Colerain welcomes healthcare facility
Roanoke-Chowan News Herald
Officials with the Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center, Bertie County, the town of Colerain, and the Golden LEAF Foundation gathered to celebrate the grand opening of Colerain Primary Care and the Bertie County Council on Aging Nutrition Site. Ground was broken on the facility in June of last year and Tuesday the group celebrated together the opening of a state-of-the-art facility. Golden LEAF provided $280,000 in funding for the new building.

Golden LEAF, Spirit give more than $350,000 to STEM East
Kinston Free Press
Recently, the Golden LEAF Foundation presented a $350,000 ceremonial check to STEM East to support what has become a regional effort to promote math, science, engineering and technology among public school students. The idea of the STEM project is to propel more students into taking algebra courses in the eighth grade. Representatives of many manufacturing-based businesses, especially aerospace, have stated that algebra and other math skills are critical for working in those industries.

County receives $2 million
Montgomery Herald
Montgomery County organizations recently were awarded almost $2,000,000 in grant funding through the Golden LEAF Community Assistance Initiative. Golden LEAF works directly with Tier 1 communities in open meetings to gather community priorities and challenges and to assist those communities in establishing a priority list of proposals for funding consideration. In Montgomery County, the Golden LEAF Board awarded grants to support expanded infrastructure for economic development and to develop a commercial-grade kitchen at the county Agricultural Center.

Davidson schools get Golden LEAF grant
High Point Enterprise
Davidson County Schools recently announced it has received a three-year, $344,592 STEM grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation. The grant will support the system’s initiative to increase graduation rates and improve student success in Algebra I by implementing core standards in mathematics. Golden LEAF created a special STEM initiative geared toward preparing North Carolina’s youth for local career opportunities requiring a foundation in STEM education, due to the growing demand for these skills in industries across the state.

MCNC's Golden LEAF Project Enters Phase 2
Coverage Digest
MCNC has begun construction on Round 2 of the of the Golden LEAF Rural Broadband Initiative. The Golden LEAF project is deploying fiber connections connecting universities, community colleges, schools, health and safety facilities, libraries, county offices, and other community anchor institutions to a statewide fiber optic network. The Round 2 project is three-times the size of MCNC's BTOP Round 1 project. Round 2 includes 1,200 miles of broadband infrastructure through 79 counties in North Carolina. The Golden LEAF Foundation provided $24 million in matching funds for the second phase of the project.

Incubator to create jobs, investment
The Laurinburg Exchange
Scotland County Economic Development Corporation has received a $200,000 grant from the Golden LEAF Foundation and $800,000 from the U.S. Department of Commerce – Economic Development Administration toward the completion of a planned business incubator. The EDA is expected to create 60 new jobs and leverage an additional $2 million in private investment for this project. The incubator will provide small businesses with space to run their business for three to five years before they move into a more permanent location. These businesses will have access to counseling, mentoring, training, startup capital, and incubator space in order to increase their chances of success.

The Pilot Center receives funding to add classrooms
Mount Airy News
Thanks to grants from the Golden LEAF Foundation and the Appalachian Regional Commission, more classrooms will be added to The Pilot Center. Two classrooms are being added to the already overcrowded facility and another industrial area will be added where classes such as welding and heating and cooling technology will be taught. The funds will also be used to build an additional computer lab. The industrial area will be designed to be a versatile space, customizable for industry training.

Norwayne gets $60,000 grant for computer lab
Goldsboro News-Argus
Norwayne Middle School will receive a $60,000 grant to purchase software and lab furniture to improve its technology lab. The school is one recipient from a four-county region receiving the Golden LEAF Foundation STEM grant. The current Career and Technical Education (CTE) lab will be refurbished to accommodate the new STEM modules. CTE teachers from the four-county region served by the grant – Wayne, Lenoir, Jones and Craven – will receive training. Area businesses have offered to support the program through mentoring, job shadowing and field trips, as well as volunteering to work with students at the school.

SCC earns state's first Innovative Partners award
Sampson Independent
The Sampson Community College Partners for Ammonia Refrigeration program has been selected to receive the 2011 Governor's Workforce Development Award as an "Outstanding Innovative Partnership." SCC and its partners — the Golden LEAF Foundation, Smithfield Foods, Prestage Farms, Butterball LLC, and the North Carolina Community College System — teamed up just over five years ago to develop a program and construct a facility to train workers and potential employees in ammonia refrigeration in response to a critical need for trained and certified technicians in the ammonia refrigeration field, as well as a need for safety and the certification of existing employees. Golden LEAF provided a $300,000 grant for lab equipment.

Loan programs helping Burke businesses
Morganton News Herald
In the six months since Burke Business Loan Program started awarding loans, BBLP has awarded $168,000 in loans to eight businesses who intend to create 58 new full-time jobs with a potential total annual salary of $1,036,000. Valdese Economic Development Investment Corporation administers the loans, which were initially funded through a $250,000 Golden LEAF grant. BBLP's goal is to create or retain jobs in the county, increase economic opportunity, strengthen the county's business sector and create partnerships with local commercial banks and other private sector lenders and investors.

Fidal Wilkins receives Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship
Tryon Daily Bulletin
The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Fidal Wilkins as a recipient of a $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship. Wilkins attended Polk County High School and plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Wilkins is one of 215 students selected to receive a $3,000 scholarship each year for up to four years of study at a participating NC public university or private non-profit college or university. Recipients are from rural, economically distressed North Carolina counties and are selected based on a number of criteria, including a review of school and community service activities, goals and expressed intent to contribute to rural communities.

Other Golden LEAF Scholarship announcements:

• Four students receive Golden LEAF Foundation scholarships
  The Sampson Independent
  The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Billy Daughtry, Abigail Lujan, Isaiah Peterson and Ashley Webb as recipients of $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships. Daughtry and Lujan graduated from Hobbton High School; Peterson graduated from Union High School; and Webb graduated from Midway High School. Daughtry plans to attend North Carolina State University; Lujan and Webb plan to attend Campbell University; and Peterson plans to attend East Carolina University.
• 6 local students receive Golden LEAF scholarships
  The Daily Reflector
  Six local students have been named recipients of Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships. The $12,000 scholarship award recipients were selected by the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. Recipients include Crystal Coleman, Keichelle Streeter and Codie Velez of Farmville Central High School; Travis Dunn and Brittany Owens of D.H. Conley High School and Shayna Mooney of South Central High School. Coleman, Dunn, Mooney and Velez plan to attend East Carolina University; Owens plans to attend Wingate University; Streeter plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
• Five Surry Co. students receive Golden LEAF scholarships
  Elkin Tribune
  The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Surry County students Whitlee Angel, Megan Holt, Cory Scott, Ashley Smith and Shanlyn Wagoner as recipients of $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships. Angel and Holt graduated from North Surry High School; Scott and Smith graduated from Mount Airy High School; and Wagoner graduated from Elkin High School. Angel plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Holt plans to attend Appalachian State University; Scott plans to attend North Carolina State University; Smith plans to attend Salem College; and Wagoner plans to attend North Carolina State University.
• Education Briefs
  Robesonian
  Thomas Jones was recently awarded the Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship from the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority. He is one of more than 200 students selected to receive $3,000 each school year. Jones was a student at Robeson Community College and plans to attend The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. The Golden LEAF Foundation is a nonprofit established in 1999 to help North Carolina's economy.
• Stanly graduates receive Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships
  The Stanly News and Press
  The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Brittany Cline and Sarah Efird as recipients of a $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarship. Cline graduated from North Stanly High School and Efird graduated from South Stanly High School. Cline plans to attend Pfeiffer University and Efird plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Harnett Students Receive Golden LEAF Scholarships
  The Daily Record
  The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority recently selected Amy Brown, Ariel Everett, William Roberson and Caitlin Williamson as recipients of $12,000 Golden LEAF Foundation Scholarships. Amy and William attended Harnett Central High School; Ariel and Caitlin attended Triton High School. Amy plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Ariel plans to attend the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and Caitlin and William plan to attend Campbell University.
• Sawyer awarded scholarship
  The Daily Advance
  The North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority named Melissa Sawyer of Camden County to receive a $12,000 scholarship through Golden LEAF. She plans to attend Elizabeth City State University in the fall.

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