MCFF works to bridge local COVID learning gap

St. Patrick Elementary Principal Becky Redl explains how the iPad cart at St. Pat’s will soon be filled with additional iPads for 5-8th graders thanks to grant funds. Since this spring, St. Pat’s and McCook Public Schools have received more than $80,000 in grant funds as part of Nebraska Community Foundation’s “Bridging the Learning Gap” and “Bridging the Education Gap” programs, with McCook Community Foundation Fund providing more than $40,000 in matching funds from its COVID Response Account.

Courtesy photo

McCOOK, Neb. -- McCook Community Foundation Fund Name is part of a nearly $1.2 million statewide effort to bridge the learning gap in the face of Covid-19.

Using funds from MCFF’s Covid-19 Response Account along with matching grants from the Nebraska Community Foundation, McCook Public Schools and St. Patrick Elementary School will receive more than $40,000 in funds.

McCook Public Schools has received a $34,000 grant to hire staff to assist students who are at a greater disadvantage because of the pandemic. St. Pat’s received $7,170 to purchase additional technology for the elementary school.

With these additional funds, MPS will add at least one staff member to help those students who have previously struggled in school and are at the biggest disadvantage when things change.

Grant funds will be used to hire staff who would be responsible for reaching out to those students who have been identified as being at a higher risk of falling further behind academically, according to McCook High School principal Jeff Gross.

“The staff would be responsible for ensuring that these students have everything they need to be successful, from coordinating additional educational assistance to simply checking in with the student,” Gross said. “Specifically, this position would work closely with the parents of the affect students, either in person or via Zoom technology.“

This staff would also work closely with the teachers of the at-risk students to determine how to best help the affected students. If staff time and finances allow, the staff would also address mental health issues as part of the education plan.

At St. Pat’s, grant funds will be used to purchase additional iPads, supplementing the current supply so that students in grades 5-8 have greater access.

St. Patrick Principal Becky Redl said that providing more iPads will allow students and teachers to work on learning the skills necessary to become successful in the virtual education world.

Funding for the Bridging the Learning Gap program was available exclusively to affiliated funds of Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) including MCFF, which provided the 1:1 local match.

McCook’s matching funds came from MCFF’s COVID 19 Response Account as well as a $10,000 anonymous donation toward the account.

NCF’s Bridging the Learning Gap initiative was capitalized by an anonymous donor and the Alice DeVoe Donor-Advised Fund, an affiliated fund of NCF.

Grants were approved and allocated by a committee of six volunteer NCF affiliated fund leaders who have educational expertise, including teachers, administrators and school board members. All applications received funding. Importantly, learning gap needs were identified locally by school leadership, as were proposed solutions.

“We are deeply proud of the way the NCF network of affiliated funds came together to meet this need,” said Jeff Yost, president and CEO of Nebraska Community Foundation. “We are so grateful to the visionary donors who are supporting this important work and to the local leaders and educators who are rolling up their sleeves to ensure our kids receive the educational experiences they deserve, even in the midst of a global crisis.”

These grants are the second round of funds to address issues related to education during the pandemic.

In May, McCook Public Schools received $40,000 as part of NCF’s Bridging the Homework Gap with $20,000 from MCFF’s COVID account. The grant was used to purchase additional Chromebooks in the McCook Junior High and Central Elementary with the goal of reaching 1-to-1 technology to students. Funds were also available to purchase internet “hotspots,” for those students who don’t have reliable internet service at home.

St. Patrick’s also received $4,000 in May to expand the amount of technology available at the elementary school.

Since the creation of MCFF’s COVID-19 account in March, more than $120,000 in grants have been distributed into the community. When combined with the $37,600 from the NCF matching grants, nearly $160,000 has been provided in the community to help students, address housing issues and provide economic development.

A complete list of grants from MCFF’s COVID account is available online at mccookfoundation.org.