13 Alamance County schools benefit

BURLINGTON – Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman Charitable Foundation awarded $7,500 in grants to 15 teachers in 13 schools in Alamance County for the 2010-11 school year in connection with its Legacy for Education grant program. The foundation, established in 2001, makes $500 grants to teachers from each school where WNHP employees’ children and grandchildren attend.

“Our Plan of Giving calls for contributions to nonprofit organizations in our community where we believe the impact will be most directly felt.” says Sharon Dent, chairperson of foundation’s Burlington division. “The education grants are especially personally rewarding for us. As always, teachers submitted very compelling applications and it was difficult to choose recipients.”

Since its inception in 2001, more than $163,000 has been contributed by the foundation through direct contributions and donor-directed contributions.

The 2010 recipients, each receiving a $500 grant, are:

Lisa Greeson, Blessed Sacrament School: Replacement of her pre-school classroom’s circle rug, which is used for “circle time” and for daycare.

Cindy Jordan, Burlington Day School: Purchase of a digital video-based learning resource for use with technology, providing students with information relevant to the technological world.

David Pugh, Clover Garden School: Support three-to-five days of artist-in-residence instruction, art supplies and awards for student artwork.  The grant funds are being matched by Clover Garden and its parent support organization.

Lisa Henry, E. M. Holt Elementary/Ray Street: Purchase of interactive software programs that assist with teaching children with various disabilities.

India Hanvey, Elon Elementary: Integration of technology into her kindergarten class.

Kendra Pinkston, Elon Elementary: Field trips for students with autism and the purchase of classroom supplies and therapeutic writing pencils and paper.

Cynthia Bennett, The Elon School: Purchase of a life-size articulated human skeleton for use in biology class.

Brooke Holyfield, Graham High School: Field trips for two classes of young adults with various intellectual disabilities and special needs.

Wendy Stewart, Graham High School: Purchase of critical analysis research books related to American authors for 11th grade students.

Karan Traywick, Hillcrest Elementary: Purchase of non-fiction reading books.

Meredith McNeill, Marvin B. Smith Elementary: iPod for voice recording, and other applications, to assist in fluency, word recognition and comprehension, and subscriptions to student newspapers for her third grade class.

Erin Leventhal, South Mebane Elementary: Purchase of the “Sounds Abound” program for specialized speech and language intervention.

Melaine Rickard, Turrentine Middle School: Offset transportation costs of field trips to the Harris Nuclear Plant and a LEED Gold Certified facility as part of “Energy Day.”

Susan Miciotto, Western Alamance Middle School: Purchase of materials for students to participate in the Veterans History Project sponsored by the Library of Congress.

Kimberly Alston, Western Alamance High School: College visits – sitting in on college classes, experiencing the daily life of a college student, etc. -- for at-risk students to encourage them to attend college.

Founded in Burlington in 1976 as Bateman Wishart & Norris, the firm focuses on serving privately held – often family-owned – businesses and their owners in North Carolina and South Carolina. The firm has grown to 75 employees, including 35 attorneys, in its Burlington and Charlotte offices.

The Wishart Norris Henninger & Pittman Charitable Foundation is an employee run, employee supported 501(c)(3) private foundation.

www.wnhplaw.com