Wiregrass RC&D awarded 10 grants to schools and organizations in Pike County to help make a difference. 

Wiregrass RC&D is part of the Alabama Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils and serves 10 counties – Barbour, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston and Pike – in the Wiregrass region. Wiregrass RC&D’s mission is to help communities meet local needs through building relationships, cultivating partnerships  and designating resources.

Each year, Wiregrass RC&D accepts applications for grants from each of the counties in its service area. The applications are reviewed by a submission committee and 10 recipients from each county are selected for a grant award. Most grants are $5,000 and are distributed by the home county’s legislators in Montgomery. 

On Monday morning, Wiregrass RC&D hosted a press conference at Charles Henderson High School to allow grant recipients a chance to share how their grant money was used with Rep. Marcus Paramore, R-Troy, and Sen. Josh Carnley, R-Ino. 

Banks School received $5,000 for work on an outdoor classroom. Banks teacher Nicklaus Chrysson said this was the second year Banks had received a RC&D grant for the classroom. Chrysson said this year, Banks was able to add a power outlet and fan so the classroom could be used year-round. 

Common Ground of Troy received a grant for its Grow Together Program. Executive Director Clint Free said the program installed raised gardening beds and a smart board to help teach young men about gardening. Free said the program was designed to teach kids about responsibility, duty and accountability. 

The Goshen Volunteer Fire Department was awarded a grant to help with replacing turnout gear. The department’s annual budget is about $20,000 and with help from the RC&D, the Pike County Commission and the Goshen City Council, the VFD was able to replace about half of its turnout gear.

Charles Henderson High School received a grant for its Virtual Reality educational program. Sonny Kirkpatrick, manufacturing technology teacher, said CHHS was the first school in the state to use VR technology in the classroom. Kirkpatrick said the VR training modules cover a variety of subject matter and make it possible for students to put on VR goggles and go to a virtual job site and interact with objects. Kirkpatrick said virtual reality gives students a chance to get hands-on-experience that would not be possible in a classroom setting. 

The Arboretum at Troy University received a grant to help build a bridge to ease foot traffic at the Arboretum. Director Alvin Diamond said the Arboretum covers 75-acres and has approximately seven miles of trails. The Arboretum has been undergoing a restoration of its trails and facilities since 2022. 

The IDEA Bank in downtown Troy received a grant to help fund its Just Start Entrepreneur Camp. IDEA Bank Director Lynne George said attending the camp is a competitive process in which students apply for a spot in the camp. George said this is the third year for the camp and only 10 students are selected for participation. She said students are on Troy University’s campus for a five-day entrepreneurship boot camp. She said the camp focuses on entrepreneurship, starting a business and building confidence in the students. 

Grants awarded by Wiregrass RC&D included:

• Troy University for an Arboretum Nature Trail, $5,000
• Pike County Extension Service for Growing Youth Education programs, $5,000
• Charles Henderson High School for Continuing Education through Virtual Reality, $5,000
• Pike County Soil and Water Conservation District for Conservation Education in Action, $5,000
• Common Ground Troy for Growing Together, $5,000
• Tracy Jones, Healing Minds, Body and Spirits Counseling for Counseling Services, $5,000
• Banks School for an Outdoor Classroom, $5,000
• Goshen Volunteer Fire Department for Turnout Gear, $10,000