Penn Manor Education Foundation has awarded more than $15,000 in Strong Grants to improve opportunities for students and families through its Strong & Healthy Families initiative.

The 2019 Strong Grants include $5,000 to pay for uniforms, tools, equipment and supplies for Penn Manor students attending Lancaster Career & Technology Center programs; $2,500 to help students pay fees for dual enrollment classes and advanced-placement tests to earn college credits; and $1,000 to pay for credit-recovery courses to help students graduate.

In addition, a $2,000 grant is supporting Samaritan Counseling Center’s Teen Hope program, which provides mental health screenings to all Penn Manor ninth-graders; and a $1,000 grant will fund the Literacy Outreach program, which brings books and other materials to children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Additional grants include $1,000 for supplies for PM C.A.R.E.S., which provides household essentials to families in need; $1,850 for counseling programs for at-risk students; and $760 to purchase graduation caps and gowns for students from low-income families.

The $15,110 total awarded this year is the highest since the Strong & Healthy initiative was established in 2016 in response to the increasing needs of families in the Penn Manor community. Nearly 42 percent of students now qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

The Strong Grants are in addition to PMEF’s existing Venture Grant program for classroom teachers and its scholarship program for graduating Penn Manor High School seniors.

Penn Manor community members can support Strong & Healthy Families by contributing to the PMEF general fund. For more information, contact executive director Jan Mindish at contact@pennmanoredfoundation.org