Washburn Students Award Aleshire Grants
Washburn University Leadership students Ally Burr, Michaela Dervin, Kyle Emerick, Kimberly Euler, Hannah Fairchild, Delanie Markle, Annaleise McEvoy and Kristen Shook continued a decade-long philanthropic tradition between UWGT and the university as part of the Aleshire Venture Grant opporunity.
The Aleshire Venture Grant program helps Washburn University Leadership students become acquainted with philanthropy and their future civic responsibilities. It introduces them to community organizations focused on early childhood development, develops their roles as servant leaders, and engages them in group planning and decision making. Joe Aleshire is a former United Way of Greater Topeka board chairman. He and his wife, Janet, have been generous long-time supporters of United Way and have provided financial support for this unique program since 2008.
The grant process is folded into the leadership curriculum at Washburn and gives students the opportunity to “enhance a program that provides funding to stimulate effective non-profit program development that addresses early childhood development (prenatal care to six years of age). Specifically, the team will set funding priorities, develop program applications, review budgets and program information of applicants, visit potential grantees and collaborate on allocation decisions and make allocation recommendations.”
Under the mentorship of Washburn University Leadership Institute Director Dr. Michael Gleason and UWGT CEO Jessica Lehnherr, the students recommended funding for two programs. The first was a $3,750 investment in Topeka Rescue Mission’s Parenting is a Gift (PiG) program for Family Fun Night parent/child engagement activities. The objective of the PiG program is to engage parents and their children in a positive and fun environment that differs from the stressors of everyday life. Often families in high stress environments may not understand the value of creating attachments with their children or understand how to meet their children's emotional needs.
The students also recommended a $4,250 investment in therapeutic drumming activities for Family Service and Guidance Center’s Early Childhood Intervention Program's therapeutic preschool. Children (ages 2-6) will participate in therapeutic drumming three times per month for 15-20 minutes. The group format makes it easy for children to learn and practice the social and behavioral skills central to their FSGC treatment plans. The therapeutic preschool is a year-round, half-day group. Eight therapeutic preschool groups run during the school year with an additional two during the summer.
