The Carbon County Community Foundation is pleased to announce opening of the 2021 spring grants and scholarships cycle. Nonprofits and groups serving Carbon County are invited to submit a request for funding to support their organizations.

Qualified graduating high school seniors are also invited to submit applications for various scholarships that are available to those wishing to pursue higher education opportunities. Applications and more information are available on the foundation website at www.cccfoundpa.org.

The following funds at Carbon County Community Foundation are accepting applications from nonprofit organizations, educators, and scouting organizations:

• The Fund for Carbon County is the discretionary fund, overseen by the CCCF Board of Directors, to support foundation activities and give grants on a competitive basis to organizations and programs across a variety of funding areas, including arts and culture; education; environment/historic preservation; health and wellness; neighborhood and community development; social services; and youth issues. As of June 2020, more than $65,000 in grants has been distributed to charitable projects in Carbon County.

• To honor the legacy of its namesake, the Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund is dedicated to advancing the cause of early childhood education. Applications will be accepted to support school programs such as kindergarten, Pre-K Counts, Head Start, and other nonprofit organizations serving children and families in Carbon County. In 2020, the first year of the fund’s existence, grants totaling more than $4,000 were distributed to nine area educators and schools in all five districts in Carbon County. Grants supported programs that prepare parents to nurture and support their children through the earliest stages of learning, promote school-readiness, and provide enrichment experiences for young learners (field trips, creative materials, etc.).

• The Scouting Support Fund is intended to support all manner of scouting activities particularly in the Carbon County region and in lower Luzerne and northern Schuylkill counties, especially the Greater Hazleton area.

Scouting organizations are invited to apply for funds to support group and individual special projects; campership; supplies; facility maintenance; and other projects. Individual families are also invited to apply on behalf of children wishing to attend a scouting camp. Because of the pandemic, scouting camps were not taking place in 2020, so grants from the fund supported repairs and maintenance to camp facilities as well as individual Eagle Scout projects.

Applications for the Fund for Carbon County, the Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund, and the Scouting Support Fund are due by 5 p.m. March 31.

The following funds are accepting applications from qualified graduating high school seniors:

• The Anastasia Susko Memorial Scholarship is a one-year, nonrenewable $1,500 scholarship awarded annually to any qualified graduating female high school senior (or home-schooled student who has a state-recognized graduation certificate/diploma) residing in Jim Thorpe. Applications can be picked up in the Jim Thorpe Guidance Office.

• The Orioles Scouting Scholarship is a one-year, nonrenewable $500 scholarship awarded annually to a qualified graduating high school senior (or home-schooled student who has a state-recognized graduation certificate/diploma) and current Boy Scout or Girl Scout residing in Carbon County, who is seeking to further his or her education at a 4- or 2-year college or technical school. Applications are available on the CCCF website.

• The Tyler Strong Memorial Scholarship is a one-year, nonrenewable $500 scholarship awarded annually to a qualified graduating high school senior (or home-schooled student who has a state-recognized graduation certificate/diploma) residing in Jim Thorpe Area School District, who is seeking to further their education at a trade/technical school or community college. Applications can be picked up in the Jim Thorpe Guidance office.

Scholarship applications are due by 5 p.m. March 1.

If applicants have questions about any of the funds or would like to discuss their eligibility, they should contact the Carbon County Community Foundation at info@cccfoundpa.org or 1-855-545-1311. Applicants will be notified of their application status by the end of April. Awarded grant funds must be spent within 12 months.

The Carbon County Community Foundation was formed in 2015 with the mission to improve the quality of life for residents of the Carbon County region, now and forever. The foundation exists to simultaneously be a philanthropic leader, a community resource and a financial steward.