Youngstown Foundation awards a $500,000 grant to Potential Development School

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Foundation awarded a $500,000 grant to Potential Development School for Students with Autism after it found a local school’s mission matched its Hine Memorial Fund’s mission.

The fund’s mission is to “assist organizations that care for children with disabilities who live in Mahoning County,” said Crissi Jenkins, Youngstown Foundation program coordinator.

Potential Development School for Students with Autism received the $500,000 grant Wednesday morning outside its newly purchased former Anthem building, 2400 Market St., across the street from its high school.

The school accepts students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Potential Development representatives said with the help of the grant their goal is to renovate a building and expand its services.

Elementary and middle-school classes will move to the newly acquired building after it is renovated, freeing up 11 classrooms at Potential Development’s 880 E. Indianola Ave. building to expand its preschool offerings.

Potential Development is a really great project to address critical needs in the community, and it has a tremendous impact on families, Jenkins said.

Potential Development is funded mostly through donations. Before its most recent grant award, there has been $1.1 million invested in the Market Street building – about $250,000 on the elevator and $300,000 on the second-floor renovations alone.

Paul Garchar, Potential Development executive director, said with each renovation, additional space is provided to accommodate more students – the ultimate goal being to accommodate as many students as parents see necessary.

“It’s about giving [parents] a choice for their child’s education,” he said. Jenkins said on behalf of the foundation she is very excited the foundation is able to play a part in the good work Potential Development does.

“It’s about bettering the lives of children,” she said.

For information about Potential Development, visit potentialdevelopment.org, call 330-746-7641 or email info@potentialdevelopment.org.