The Redstone Foundation

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Mission: To provide financial support for the educational and community development activities and programs sponsored by the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, and to promote and develop the economic, civic, cultural and social welfare of the citizens of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, through education and outreach projects and programs.Programs supported through The Redstone Foundation will be available to all county residents and businesses. Programming and projects will be undertaken as collaborative activities with partnering business, community and economic development agencies and educational institutions.

Objectives: The Redstone Foundation will support projects and educational programs that are intended to:

• Enhance the educational opportunities with emphasis on community development and civic leadership.
• Develop the economic, civic, cultural and social welfare of the citizens of Fayette County.
• Support Workforce Development Efforts throughout Fayette County.
• Promote the development of the tourism industry in Fayette County.

Potential Project Areas

• Encourage the development of small business enterprise in Fayette County.
• Support Workforce Development efforts throughout Fayette County
• Promote the use of new communication technologies by business, professional and educational communities in Fayette County.
• Support the development of projects and programs that use technology to accomplish community development activities, or enhance the communications technology infrastructure within the area.

Program of Action:

Objective 1 – Enhance the educational opportunities with emphasis on community development and civic leadership:

EducationWorks! - Fayette County Educators of the Year Awards

Purpose: A healthy economy is rooted in many aspects of community life. Among these are the quality of the employees in our businesses, and also the quality of our educational system, which is critical to attracting new people, new businesses, and helping our community reach its full potential. Recognizing achievement in the field of education, and providing support to our education community is a vital process in this scenario.

Process: Honorees are chosen from nominations submitted to the Fayette Chamber by other teachers, students, parents, or administrators. Final selections are made by a committee of the Fayette Chamber’s Education Council, based on their assessment of the individuals’ contribution to education, professional activities, extracurricular activities, strengths in teaching, involvement in the community, and most importantly, impact on students.

Funding: Funding, in the form of donations and scholarships are solicited from the Chamber membership. Additional funding sources for this program, as well as enhancement to this program (Act 42 Conference Scholarship) will be investigated over the next year.

EducationWorks! - Fayette Chamber of Commerce Students of the Months program

Purpose: Chambers of Commerce have a vested interest in the quality of their school systems and a genuine desire to see their students excel and become productive members of a free and economically stable society. The Chamber’s Education Council is committed to reinforcing student’s good performance through recognition during the junior year as Student’s of the Month.

Process: Criteria and eligibility forms are sent to the participating schools. All communication for this program is done through the high school guidance counselor. Each participating school is required to provide the list of their students (guidance counselors make the determination of awardee) to the chamber prior to each months scheduled Education Council meeting. Two Students of the Months luncheons are held each year (one in January and the second in April) where all awarded students are invited to share their successes among their peers and with the council as well as the members of the Chamber Board of Directors.

Funding: Sponsorship for the students is solicited through the general Chamber membership and offered in support of individual districts per semester.

EducationWorks! - Fayette Chamber’s Education Council Awards Program

Purpose: Chambers of Commerce have a vested interest in the quality of their school systems and a genuine desire to see their students excel and become productive members of a free and economically stable society. The Chamber’s Education Council is committed to reinforcing student’s good performance through recognition during the junior year as Student’s of the Month. As an additional reward for performance academically and through community service and citizenship, the previous year’s students of the month are eligible to compete for a monetary award during their senior year.

Process: Scholarship applications will be mailed to the student’s home during the month of January each year. Applications for the scholarship will need to be received no later than March 15 and will then be reviewed by an awards sub committee of the Education Council. The criteria for the award will include the submission of a personal profile, explaining volunteer, work, school and community involvement as well as a narrative about future personal and professional goals. Each candidate must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and although grade point average is a part, it will not be the main emphasis, as consideration is given more for a well-rounded individual that is focused and demonstrates character and citizenship. Since the chamber is a community organization, this type of individual will benefit a community whether in Fayette County or wherever the individual chooses to live.

Funding: The Education Council of the Chamber runs several successful programs throughout the year. The committee works to achieve 100% sponsorship for these events and works to profit at the end of the year with at least $4000.00. These funds, in additional to donations given by businesses and individuals to directly support the scholarships make up the funds used each year.

Objective 2 – Develop the economic, civic, cultural and social welfare of the citizens of Fayette County.

Purpose: In response to the need for an event that would work to bring the community of Fayette County together, the Special Events Council of the Fayette Chamber of Commerce created a community-wide fireworks event and a fall festival. A location along the National Road was chosen because the corridor is a key visitor route in the county. This event was successful and occurred from 1995-1997. In 1998, the event was adapted in to an Independence Day event and has occurred on the Sunday preceding July 4th, each year since continuing at the National Road location.

Process: This event is a wonderful opportunity to bring the community together to celebrate patriotism as well as the history and heritage of the area. It also allows local businesses to give back to the community that supports them throughout the year. Although any revenue that is brought in from this festival through the minimal gate fee ($3 per adult – children under 12 free of charge) is attributed back to the Chamber, the money goes to support the festival for the following year. This is a one-day event running from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It is branded and marketed as an Old Fashioned Family Independence Day Picnic and includes between seven and ten local restaurant vendors, as well as several non-profit food vendors (church groups, local YMCA, etc.). There is great emphasis on the use of only local vendors so that community support is received from all groups. The event includes live entertainment throughout the day, culminates with a fireworks display at dusk and is staffed by community and chamber volunteers. With an annual attendance of nearly 19,000 people per year, the event continues to grow. The festival takes place each year on the Sunday preceding the Forth of July.

Funding: In order to most effectively market the festival, a great deal of emphasis is placed upon signage as well as print, radio, and billboard advertising. We have worked with local shops to have marketing materials made that are adaptable for use throughout several years. Each year we replace a portion of the materials. Grant funding has been used in previous years.

Objective 3 – Support workforce development efforts throughout Fayette County

A) Fayette Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Golf Outing

Project Background: The Fayette Chamber Scholarship Golf Outing is an annual event that has been in existence since 1992. Funds collected through the outing are given to Penn State Fayette/Eberly Campus to be granted to four business students. Traditionally, the amount presented has been $2000.00 per year.

Process: The event is held on the second Friday in September. Attendees are solicited from the Chamber membership at large.

Funding: Attendees are solicited from the Chamber membership at large. At the event, several small-scale fundraising activities take place to supplement the scholarship fund. The donation is presented to Penn State at the Chamber Annual Dinner.

B) County Wide Eighth Grade Career Fair

Purpose: The county-wide eighth grade career fair is an opportunity for students to explore a wide variety of career options by talking to local business and professional people who represent different career fields. Because the students choose their high school courses of study (sciences, general, academic, vocational, etc.) at the end of eighth grade, the Fair focuses exclusively on eighth grade students. They learn that there are many rewarding career paths to pursue in Fayette County, and they talk to business and professional people who are in those career fields. It is an important learning opportunity for the students before their and their parents make fundamental academic decisions.

Process: Prior to the fair, students are provided with a career interest inventor and classroom exploration exercises to help them explore what types of careers they may be interested in, what types of classes they will need to take in high school as well as many other aspects of their career interest. The day of the fair, the students are scheduled for 45-minute visits where they are required to interview at least two professionals to complete their assignment.

Funding: When needed, grant funding will be sought for this activity. For the past three years, the Fair has been solely sponsored and coordinated by the Laurel Business Institute.

Objective 4 – Promote the development of the tourism industry in Fayette County

Fayette County Tourism Summit

Purpose: The County Tourism Summit is set up to update and engage the members of the county’s tourism community and other citizens interested in shaping the direction and character of the county’s tourism industry and to increase the positive impact of tourism and tourism-related business on the county’s economy.

Process: The County Tourism Summit is held on an annual basis and is coordinated with the assistance of the Fayette County Commissioners office as well as the Fayette County Tourism Committee. The event includes welcome representation from the entire tourism community of Fayette County.

Funding: Funding is solicited from all active Chamber members as well as Fayette County government, private business, etc. In kind donations are also accepted. Grant funding will be investigated for this event in the future.