Youth literacy grants

Youth literacy grants

YOUNGSTOWN — The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded youth literacy grants to Heart Reach Ministries, Inc. and the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County.

The grant program provides funding to schools, public libraries and nonprofit organizations for the implementation or expansion of literacy programs.

Heart Reach Ministries was awarded $3,000 to help fund its Heart Reach Literacy Program. The library received $3,000 to help fund its Summer Reading Club “Get Creative at Your Library.”

“Reading is a fundamental building block to a sound education,” said Rick Dreiling, Dollar General’s chairman and CEO. “Dollar General is proud to support Youngstown’s literacy initiatives as they undertake the important task of helping young minds master the skill of reading.”

Scholarship established

YOUNGSTOWN — The faculty and staff of the gerontology program at Youngstown State University have established the Dr. James Kiriazis Scholarship Endowment in honor of the late chair of the university’s Sociology and Anthropology Department.

The endowment was established at the YSU Foundation through the generosity of James Collins, YSU Class of 1988, and Anabel Collins, Class of 1987.

Kiriazis, known as “Dr. K,” taught at YSU for 50 years before retiring in 1991. In 1957, he became the first person to teach a gerontology class in the state of Ohio.

He was an anthropologist and longtime department chair, helping to launch aging education and the degree in social work at YSU. He also served on the Ohio Counselor and Social Worker Licensing Board. In addition, he was a research professor in Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at the Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine.

The first scholarships will be awarded in fall 2010.

Howland open house

HOWLAND — Howland High School will host an open house at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Parents should report to their children’s first-period classes and should have the students’ schedules with them. Parents will follow their children’s schedules in 10-minute sessions as teachers explain programs and evaluation processes.

Refreshments will follow.

Deduction for educators

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the school year and back-to-school sales in full swing, teachers and other educators should save their receipts for purchases of books and classroom supplies.

These out-of-pocket expenses may benefit educators when they file their 2009 taxes in 2010.

The educator expense deduction allows teachers to deduct the cost of books, supplies, equipment and software used in the classroom. Eligible educators include those who work at least 900 hours during a school year as a teacher, instructor, counselor, principal or aide in a public or private elementary or secondary school.

Eligible educators may subtract up to $250 of qualified out-of-pocket expenses, whether or not they itemizes their deductions. If married filing jointly and both taxpayers were eligible educators, the maximum deduction is $500. For more information, go to the IRS Web site at IRS.gov and type “educator expenses” in the keyword search field.

Edinboro enrollment record

EDINBORO, Pa. — Fall enrollment at Edinboro University has reached 8,213 students, the largest in the institution’s 152-year history.

The new record enrollment surpasses the previous high of 8,202 in 1992.

Edinboro University, northwest Pennsylvania’s largest and most comprehensive institution of higher education, also saw one of the largest application pools in the last 20 years and experienced an unprecedented pool of transfer applications.

This semester, 6,458 undergraduate and transfer students are enrolled.

Silver Torch Award given

GROVE CITY, Pa. — Grove City College Alpha Theta Mu chapter of Mortar Board has been honored with a Silver Torch Award for excellence by the national organization.

The Grove City chapter received the award at the 2009 Mortar Board National Conference. The award recognizes chapters exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service.

YSU triumphs at MathFest

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University’s winning streak at MathFest continued this summer in Portland, Ore., through the efforts of 12 mathematics majors.

Four students took home “outstanding oral presentation” awards, marking the fifth consecutive year that YSU students have won four or more honors. No other school has ever won more than three awards in a single year.

George Yates, YSU mathematics professor, said that MathFest — the annual meeting of the Mathematical Association of America and Pi Mu Epsilon — is about much more than just the competition.

Award–winning students this year were Matthew Alexander of Espyville, Pa.; Lisa Curll of Columbiana, Patrick Walker of Struthers and Moriah Wright of Ashtabula.

Other students who gave presentations were Scott Eddy of Boardman, Alycia Kolat of Brookfield, Justin Laufman of Canfield, Mario Sracic of Hermitage, Angela Urban of Hubbard, Allison Wiland of Canfield and Joshua Mike and Kristi Mraz, both of Youngstown.

Students help out child

HUBBARD — School may have just started, but eighth-grade students in Ardaith Hamrock’s class at St. Patrick School saw a need and took action.

Students had read about a child- abuse case and wanted to help. Class members brought in balls, cars, small toys and school supplies. The items were given to a Brookfield police officer, who is giving them to the victim.

Open houses at Mathews

VIENNA — Open houses are planned at Mathews Local Schools’ buildings. Dates are: Currie, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday,; Baker, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15; Neal Middle, 7 to 8 p.m. Sept. 14; and Mathews High, 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday.

A presentation explaining the building issue on the Nov. 3 ballot will conclude each building’s event. For more information, call Lee Seiple, superintendent, (330) 394-2000.