Kitchen classroom improved through series of grants
Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/nwat/News/56816/
WEST FORK — An upgraded kitchen is considered a selling point for single-family houses, but it can also be an asset for a high school program.
West Fork High School opened the year with a new kitchen lab for its family and consumer science classes due in large part to a $ 4, 700 grant instructor Alisa Williams received from the Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation and contributions from other sources.
“ Certainly it’s going to improve our program, ” WFHS Principal John Karnes said.
Using the grant dollars, the school purchased a new refrigerator, washer and dryer, a stand-alone ice maker, three small water heaters, two dishwashers and three garbage disposals. The appliances were purchased from the Lowe’s on Sixth Street in Fayetteville.
The family and consumer science classroom includes four kitchen areas for projects. Among the classes in which the kitchen receives heavy use is the foods and nutrition class.
Williams said the ice maker will provide ice for events that in the past required the school to buy ice at a store. The additional water heaters provide hot water that had previously been routed from another source in the building, she said.
“ We (previously ) had one garbage disposal for the four kitchens, ” she said.
Installation was handled by the school’s building maintenance department, Karnes said. The upgrades included appliances the room did not have before, such as dishwashers.
The classroom upgrades will be useful not only in providing updated equipment but also by giving the students a firsthand look at new technology used in today’s energy-efficient appliances, Williams said in a press release.
She noted the washer only uses about 15 gallons of water for a standard load, while older front-load washers can use as much as 45 gallons, she said. This will also save the school money on utility costs.
“ It’s really nice, ” Karnes said. “ Grants are big for any school, but for a school our size, it’s really big. ”
In addition to the appliances from Lowe’s, the school received over the summer two new electric stoves from Ozark Electric Cooperative Corp. and a new gas stove from Arkansas Western Gas Co.
“ This is a service they’ve been providing for us, ” Karnes said. “ We really appreciate those folks as well. ”
The school also received a $ 500 grant from the Wal-Mart Community Grant Program to purchase new sewing machines for the family and consumer science program.
Williams said she was able to buy five sewing machines with the grant.
She said she started looking online for grant opportunities to upgrade the kitchen and eventually found out about the Lowe’s grant. Working solely within the limited school budget, the program would be fortunate to buy about one new appliance annually, she said.
Some of the keys to finding grants are being willing to look and not being too afraid to ask for help, she said.
“ The money is out there, ” she said. “ You just have to be creative and crafty. ”