Grant Impact Story
Students of the Shenango Valley Catholic School System now have improved theology experiences thanks to new bibles and theology textbooks, purchased through grants from the Catholic Foundation.
At Saint John Paul II Elementary School, students could bring in their own bibles from home for their theology classes. These bibles were all different editions, sometimes not even Catholic, and not every student had one. This would make it difficult for teachers to reference the bible during classes. “We want all of our students to understand our faith and the beauty of God’s word in a consistent manner,” Angela Surano, co-chair of the board of directors, wrote in her grant application.
To alleviate this, they wanted to purchase children’s bibles for kindergarten through 2nd grade, and regular editions for 3rd-6th
grade. The children’s bibles are written so the children could more easily understand the stories and having the same for all students meant teachers could easily reference passages and know the students were all seeing the same thing.
At Kennedy Catholic High School, students in grades 10 and 12 had outdated theology textbooks. Purchasing new textbooks, as well as the accompanying teacher manuals and starter packs, would improve the quality of instruction for these students. “We believe these resources will strengthen our approach with the students and truly enhance their appreciation for that Catholic faith that is taught every day,” Angela wrote in her grant application.
The impact these new books have had is obvious and appreciated. Michael Masotto, a teacher at Saint John Paul II, shared, “the bibles are an integral part of our religious studies, and have allowed students to deepen their understanding of scripture and the teachings of our faith in daily life. Students are becoming more familiar with the bibles each day, and they help to reinforce the religious foundation that is at the core of our school mission.” The principal, other staff, and students also shared their appreciation of the age-appropriate bibles for every student in the school.
With the new high school textbooks, the impact was similarly immediate and welcomed.
“The students were so excited to receive new textbooks, and the instructors have valued the manuals to help enhance the students’ use of everything. We cannot express our appreciation enough to all of the generous donors,” Angela wrote in her grant report. Students at both schools will have enhanced theology classes for years to come thanks to these new materials.
These projects were supported by grants from the Education Endowment of the Catholic Foundation. Your gift to the Foundation in any amount designated for this endowment increases our capacity to award grants for impactful projects and programming throughout northwest Pennsylvania.
“The students were so excited to receive new textbooks, and the instructors have valued the manuals to help enhance the students’ use of everything. We cannot express our appreciation enough to all of the generous donors.”