OLPH School Awarded $65,000 Knott Grant - New Media Center Under Construction

The  Marion I. and Henry J. Knott Foundation awarded a $65,000 grant to Our Lady of Perpetual Help School for technology upgrades and construction of a media center to serve the pre-K4 through grade 8 Catholic school in Howard County.

The Knott grant will cover approximately thirty percent of the total project budget of $220,000. OLPH School’s new media center will include a library, computer lab, and reading resource room. Driven by a commitment to provide students with the best instructional technology, school principal, Mr. Victor Pellechia had this to say, “We are thrilled and extraordinarily grateful for the Knott Foundation’s support of this initiative.  In order to be effective educators, we must meet the demands of the digital world in which our children live. This new 21st century learning environment will serve as the foundation of an enhanced instructional program that provides our students with access to cutting edge technology while fostering a tradition of innovative and engaging learning at our school.”

The school consulted with many authorities on digital learning while planning for renovation, including William Glover, Chief Information Officer and Director of Informational Technology for the Archdiocese of Baltimore.  Mr. Glover notes that technology-rich learning options are, “critical for keeping pace with the evolving educational needs of our school, parish and the greater community.  The media center’s well-equipped and flexible learning environment will include interactive technology that will link students and faculty to the latest educational resources available, including one-to-one tablet resources and video conferencing.  The OLPH media center will be a model learning environment for Catholic education and for Howard County.”

Construction is underway and the media center will be finished, furnished, and ready to welcome OLPH students in August.  The need for a new media center was prompted by their opening of a Pre-K4 program in 2011.  The library relocated to Harrison Hall when Pre-K took its space. Fundraising for the project began last fall and included an annual fund drive, a local business partnership program called Angels in the Community, and writing the Knott grant proposal. Aside from the grant, the school has raised over $100,000 for this project. A dedication ceremony is planned for September, with Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski presiding.

The Marion I. & Henry J. Knott Foundation is a Catholic family foundation committed to honoring its founders’ legacy of generosity to strengthen our community. The Knott Foundation provides funds in five areas of interest with a focus on Catholic organizations, education, and nonprofit leadership.