Calvert County School Foundation Provides $20,500 in Grants to Three Calvert Schools

April 25, 2023

The Calvert County School Foundation is honored to award program grants totaling $20,500 to three Calvert County Public Schools: The Panther Den at Patuxent High School submitted by Shana Brickner, Creating Equitable and Inclusive Library Environments Through Creativity and Literature for St. Leonard Elementary and Appeal Elementary submitted by Mary Brooke Fitzpatrick, and PBIS Overhaul at Calvert Middle School submitted by Jason Oates.

Patuxent High School will receive $10,000 for the Panther Den, a space that students, classes, clubs and other extracurricular or community activities can use to maximize the opportunity for students to be creative, innovative, and collaborative.

Much like one would see at a college campus or a space such as Google’s workspace, the Panther Den will be a strategically designed workspace to boost collaborative efforts and community circles to improve student outcomes, culture, climate, and workforce targets – all of which are district priority areas. The project will impact nearly 1,050 students and their families annually.


Calvert Middle School’s Positive Behavioral Supports and Interventions Program (PBIS) will receive $500 toward the revitalization of the school’s PBIS program, particularly in launching The Beautiful Tomorrow Assembly for all students and staff at the beginning of the school year. This assembly promotes peace, hope and empowerment and will impact nearly 660 students and 90 staff members.

St. Leonard Elementary and Appeal Elementary will receive $10,000 for the Creating Equitable and Inclusive Library Environments Through Creativity and Literature program impacting over 600 students annually.

The project will enhance the library collections in each of the schools’ libraries with a focus on equity, community, and recently published non-fiction titles, provide new and engaging interactive, non-consumable and consumable Maker Space materials, and supply equipment to encourage the use of technology in coding and research.

The Calvert County School Foundation is an independent 501C3 organization comprised of local business leaders, community members, former and current educators and school representatives who work together to provide additional funding opportunities, beyond tax dollars, to unique resources and innovative opportunities for learning to every child in Calvert County. Focusing on projects that promote creativity, critical thinking and engagement in the learning process, the foundation issues two call for proposals annually. Eligible applicants include Calvert County Public School (CCPS) employees as well as any member of the community working with CCPS staff. Grants are funded through monetary donations to the foundation along with the foundation’s annual fundraising events.

For more information on the Calvert County School Foundation, please contact Traci Chappelear-Thomas at [email protected].