Local communities and schools received more than $228,000 in grants from the Dekko Foundation. Each grant was targeted toward improving resources for students and young people in Limestone County and Ardmore, Tennessee, according to the Dekko Foundation 2016 annual report.

Grant recipients

Athens City Schools received the most grant money, a total of $91,200, divided by age groups for improving schools in such ways such as “the building of musical skill that leads to self-confidence,” a $4,200 grant, for ages 6-year to 12-year-olds. The bulk of the total was for “Share the Love” for ages 13-years to 18-years-old for $67,000 because the number of teachers who can apply healthy risk taking and problem solving in their classrooms increased. In that same age group, Athens received $20,000 for increasing the number of students who feel comfortable in the school library and reading — money Superintendent Dr. Trey Holladay said will go back into the high school library.

Holladay said the grants are awarded on a school level for individual improvements, but he knows some of the money will also be used for professional development.

“Anytime we can get money to help our kids with, it’s an exciting time for us,” he said.

Ardmore Community Library in Tennessee received $55,00 for increasing the amount of children who build the habit of reading for pleasure. The money will help expand services for young people, said library director Verlin Collins.

“We’re adding a 40-by-40 extension to the front of the building for activities like the summer reading program,” she said. “We hope to have matching funds by the city in July or August so we can start building before the end of the year.”

The library applied for the grant last year but had to have plans in place for a source to match the funds.

“We had to find out how much they would give us before we could see what types of funds were needed to meet the grant,” she said. “We have plans drawn now and the city is going to start bids on the building next week, and we will go forward with the project. The city is going to do a $100,000 loan to match until other funds become available.”

Lindsay Lane Christian Academy received the highest amount of money under Athens with $35,000 — $30,000 for increasing the number of children who feel safe at school, and $5,000 for increasing the number of young people who gain persistence, problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork skills through the school’s robotics team.

Limestone County Schools received $24,400 — $4,000 for increasing science students’ participating in the classroom and $19,400 at Ardmore for increasing students in the marching band.

The Limestone Area of Community Foundation also received awards totaling $23,000 for increasing community service commitments for young people.

Dekko Foundation

Chester Dekko started the Dekko Foundation in 1981 as a way of fostering economic freedom through education.

The foundation invests in ways to help young people build skills and self-confidence so that they may one day have personal independence and economical freedom.

For the foundation’s 35 birthday, 35 people in grant-making areas were given a pair of shoes as a way of symbolizing them “stepping back” and considering children’s developmental needs.

Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks received a pair of house shoes and a $3,500 check to the city of Athens.

Marks said the check went to the Mayor’s Youth Commission, which held $500 and distributed the remaining $3,000 as grants.

“They took grant applications, graded proposals, scored them and awarded money throughout the community,” he said.

The Dekko Foundation also recognized Athens Intermediate School music teacher Cynthia Anglin.