Cornell Cooperative Extension benefits from county grants

MILLBROOK — Thanks to the county’s biennual Agency Partner Grant (APG) program, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County (CCEDC) in Millbrook, the cooperative is moving through 2022 with some additional funding to help support its provision of educational services and programs to the larger community.

Totaling $1.5 million in funding awards, Dutchess County awarded 34 programs throughout the county as part of its 2022 APG program. As outlined by Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro’s office at the end of 2021, the aim of the APG program is to provide funding opportunities to local 501(c)3 organizations “through a competitive grant process based on an organization’s ability to demonstrate they fulfill an unmet community need.”

Among the 34 programs that received APG funding this year, CCEDC in Millbrook received four grants.

Totaling $71,027, the largest of the four APG awards was directed toward supporting CCEDC’s 4-H Youth Development: Literacy Assistance for All program.

This program is designed to prepare local youth of all abilities with financial literacy, public speaking, writing comprehension and leadership skills to succeed as they transition into adulthood, as described by Molinaro’s office.

A $50,000 grant award went toward CCEDC’s Parenting and Support Education program to enhance parenting skills though a hands-on learning approach suitable to all literacy levels.

Meanwhile, a $20,000 grant award was given to CCEDC’s Family Budgeting Project, which works to partner with youth workforce investment and parent groups to empower youth, adults and families with critical skills and practices for long-term financial stability. It also aims to educate seniors about elder fraud.

CCEDC received a $109,273 APG award for its Green Teen and No Child Left Inside: Developing Youth Potential Through Work-Based Learning program to support the mission of expanding youth exposure to environmental science while promoting opportunities for better health and outdoor workforce development.

“I was quite impressed by the number of grants that were provided by the county to Cornell Cooperative Extension,” said CCEDC Interim Executive Director Patricia Claiborne when first learning of how successful the cooperative was in terms of gaining county funding.

“To me, that indicates their belief in the organization and the type of programming we do, and the funding helps us to plan and deliver programs and education to residents.”

She added the county support helps supplement the CCEDC’s state and federal funding.

Out of the four Agency Partner Grant (APG) fund awards it received through Dutchess County’s 2022 APG program, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County in Millbrook received a $109,273 APG award for its “Green Teen and No Child Left Inside: Developing Youth Potential Through Work-Based Learning” program to continue expanding youth exposure to environmental science while promoting opportunities for better health and outdoor workforce development. Photo submitted

Photographed with the Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County’s (CCEDC) 4H AG Literacy program, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro was pleased to announce a total of $1.5 million in funding awards allocated to 34 programs throughout the county as part of the 2022 Agency Partner Grant (APG) program. Out of those 34 programs, CCEDC received four different APG awards to support its provision of educational services and programs to the larger community. Photo submitted

Out of the four Agency Partner Grant (APG) fund awards it received through Dutchess County’s 2022 APG program, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County in Millbrook received a $109,273 APG award for its “Green Teen and No Child Left Inside: Developing Youth Potential Through Work-Based Learning” program to continue expanding youth exposure to environmental science while promoting opportunities for better health and outdoor workforce development. Photo submitted