Gold's Provides $300 Scholarships

offered a $300 Leadership Scholarship to a Class of 2011 graduating senior from each of the high schools in the Douglas County School System. Recipients for 2010-2011 were: Loris Takori, ; Miranda Richardson, and Erick Rodriquez, Lithia Springs High School.

During the 2010-2011 school year, Douglas County Public Education Trust Fund, Inc. (PET) awarded $5,400 in scholarships and $11,626.70 in classroom initiative mini-grants to teachers. All Douglas County Teachers of the Year also received financial recognition from PET.

Enrichment, Encouragement, Recognition and Reward–these are a few of the ways that the PET supports the students, staff and schools of the Douglas County School System. PET was formed in 1993 and is celebrating 19 years of service. With the support of individuals, corporate and community organizations, the foundation has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years in grants and scholarships to assist students, teachers and programs not already funded by local, state and federal dollars.

PETs mission is to generate, monitor and dispense funds; to provide financial support to programs for enrichment; and to encourage, recognize and reward excellence in the students and staff of the Douglas County School System. Funds come from a variety of sources including personal and business donations, honorariums and memorial gifts, endowments, grants, and fund raising events.

Two major benefactors stepped forward during the 2006-2007 school year and have continued to partner with PET and offer scholarships for high school students planning to pursue post-secondary education. The Billie Yancey Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of the late Yancey by her family. The endowment funds a scholarship for a student from each high school in Douglas County. Scholarship recipients for 2010-2011 received $1,000 each. They were Tyler Daniel, ; Kelsie Graham, Chapel Hill High School; Ikeria Hicks, Douglas County High School, and Erick Rodriquez, Lithia Springs High School.

PET established the Don Remillard Scholarship through community donations in 2010 to honor the retiring superintendent’s 38-year career in Douglas County. The Don Remillard Scholarship is designated for students who graduate from the Performance Learning Center (PLC)–a non-traditional high school program. The recipient for 2010-2011 was Ms. Tashaneka Wells. Her scholarship award was in the amount of $500.

The Nora McDonald Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 2012 to honor the memory of Ms. Nora McDonald to fund scholarships for Douglas County School System seniors upon their graduation from the College and Career Institute (CCI). McDonald served as the Office Manager at the CCI from 2009 until the time of her death in 2011. Beginning with May 2012 graduates, scholarships will be offered to one eligible male and one eligible female graduate in an initial amount not to exceed $250 per student. This scholarship is presented through the cooperation of the Public Education Trust, Inc.

PET funds Classroom Initiative Mini-Grants each year to help teachers implement special projects beyond those funded by the Douglas County School System. A total of $11,626.70 in mini-grants was awarded by PET to more than 30 teachers in 13 schools for use in 2011-2012.

Among the projects funded by the grants were: Literacy Through Literature at Arbor Station Elementary School; Tag . . . You’re It! at Bright Star Elementary School; No Room for Hate: No Bullies Allowed at School; A Way to Zealous Readers at ; Teaching With Technology, Year Two, Lithia Springs Elementary School; Response to Intervention Toolkit,  Multiplication The Fun Way, and Elmo Is Not Just On Sesame Street at School; Book Charms For Reading, ; Ready, Set, Read! at Sweetwater Elementary School; Reading Enhancement Materials at ; Supplies For Outstanding Math Guides, Music Notation Software, and Keyboards: Rigor Through Creativity & Assessment at ; Interactive Math Notebooks/Journals at ; Motivating Students Through Flocabulary Instruction at Douglas County High School; and Kuta Software at Lithia Springs High School.

The PET Board is chaired by Terry Hardy, President/CEO of . Other board members are Terry Baggett, Charles Branson, Athena Bryant, Sissy Bunch, Marian Dowland, Henry Mitchell, Don Pollard, Don Remillard, Rollins Walker, Tim Williams and James Wilson.

If you are interested in making a donation or learning more about the Public Education Trust, Inc., visit their website at www.douglaspubliceducationtrust.org or contact Douglas County School System Community Relations Director Karen Stroud, 770-651-2037 or karen.stroud@douglas.k12.ga.us.