Jun 3, 2013 3 min read

The Community Foundation of Greene County, in partnership with EQT Corp., announced a grant award to Carmichaels Area High School for the EMT certification class.

The grant was made possible by a contribution from EQT Corp. to the Educational Improvement Fund as part of the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program at the foundation.

The $10,000 grant will be used to purchase new, updated equipment that will help new classes of students develop the skills to pass new national and state regulations for EMT certification.

J. L. Carpenter, community adviser for EQT recently presented the grant to the school.

“EQT is excited to help students develop life saving skills that will eventually be used in the community,” Carpenter said. “The skills these students learn are not only useful in future jobs, but they are able to help make their community a safer place to live, work and play.”

Rebecca Reed, instructor for the EMT certification class at Carmichaels High School, noted that some equipment currently used by the class is more than 30 years old. Additionally, Pennsylvania is changing its certification/testing requirements and will require the students to complete a national registry EMT course which is far more intensive in training and cost.

“I knew that we would need new equipment to help student comply the new standards,” Reed said. John Menhart, the Carmichaels High School principal, suggested that we check with the Community Foundation of Greene County’s EITC grant program. This grant is a lifesaver for the program.”

The graduating class of 2014 will be the first to be nationally registered. Since 1999, nearly 100 Carmichaels students have been certified as Emergency Medical Technician Basic graduates of the class are currently working and volunteering in more than 12 states. Former students are using their skills in the United States Marine Corps, Army and Air Force. More than 15 graduates are employed with a local paid ambulance service and even more are volunteers in Greensboro, Bobtown, Nemacolin, Rices Landing, Clarksville, Jefferson and Richhill.

The Greene County Educational Improvement Fund was established in 2005 when the Foundation was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s EITC program.

Businesses receive Pennsylvania tax credits for their contributions – 90 percent tax credit if the business makes a two-year gift, or a 75 percent tax credit for a single year gift, up to a maximum of $300,000 in credits per taxable year, for the innovative Educational Improvement and K-12 scholarship programs.

The EITC Educational Improvement Fund supports innovative, advanced-academic educational projects that enhance the curriculum or academic program of a public school. Teachers and administrators in Greene County school districts may submit grant proposals to the Foundation at any time during the year to be considered for an EITC Educational Improvement Fund award. Criteria and application information can be found on the CFGC webpage at http://www.cfgcpa.org/schoolgrants.html.

For more information on the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program at CFGC, visit www.cfgcpa.org, call Bettie Stammerjohn, executive director at 724-627-2010 or email cfgcpa@gmail.com.