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Dominion Foundation announces 2009 awards
Educational grants total $28,000
Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009
 Click here to enlarge this photo Staff photo by DARWIN WEIGEL
Dominion held an awards presentation at its Cove Point LNG facility Tuesday to announce more than $28,000 in grants from its foundation to local organizations. Calvert Marine Museum Society received $10,000, Cardinal Hickey Academy received $3,426, Chesapeake Public Charter School received $10,000, and Girls Scouts of the National Capital Area received $5,000. From left are: Malinda Smith, Brigid Howe, Mike Frederick, Darlene Kostelnik, Dominic Dorsett, Daniel Burke, Angela Funya, Pat McKenney, Sherrod Sturrock, Vanessa Gill, Traci Cimini and Doug Alves.
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Four Southern Maryland organizations received educational grants totaling more than $28,000 from the Dominion Foundation following a luncheon Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Dominion's Cove Point LNG facility.
They were chosen from more than 200 applications from nine states reviewed by the foundation, Dominion reported.
The grants were summarized in a Dominion handout as follows:
The Calvert Marine Museum Society in Solomons was awarded $10,000 for "point-to-point video conferencing technology via the Internet. With this technology, museum educators can offer real-time educational programs through a virtual site visit."
Cardinal Hickey Academy in Owings received $3,400 "for its ‘Wishing Our Wells Well' project, designed to teach children the values of conserving and recycling water, cleaning contaminants from water, smart use of fresh water and how to teach others to do the same."
Chesapeake Public Charter School in Lexington Park accepted a $10,000 grant "for its ‘NorthBay Adventure Week,' a five-day overnight experience focused on environmental science and character education for middle school students. The inquiry-based, active learning environment will teach students to appreciate and nurture the environment while enhancing student academic performance."
The Girl Scouts of the National Capital Area was granted $5,000 "for the ‘Forever Green Community Action' project in Southern Maryland. The project will give girls the opportunity to discover environmental issues, connect with others to identify solutions and take actions to preserve natural resources."
Renee Johnson, manager of community partnerships at Dominion's corporate office in Richmond, Va., described the Foundation's commitment to education.
"In the past [13] years, we have given more than $2.6 million to schools in the areas we serve. It's a very rewarding experience for us because it focuses on math and science and really getting kids engaged and excited about education through energy and the environment," Johnson said.
The local recipients agreed.
"This [grant] will really allow us to expand our distance learning programs into seven to nine new states," said Doug Alves, director of the Calvert Marine Museum.
Deputy Director Sherrod Sturrock, who heads the museum's distance learning program, agreed.
"We have a program where we do point-to-point video conferencing so it's a virtual field trip for elementary students and this is a perfect way to expand into all the Dominion [serviced] communities," she said. "Because of this [grant] we will be able to offer about 80 free programs to schools [in those areas]."
Angela Funya, principal of the Chesapeake Public Charter School, was also enthusiastic.
"This grant provides the opportunity for our middle school students to go and have a week-long field studies experience at NorthBay Adventure Center," she said. "Built into that is the study of environmental sciences as well as a very large character [education] element. We're thrilled."
Brigid Howe, representing the Girl Scouts of the National Capital Area, said the grant will allow her organization to expand its "Forever Green" community outreach program.
"We're going to be able to provide funding so the girls can green their communities. We'll be able to educate them on some of the environmental issues that are most important, including water quality, air quality, green space and waste management. Then, we'll provide funding so they can go back to their schools and communities and provide green solutions," she said. "Last year we had 118 girls who made a [positive] impact on more than 10,000 people in their communities. We're very excited."
At the Cardinal Hickey Academy in Owings, the grant will be used to further ongoing clean water educational programs.
"We're using the money to get microscopes for the children," said school spokesman Dominic Dorsett. "As a result of the grant, they'll also be able to start studying with the high-powered microscopes some of the solutions that are being used to collect and dissipate the energy from solar power."
According to Dominion's news release, the company is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of more than 27,500 megawatts of generation. It operates the nation's largest natural gas storage systems and serves retail customers in 12 states. Information on Dominion's educational programs, including the Dominion Educational Grants Partnership Program, is available at the company's Web site, www.dom.com, keyword "education."
