PERRYSBURG – The Perrysburg Schools Foundation in partnership with FrontPath Health Coalition has
presented its first corporate grant to a Frank Elementary school teacher.
Frank fourth-grade teacher Jason Thomas has been awarded $330 to purchase a white board easel and an
assortment of learning games designed to help his students with reading comprehension skills.
The Perrysburg Schools Foundation mini-grant program was the first project undertaken by the foundation
board following its inception in 1985. The mini-grants are designed to enable teachers at all grade
levels to bring innovative ideas, techniques and resources to the classroom that are not funded by tax
dollars. Since 1985 the foundation has awarded over $100,000 in mini-grants, impacting every student in
the school system, many of them several times by the time they graduate.
In the past all of these mini-grants have been funded by contributions from individuals in the community
through the foundation’s annual fund drive. This is the first time a local business has sponsored an
entire grant.
"We are really pleased to see a business in the community step forward to fund a mini-grant,"
commented PSF President Nick Camp. "This is an exciting new direction for us, and we are very
hopeful that other business and community organizations will take a look at funding innovative programs
for our schools.
"We see the foundation as the perfect vehicle for bringing businesses and the schools
together," he added.
Thomas completed his first year with Perrysburg Schools this past June. Previously he taught for three
years in Arizona. He said that the equipment he will receive will help him with small group work in both
reading and math. The games in particular are a good way to keep children interested in learning.
"If you can trick kids into working on their reading skills and have fun doing it, that’s
great," he commented. "I’m really grateful for this mini-grant and to the foundation for doing
this."
The mini-grant provider, FrontPath Health Coalition, is a member-managed, not-for-profit business
coalition for health care that exists to improve the quality and control the costs of health care in the
greater Toledo area. The coalition is focused on value-based healthcare purchasing, working with
hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers to obtain the highest quality care at the most
reasonable costs for their members.
President and CEO of FrontPath, Susan Szymanski, says of the mini-grant, "I feel it is important to
invest in our future by helping teachers to be successful in the classroom and by promoting creative
learning."
She noted that "with all the cuts in funding from the state, schools are going to have to reach out
to the community for help. It’s a way for us to give back."
