Elementary Education Programs

Care & Share Program

The Portland Foundation’s Care and Share Program is designed to teach students philanthropic principles and what it means to care and share within our community. Volunteers from the Foundation visit each third grade class to discuss philanthropy and how the students can be philanthropists. Each class decides on a project and is given $100 from the Foundation to complete their program.

Since its inception in 1999, the Care and Share program has been funded by the Virgil B. and Josephine H. Thomas Educational Fund, a field of interest fund of the Foundation. 

Participating Schools

In 2008 $1,600 was given to 16 third grade classrooms where 292 students and 16 teachers were directly involved in the Care and Share program. An additional $797 was raised by the students as well as numerous in-kind gifts, bringing the total amount returned to the community to $2,397. The participants and projects were as follows:

Bloomfield Elementary School
A total of $300 was awarded. Students gave all the money to the Jay County Humane Society Shelter for food, cleaning supplies, or veterinary bills.  
Teachers: Bonita Frazee and Jennifer DeHoff
Number of students involved: 43

East Elementary School
A total of $300 was awarded. The students gave the money to the Jay County Historical Society since the classes study a unit on Jay County History. 
Teachers: Nila Blankenbaker, Gay Jobe and Amy Myers
Number of students involved: 41

General Shanks Elementary School
A total of $200 was awarded. The students gave one-half of their money to the Jayland Homeless Shelter and one-half to the Jay County Humane Society Animal Shelter to help with operational expenses. 
Teachers: Jodi McKee, Denise Swingley, and Christine Whitenack
Number of students involved: 62

Jay County Christian Academy
A total of $100 was awarded. The students chose to give the money to the Jay County Cancer Society to help cancer patients with medical expenses.
Teacher: Amie Billington
Number of students involved: 9

Judge Haynes Elementary School
A total of $200 was awarded. In addition to the gift of money, the students collected items to donate to the Jay County Humane Society Animal Shelter. The Humane Society brought animals into the classrooms to show the students whom they had helped.  
Teachers: Terri Franklin and Rex Pinkerton
Number of students involved: 40

Pennville Elementary School
A total of $100 was awarded. The students held a Walk-a-thon and raised an additional $291. They purchased toys at the Portland Wal-Mart to give to the "Toys for Tots" program sponsored by the Pennville American Legion.
Teacher: Jill Ford
Number of students involved: 16

Redkey Elementary School
A total of $200 was awarded. The third graders raised an additional $309.64 by selling snacks. The proceeds were used to benefit the Jay County Humane Society Animal Shelter. Representatives from the shelter visited the class to discuss what is involved in running the shelter each day. 
Teachers: Cuba Cassel and Sharon Hoffman
Number of students involved: 37

Westlawn Elementary School
A total of $200 was awarded. The students chose to help a fellow third grade classmate whose home was destroyed by fire in December 2007. They sold lollipops to raise an additional $200. They presented the proceeds to the family. 
Teachers: Jennifer Johnson and Janelle Kirby
Number of students involved: 44 

The Dictionary Project 

Once again, Jay County third grade students have received dictionaries compliments of The Commercial Review and the Dictionary Project.  The Dictionary Project is a nonprofit organization designed to raise money to provide a dictionary to third grade students in public schools.  Over 500,000 students nationwide have received a dictionary through this program.  Jay County schools were the first in Indiana to participate in the program starting in the Spring 2003.  The Commercial Review has agreed to provide funds for dictionaries for the third grade classes for every year going forward.  The Portland Foundation serves as a facilitator for this program.