The Bohemian Foundation is a privately-owned family foundation that gives grants to local programs with special initiatives. This year, three Colorado State University programs were awarded grants ranging from $10,000 – 20,000 to use for their causes as they please.
Little Shop of Physics, Campus Connections and the Center for Public Deliberation are the three groups that received the Pharos Fund Grant through the Bohemian Foundation. Although all the groups have been given Pharos Fund grants in the past, they are grateful to be able to use the money to expand their respective causes.
The Center for Public Deliberation has been awarded the Pharos Fund Grant nine times in the past ten years, this year receiving a generous $20,000. The Center focuses on creating opportunities for student involvement in local deliberative efforts, so the money will be used toward the support of all events, faculty support and grad student affairs over the next two semesters.
Martin Carcasson, founder and director of the Center, said in a SOURCE release that the funding they receive is critical to keep their center afloat.
“We do our work as a public service,” Carcasson said in the release. “Funding from the Bohemian Foundation allows us to continue doing what we do without having to charge.”
Campus Connections, formerly Campus Corps, a service-learning course, which allows CSU students to mentor marginalized youth ages 11-18, will be using their $10,000 grant towards case management and clinical supervision of grad student family therapists.
Human Development and Family Studies Assistant Professor Jen Krafchick said the funds received from the Bohemian Foundation have been used for case management and clinical supervision in the past, and they will continue to be used this way because it is so important for the success of the mentoring program.
“There is so much involved in case management,” Krafchick said. “First we connect with our community partners from local schools, the juvenile justice system, Human Services and others to recruit youth to participate in the program. Once we receive the referrals we spend an hour meeting with mentees and their families to make sure they understand the program and the expectations. Once the program starts, our case manager is in weekly communication with all our partners and parents/ guardians about how things are going.”
There are multiple areas that will be supported by the grant within the case management sector of Campus Connections. Krafchick believes it is important to make sure the mentees get the attention they deserve.
Little Shop of Physics received a grant of $15,000, which will be used towards electricity kits for fourth graders around Fort Collins. Fourth graders in Poudre School District elementary schools will use them for multiple hands on activities regarding electricity.
“What’s great about these kits is that it geared towards the teachers,” said Little Shop of Physics director Brian Jones. “We meet with the teachers to find out what they need, then we create a kit that fills the holes they need filled.”
Jones said the most important part of the work he does with Little Shop of Physics is giving the fourth graders a hands-on science experience.
The Bohemian Foundation has begun accepting application for next years round of Pharos Fund grants. More information about the Bohemian Foundation can be found at BohemianFoundation.org.
Collegian Reporter Allec Brust can be reached at news@collegian.com or via Twitter @Brustyyy.
