In the News
Welcome to the News Page! In an effort to honor the successes of our grantees and keep the community informed of our initiatives, we will be updating this page to let you know about our latest grants, notable milestones, and other news.
Grantee News: Suburban students travel to Black colleges: 'Now I can see it for myself'
March 24, 2023 via Democrat & Chronicle - Hannah Douglass wasn't certain she wanted to attend college after graduating from Fairport High School. Mostly she was resigned to it, she said, because it was important to her mother.
Grantee News: Arc of Monroe awarded funds to support its Aging with Grace, Aging in Place campaign
May 4, 2022 via Rochester Business Journal - The Arc Foundation of Monroe was recently awarded a $50,000 grant by the William & Sheila Konar Foundation to help fund the construction of two ranch-style, fully accessible 7-bedroom homes.
Foundation News: Get a shot, get $100 at some Monroe County vaccination clinics
September 16, 2021 via City - In an attempt to persuade thousands of unvaccinated people in the Rochester area to get inoculated against COVID-19, county health officials and philanthropic leaders are offering their largest incentive to date — $100 gift cards.
Foundation News: Data released shows the COVID-19 vaccination rate is increasing in Rochester
September 16, 2021 via Finger Lakes 1 - Data collected from community outreach initiatives and pop-up clinics are showing a positive impact on the Rochester population and their COVID-19 vaccine rates. More than 50% of the eligible population in every Rochester city ZIP code has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, community leaders announced.
Foundation News: RCSD opens new food pantry at Edison Tech
June 21, 2021 via 13 WHAM - The Rochester City School District marked the opening of a new food pantry at one of its schools. The William & Sheila Konar Foundation gave $20,000 to the district to buy refrigerators, shelving, bins and food for six school-based pantries.
Foundation News: Cameron Community Ministries tapped as Children's Defense Fund Freedom School
April 13, 2021 via Democrat & Chronicle - Every year, Cameron Community Ministries hosts summer enrichment programs for Rochester youth. What makes this year different is that this summer Cameron Community Ministries is hosting a Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) Freedom School.
Foundation News: Carthage College receives $150,000 grant for Urban Teacher Preparation Program
April 7, 2021 via The Journal Times - Carthage College has received a $150,000 grant from the William & Sheila Konar Foundation to grow its Urban Teacher Prep Program (UTPP), a program designed to expand the pool of educators who are equipped and committed to teaching in urban elementary schools.
Foundation News: How three sectors came together to help their community with a new affordable housing model
December 1, 2020 via New York Real Estate Journal - In an effort to address some of the many issues found at Affordable Housing complexes in our country, as well as to help find homes for those in need of affordable housing in our community, a unique and innovative partnership was formed.
Foundation News: 2020 Fall Funders Convening Keynote: Grantmaker Reflections
October 22, 2020 via NY Funders Alliance - Kudos are extended to our organizational leaders for a thought-provoking conference. I also appreciate the opportunity to give a few remarks in response to the presentation given by Marcus Walton on Monday.
Foundation News: Rochesterians donate nearly $4 million to Community Crisis Fund
May 4, 2020 via Rochester Business Journal - More than $3.8 million has been raised for the Community Crisis Fund, which was started roughly six weeks ago by the United Way of Greater Rochester Inc. and the Rochester Area Community Foundation.
Industry News: How Vocational Education Got a 21st Century Reboot
September 12, 2019 via Politico - Suriana Rodriguez is only 19, but she’s already lined up a full-time job at IBM. After her junior year in high school, she interned at the tech giant’s Poughkeepsie, N.Y., campus, 20 miles north of her hometown, for $17 an hour.
Industry News: Better Schools Won’t Fix America
July 2019 via The Atlantic - Long ago, I was captivated by a seductively intuitive idea, one many of my wealthy friends still subscribe to: that both poverty and rising inequality are largely consequences of America’s failing education system. Fix that, I believed, and we could cure much of what ails America.
Industry News: Poverty and the ideological imperative: a call to unhook from deficit and grit ideology and to strive for structural ideology in teacher education
August 23, 2016 via Journal of Education for Teaching - ‘Raise your hand,’ I instructed the students, ‘if you believe you have worked hard in your life’.
Foundation News: A $500,000 donation will help Nazareth College expand programs focusing on religious diversity
February 6, 2019 via WXXI News - Nazareth College says it will be able to add to its efforts at promoting religious diversity with a $500,000 grant from the William and Sheila Konar Foundation.
Grantee News: UR/East EPO Partnership Launches Step to College Program
August 2, 2018 via Warner School of Education, University of Rochester - A new college preparatory program created under the University of Rochester’s EPO partnership with East High School aims to prepare Rochester students for admission to two-year and four-year colleges.
