Community Foundation of the Ozarks, Coover Charitable Foundation donate to Howell Valley

Howell Valley R-1 recently received a grant of $2,621.00 from the Community Foundation of the Ozarks, in collaboration with the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation and Commerce Trust. This funding was used to enhance the school's science lab with the purchase of a high-powered microscope and a stereoscope. In addition, the Howell Valley PTO contributed by matching these funds and acquired six smaller microscopes for each table in the lab.

 

These upgrades are transforming the science education experience at Howell Valley. The new equipment allows students to engage in hands-on learning, which is crucial for sparking a lasting interest in science. By providing students with the tools to explore and investigate, the school is helping to ignite a passion for science that could shape their future academic and career paths. The hands-on experience not only makes learning more engaging but also supports students in developing a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.

 

“We are very grateful to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks and the Coover Charitable Foundation for their generous gift to our school. It is wonderful to see the excitement on the faces of our students’ as they enter our science lab. This updated equipment provides us with many more opportunities in educating our Howell Valley students,” Superintendent Jake Long stated.

 

A total of $80,000 was granted to 18 rural school districts in the Coover/Rural Schools Partnership Learning Enhancement program. For a complete list of recipients, go to cfozarks.org/coover-rsp.

 

Julia Dorothy Coover, a 30-year Commerce employee, founded the Louis L. and Julia Dorothy Coover Charitable Foundation in 1992 to honor her husband’s memory. The private foundation, managed by Commerce Trust, has awarded about $8 million in grants to benefit the Ozarks since its partnership with the CFO began in 2001.

 

The CFO founded the Rural Schools Partnership in 2009 as part of its regional commitment to schools as anchors for rural communities. Through the partnership, it manages funds for rural school districts and school foundations. In addition to the collaboration with the Coover Charitable Foundation, key programs include the Ozarks Teacher Corps and the Youth Empowerment Project.