Regional Higher Education Sport and Lifestyle Studies class helps arts district win grant for summer program

The Ohio University Regional Higher Education Sport and Lifestyle Studies program capstone class has been awarded a grant through the Robert E. and Leona L. Fellers Foundation Trust on behalf of the New Concord Area Arts and Recreation District (NCAARD). 

The capstone class of senior students from OHIO Regional Campuses at Eastern, Lancaster and Zanesville spent the first half of the semester gathering information, creating a budget, writing cover letters, and researching equipment needs before writing the grant. The class saw this as not only an opportunity to learn and gain experience in grant writing, but to also help a local organization and its community. This funding will allow NCAARD to obtain high-quality equipment to host a free outdoor movie series each summer.

“NCAARD is extremely appreciative of the support given by the Robert E. Fellers and Leona L. Fellers Foundation Trust,” Mary Beth Caudill, program director, said. “Their financial backing of our summer movie program allows us to continue offering community entertainment for years to come. Thank you also to Kathy Normansell and her class for immediately thinking of NCAARD's needs for their project. We are delighted to put the grant to good use for the Village of New Concord.”

The Sport and Lifestyle Studies program prepares students for a variety of careers in the fields of recreation, fitness and sports. It emphasizes leadership skills, critical thinking creative problem-solving, and verbal and written communication. The service-learning project allowed students to synthesize all these skills with real-life applications. 

“The service-learning project was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, projects I’ve ever been a part of. I learned how to write for a grant, how to budget, and how to manage my time. I 100% believe that this project prepared me for graduation in May 2023,” Taylor Redfern, a senior in the class, said.

The goal of the Robert E. Fellers and Leona L. Fellers Foundation Trust is to promote the greater good of society through charitable works and educational opportunities in the regional area of Muskingum, Perry, Guernsey and Licking Counties of Ohio. The capstone class is the final stepping stone before graduation for students in the Bachelor of Science in Sport and Lifestyle Studies program.

For information on the Sport and Lifestyle Studies major or community partnership opportunities, contact Kathy Normansell normanse@ohio.edu.