Full Notification

The Borough is pleased to share information about the nine applicants for Park Partners funding in the 2022 grant cycle.
 
Residents are invited to read the project descriptions below and to meet the applicants at an exhibition & voting session this Sunday, June 26^th, from 1:30 – 3:30 pm at the Highland Park Community Center (220 South Sixth Ave.) Only Highland Park residents, ages 10 and older, are eligible to vote. Each voter chooses one applicant in each of the five categories (Environment, Arts, Cultural & Diversity, Highland Park High School Class or Club Activity, and Safety, Universal Access, and/or Health & Wellness); winning applicants may receive up to $2,000 in funding for their project.
 
Environment
 
Wildflower Project of Highland Park
The grant would help educate Highland Park residents about the benefits of wildflowers, which require no pesticides and are better for the environment, instead of spending time and money cultivating green lawns. Money would go toward buying wildflower seeds, designing software, and setting up a web page for this initiative.
 
Cleanups of Highland Park Streets and Natural Areas
The Highland Park Ecology & Environmental Group seeks financial support to hold more cleanup events (one or more per month) and involve more people in these efforts. Funds would be used to purchase 25 or more clean-up kits (grabbers, gloves, garbage bags, & buckets) and snacks for volunteers.
 
 
Arts
 
Project Name: Highland Park Community Art Calendar
The Highland Park Arts Commission seeks to create a 2023 Community Calendar. Funds would go toward paying for art, photography, printing designing and distributing the calendar to residents.
 
Culture and Diversity
 
Raices Cultural Center Community Arts Program: Intro to Caribbean Dance, Drum & Song
Grant would allow the Raices Cultural Center Community Arts Program to add a series of summer or fall workshops for adults and families with children. Participants would be instructed in dance, music, drums, and the history of diverse cultures. The money would go toward paying two instructors.
 
QuEAR Candy
Grant would help finance a daylong music festival on June 11, 2023, featuring LGBTQ+ local and touring musicians and bands. Money would go toward printing posters, renting a stage, buying event insurance, and paying performers and sound technicians. 
 
Highland Park High School Class or Club Activity
 
Class of 2024 Project
Funding would go to the Highland Park High School’s Class of 2024 to help them with fundraising for their junior and senior proms, and for their senior trip, and to pay for school supplies for students in need.
 
Culture and Diversity for Class of 2023
The Highland Park High School's Class of 2023 seeks support to ensure that students from different socio-economic backgrounds can be included in class events (such as the senior class trip and senior prom) and that all class members can afford the class t-shirts. This will create a stronger sense of community within the class.
 
Safety, Universal Access, and/or Health & Wellness
 
Reading Tutoring for Local and Underserved, Struggling Readers
Grant would enable Raising Hands Tutoring to provide six months of free reading tutors for students who otherwise could not afford them. Tutors are certified Orton Gillingham practitioners, a nationally recognized reading program recommended by the state Department of Education but not readily available in public schools. Each student’s reading score is expected to improve by at least half a grade level.
 
Wellness on Wheels
Grant would allow the Global Grace Health group to help provide a range of medical services to the homebound, including medical screenings and testing, blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, glucose checks, and mental health questionnaires. This service would help the most vulnerable populations in Highland Park by reducing their transportation and medical costs.
 
Note:
To accommodate residents who prefer not to attend an indoor social gathering at this time, votes for Park Partners 2022 applicants may also be submitted by email.
Residents voting by email should:
1.    Provide their home’s street address, in Highland Park
2.    Attest that they are 10 years old or older
3.    State that they will not vote in person, at the exhibition & voting session on Sunday, June 26^th, at the Highland Park Community Center
4.    Identify which project they are voting for in each of the five categories.
Please send Park Partners votes by email to [email protected].