UWF RECEIVES $10,000 CONTRIBUTION FROM WACHOVIA WELLS FARGO FOUNDATION FOR LEED FOR YOUTH PROGRAM

UWF has received a $10,000 gift from the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation and the Wells Fargo Foundation for its LEED for Youth program. Martin Small, Wachovia's market president, and Lisa Hamilton, Wachovia's Community Bank district manager, presented the gift to UWF President Judith Bense this summer.

LEED for Youth – Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design – is a regional, kindergarten through 12th-grade education outreach initiative led by UWF that incorporates real-world science, technology, engineering and math or STEM concepts into classroom curriculum and activities. It also will assist the UWF Construction Program with development of these proposed education initiatives: field trips/lesson plan portal; articulation agreements; and summer camps.

Through LEED for Youth, UWF strives to raise environmental awareness and promote STEM-related careers among future members of the work force.

“We are committed to running our own company as efficiently as possible and adopting practices that conserve our resources," said Connie Smith, Community Affairs Manager for Wachovia. "So we are pleased to support nonprofits who are focused on environmental projects through the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation."

“The support provided by Wachovia has solidified our ability to move forward with our hands-on learning opportunities and field trips to be offered to students in K-12 education system to showcase career choices and ‘at-home’ B.E.S.T. practices for the environment,” Glenda Mayo, program coordinator, UWF Building Construction. “We are very excited about Wachovia’s support and we’re ready to get started!”

“Partners, such as Wachovia, enable our faculty and students to reach out to the community in a variety of ways,” Karen Rasmussen, interim associate dean, chair and professor, Engineering and Technology, Instructional and Performance Technology at UWF. “This funding will enable our Building Construction program to offer K-12 students a window into the world of sustainability, construction and best practices.”

For more information about LEED for Youth, contact Mayo at gmayo@uwf.edu or Rasmussen at krasmuss@uwf.edu.

About the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation:
The Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to eligible 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to support the following focus areas: Education, Community Development, Health/Human Services, Arts/Culture, Civic and Environment. The mission of the Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation is to build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life, and make a positive difference.