Scholarships

from page 4 a grant from the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation for funds to hire a consultant to help the South St. Paul Educational Foundation update its mission, vision and value statements, which haven’t changed since the Foundation’s founding about four decades ago. If received, she expects work to begin this summer and take six to 12 months to complete. For more information on the Foundation, visit www. sspef.org.

“We have so many community sponsors, businesses and individuals in town that support us financially,” said Skwira. “Our role is to connect somebody who has a passion for education and South St. Paul Schools with a kid who has a bright future. I thank the donors and the community for supporting us because that’s really what makes it happen.” tion. The other annual event organized by the council is a holiday decoration competition. Those who deck out their houses in December can register with the council to have their house appear on a map on their website, and community members can vote for their favorites. Winners receive special offers or prizes from local businesses.

One of the nonprofit’s biggest challenges is finding a permanent home for meetings, events, classes and performances. Kendall said the council has looked at moving into the old library, but the cost of the century-old building is a major hurdle. She hopes the council will be bolstered in coming years through more grant funding and donations and will soon be able to secure a home that’s visible and accessible to the community.

“I think the arts are just as important as math or English or any of those other really important courses that kids take in high school,” said Kendall. “I know a lot of school districts are struggling right now with keeping arts [amidst budget cuts]. This is just one more opportunity to provide arts to all the people in the community.” rates and account restrictions. Limit one promotional account per customer. Minimum balance to avoid $8.00 service fee is $1,000.00. Fees could reduce earnings. 4No public funds. The bank reserves the right to deny deposit accounts over $5,000,000.00.