Community 101 awards grants

The Community 101 class at Sisters High School awarded $5,000 in grants to six groups Monday night during the Community 101 Dessert at the high school. Two awards went to high school programs: $650 to Life Skills, a program for special-needs students, and $350 to the Interdisciplinary Environmental Expedition (IEE) course.

Other grants were $1,500 to Just 1X, an organization that encourages students to speak out about friends engaging in destructive substance abuse,  $1,000 to Bethlehem Inn, $1,000 to Sisters Skate Park Alliance and $500 to Grandma's House.

The community programs had to meet the requirements of the mission statement for this year, said senior Lizzie Kokesh-Carhart. Kokesh-Carhart, senior Tony Pullig-Gomez, and junior Erica Lowry were leaders for the project. Students from the first trimester leadership class - Ryan Gridley, Davidson Small, Emily Payne, Ryan Long and Freddy Gonzalez - surveyed the student body about needs and issues in the community.

Following the survey, the class established this mission statement: "We the 2011-2012 Leadership Class of Sisters High School want to make a difference by focusing on the prevention of substance abuse, mental-health issues and the increase of positive family health in our community. "

During winter term, Kokesh-Carhart, Pullig-Gomez, and sophomores Erin Wren and Sonja Lund interviewed representatives from numerous nonprofit organizations to determine how to distribute the $5,000.  The students, part of a leadership class at the high school and a program of the Oregon Community Foundation, had the assistance of community sponsors to help make the decision.

"We're conflicted in this decision. Everyone is deserving of it (money)," said Kokesh-Carhart at the time.

The spring term group of students, sophomores Emily Corrigan, Anna Peasley, Spencer Smith, Savannah Spear, Jardon Weems, and junior Erica Lowry met with Leadership teacher Cindy Holler and the former community 101 students to make the finale decision.

Sponsors included the Bob and Yvette Chandler Fund, Rodger and Carolyn Gabrielson, Jessie-Lea and Curtiss Abbott, Valerie and Robert Collins, Nancy and Richard Elliot, Fran Willis and Ted Johnson, Mike and Sue Fisher, and Lori and Les Cooper.

The program allowed Community 101 students to learn a number of lessons about philanthropy. "It's been an eye-opening experience," Kokesh-Carhart said. "You feel torn because you wish you had more to give."