The Rush County Education Fund was established by the Rush County Schools in 1994 to support education-related projects not provided for in the Rush County Schools’ budget.  This permanently endowed field of interest fund makes annual grants available to teachers, students, administrators, and volunteer parents.

This year, the Rush County Education Fund awarded four projects funding, totaling $3,109.32.  Grants were awarded as follows:

• Rushville Consolidated High School and Benjamin Rush Middle School received $1,000 to fund the “I Decide For Me” program for students enrolled in Mrs. Carmony’s FACS class.  Offered through the nonprofit organization The Hope Center, I Decide For Me provides evidence-based curriculum to educate students on healthy lifestyle choices, specifically through data and facts surrounding teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease rates.
• RES West received $1,351.63 to fund a K-2 “Welcome to Whooville” themed Family Night that is intended to foster positive relationships between the school, students, and parents while focusing on reading and math skills.  The interactive evening will offer an engaging opportunity for students, families, and teachers to share classroom activities, while simultaneously providing a fun education on how to reinforce the skills at home.  Stations will be set up to reinforce objectives including computation, number sense, reading fluency, following directions, and listening comprehension, all utilizing everyday items that are easily found at home and in the classroom.
• Mrs. Duncan’s RES West classroom received grant funding of $342.69 to provide flexible seating in her 6th grade classroom.  Studies have shown that students learn better when they move around, and Mrs. Duncan will utilize the grant award to purchase five bucket seats, five camp stools, five Big Joe Milano chairs, and five video rockers to provide students seating options while reading and at other times throughout the school day.  Mrs. Duncan’s hope is that students will focus and learn better while seated comfortably.
• Rushville Consolidated High School’s Fine Arts Department received $415.00 to purchase Pilot Varsity Fountain Pens to replace the old pen nibs and ink wells.  Mrs. Connolly and Mrs. Schultz, art teachers at RCHS, want students to have the experience of a pen with a nib, but have found the old pen and ink method to be very messy.

The Rush County Education Fund grants awarded this year provide students unique opportunities to learn without further burdening the teachers with the expense of implementing such interactive projects.  If you are interested in contributing to the Rush County Education Fund, you can do so directly online, via phone, a visit to our office or by mail.  If you would like to recognize a special staff member at a Rush County school, consider a gift that will forever give by “Thank a Teacher”, in which all proceeds directly benefit the Rush County Education Fund.

For more information on “Thank a Teacher” or making a gift to the Rush County Education Fund, visit the Foundation’s website at www.rushcountyfoundation.org or contact our office at 117 N. Main St., Rushville.

Meeting the philanthropic needs of Rush County since 1991, The Rush County Community Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit public charity established  to serve donors, award grants and scholarships, and provide leadership to enrich and enhance the quality of life in Rush County, Indiana, not only today, but for our future generations.