7 Ponds Nature Center lets 7 Area Schools explore outdoors

The Four County Community Foundation was pleased to award a $10,000 grant to the Seven Ponds Nature Center from its Dora and Toos Ondersma Fund. Annually the Foundation’s Board determines proactive grants from the Ondersma Fund. This is the second year that this fund has supported the No Child Left Indoors Project. The funds awarded to Seven Ponds Nature Center were used for seven school districts in our service area to have field trips to the center. Seven Ponds Nature Center is located in Dryden where they have 468 acres and over six miles of trails to see. Students from the seven school districts were able to travel the trails and learn about the outdoors. Some of the great things students were able to see when visiting were glacial lakes, ponds, marshes, fields, and woodlands which all provide a sanctuary for many different species of wildlife and plants.

Education Initiative Awards $25,357

The Education Initiative grant cycle was an opportunity for school administrators to ask for support regarding the biggest areas for improvement in their school buildings. Some of the requests we funded were

• Distractive Driving Prevention – Imlay City High School
• Cedar Point Physics Day – Almont Middle School
• Gifted and Talented Program – Capac Elementary
• A Health Occupation Program – Armada High School
• IPad 2 – Dryden High School
• At Risk Readers Program – Romeo Middle School