Arrowhead Primary School Creates Endowment Fund for Nature Zone

The PTA at Arrowhead Primary School in Copley has created an endowment fund through the Akron Community Foundation to help support funding for its Nature Zone well into the future.

Arrowhead’s Nature Zone consists of a greenhouse, wetlands, a garden for each class and a chicken coop, teaching children to appreciate gardening and personally experience where their food comes from.

Activities are held throughout the year at the facility. All funding comes through the PTA, grants and donations. All work in the Nature Zone is done by volunteers. 

The endowment fund was launched with just over $10,000, nearly double the minimum required to create a fund with the Akron Community Foundation. The goal is for the PTA to add money to that fund each year, for the investment to grow, and to ultimately provide enough income to fund all of the Nature Zone’s activities each year.  

 The fundraising drive to create the Endowment Fund was highlighted at an Earth Day event on April 20, 2013, in which the school held an open house with tours of the facility given by fourth-graders and appetizers created by Chef Dante’ from DBA Akron using herbs, produce and eggs raised by Arrowhead students. 

Attendees at this event included State Sen. Frank LaRose (an Arrowhead alumnus) and David T. Daniels, Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture, as well as many Copley and regional elected officials and members of the community, the Summit County Farm Bureau and local media.

Arrowhead alumna Betsy Kling of WKYC Channel 3 attended the event and broadcast her 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. weather reports live from the Nature Zone. 

The money for the endowment came from several sources. Students at the school held a walk in the spring that raised several thousand dollars, and a $5,000 gift was received from one family. The Summit County Farm Bureau contributed $1,000 as well.

Donations are still being accepted at http://www.akroncf.org/give/ArrowheadFund.