Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Kicks off 2011 School Year with More Than $4 Million in Educational Grants

Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation Kicks off 2011 School Year with More Than $4 Million in Educational Grants

$225,000 in grants to go to schools in disaster relief zones

MOORESVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- As students and teachers throughout the United States are settling into classes, Lowe's is proud to announce grants totaling more than $4 million to support education.

For the 2011-2012 school year, Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation (LCEF) is providing funds for school systems across America through Lowe's Toolbox for Education(R) grants; Teach for America; Project L.I.F.T; Hispanic Scholarship Fund; Thurgood Marshall College Fund; Lowe's Scholarships and Carl Buchan Scholarships.

LCEF Grants

This fall LCEF has awarded more than $1.35 million in grants to 18 schools for school improvement projects including rebuilding and renovation projects, critical repairs and installation of SMART Board technology, among other projects. Additional LCEF grants will be awarded in subsequent grant cycles throughout the rest of the school year.

"Lowe's is proud to contribute more than $4 million to support education across the country and we're ready to see these dollars at work to improve schools for our future generations," said Marshall Croom, chairman of Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation. "These dollars will help close the funding gap facing many schools today and expedite much-needed improvements and upgrades at schools throughout America so that our children have a comfortable, well-equipped environment for learning."

To support disaster relief efforts in communities hit by severe weather and natural disasters this spring, more than $225,000 of the $1.35 million was granted to schools in Gloucester, Mass., Hackleburg, Phil Campbell and Tuscaloosa, Ala., Lee County, N.C. and Ringgold, Ga. These grants are part of a larger $1 million commitment made by LCEF to rebuild schools affected by natural disasters.

Schools awarded LCEF grants include:

AlabamaMassachusetts$100,000Phil Campbell High School -     $55,904Page Middle School - GloucesterPhil CampbellMississippi$25,000Hackleburg Public Schools -
Hackleburg$157,200Hazelhurst High School -
                                         Hazelhurst
$35,000Holt Elementary School -
TuscaloosaNevadaCalifornia$100,000 Kit Carson College Preparatory
                                         Academy of
$100,000Temescal Canyon High School -
Lake Elsinore                            Creative Arts & Technology - Las VegasColoradoNew York$100,000 School Distrcit 27J - Brighton$98,270North Tonawanda City School
                                         District -
Georgia
                                         Tonawanda
$40,000Judia Jackson Harris ElementaryCharter School -                         North CarolinaAthens$60,000Lee County Schools - Sanford

$100,000Southeast Whitfield High School$100,000Onslow County Schools -
- Dalton                                 Jacksonville$50,000Ringgold High School - Ringgold  WashingtonOhio$100,000Pasco Vocational Building
                                         Programs -
$67,375Marion City Schools - Marion
                                         PascoOklahomaWest Virginia$40,000Owasso Mid-High School - Owasso
                                         $23,000Poca Middle School - Poca



Teach for America

LCEF awarded $750,000 to Teach for America to be distributed in Charlotte, Houston, Indianapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, New Mexico, Rio Grande Valley and Louisiana. Teach For America is an organization that works to ensure children growing up in poverty are provided an excellent education.

Project L.I.F.T.

Lowe's is partnering with Project L.I.F.T (Leadership and Investment for Transformation) to provide $500,000 in grants over five years to help Charlotte's public school system. Project L.I.F.T. is a geographically targeted initiative whose goal is to increase the graduation rate and close the achievement gap for students in the West Charlotte High School corridor. Project funding will target four key areas of intervention - talent, time, technology and community support. In addition to Lowe's funding, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation will contribute by making a $250,000 grant over five years to support Project L.I.F.T.

United Negro College Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund

LCEF has also donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, $250,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and $100,000 to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. All funds will support emergency student aid scholarships.

Lowe's and Carl Buchan Scholarships

In 2011, Lowe's awarded 140 scholarships, totaling $350,000, through the Lowe's Scholarship program, which is open to all high school seniors who plan to attend any accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States. In addition, Lowe's awarded 50 Carl Buchan scholarships totaling $250,000 to full-and part-time Lowe's employees, their spouses, domestic partners and dependents.

ABOUT LOWE'S

Lowe's supports the communities it serves through programs that focus on K-12 public education and community improvement projects. The company's signature education grant program, Lowe's Toolbox for Education, has brought more than $5 million in grants to K-12 public schools every year since its inception in 2005. Lowe's Heroes employee volunteers support local community projects and our national nonprofit partners such as Habitat for Humanity International and the American Red Cross. In 2010, Lowe's and the Lowe's Charitable and Educational Foundation together contributed more than $30 million to support communities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. To learn more, visit Lowes.com/socialresponsibility.


    Source: Lowe's