Voting Open For Highland Park's 'Park Partners' 2022 Grants

HIGHLAND PARK, NJ — Nine applicants are hoping for community votes for their project ideas to become reality in Highland Park, and any resident 10 and up can cast their vote.

These nine Park Partners applicants are spread across five categories: Environment; Arts; Cultural & Diversity; Highland Park High School Class or Club Activity; and Safety, Universal Access, and/or Health and Wellness.

Winning applicants may get up to $2,000 in funding for their projects, the borough said.

Residents can cast one vote in each category. There was an in-person exhibition and voting session on June 26. Those who did not cast a vote then may submit a vote by e-mail to hglazer@hpboro.com; click here for full details.

Here are the applicants, sorted by category.

Environment

Wildflower Project of Highland Park

The grant would help educate Highland Park residents about the benefits of wildflowers, which require no pesticides and are better for the environment, instead of spending time and money cultivating green lawns. Money would go toward buying wildflower seeds, designing software, and setting up a web page for this initiative.

Cleanups of Highland Park Streets and Natural Areas

The Highland Park Ecology & Environmental Group seeks financial support to hold more cleanup events (one or more per month) and involve more people in these efforts. Funds would be used to purchase 25 or more clean-up kits (grabbers, gloves, garbage bags, & buckets) and snacks for volunteers.

Arts

Highland Park Community Art Calendar

The Highland Park Arts Commission seeks to create a 2023 Community Calendar. Funds would go toward paying for art, photography, printing designing and distributing the calendar to residents.

Culture and Diversity

Raices Cultural Center Community Arts Program: Intro to Caribbean Dance, Drum & Song

Grant would allow the Raices Cultural Center Community Arts Program to add a series of summer or fall workshops for adults and families with children. Participants would be instructed in dance, music, drums, and the history of diverse cultures. The money would go toward paying two instructors.

QuEAR Candy

Grant would help finance a daylong music festival on June 11, 2023, featuring LGBTQ+ local and touring musicians and bands. Money would go toward printing posters, renting a stage, buying event insurance, and paying performers and sound technicians.

Highland Park High School Class or Club Activity

Class of 2024 Project

Funding would go to the Highland Park High School’s Class of 2024 to help them with fundraising for their junior and senior proms, and for their senior trip, and to pay for school supplies for students in need.

Culture and Diversity for Class of 2023

The Highland Park High School's Class of 2023 seeks support to ensure that students from different socio-economic backgrounds can be included in class events (such as the senior class trip and senior prom) and that all class members can afford the class t-shirts. This will create a stronger sense of community within the class.

Safety, Universal Access, and/or Health & Wellness

Reading Tutoring for Local and Underserved, Struggling Readers

Grant would enable Raising Hands Tutoring to provide six months of free reading tutors for students who otherwise could not afford them. Tutors are certified Orton Gillingham practitioners, a nationally recognized reading program recommended by the state Department of Education but not readily available in public schools. Each student’s reading score is expected to improve by at least half a grade level.

Wellness on Wheels

Grant would allow the Global Grace Health group to help provide a range of medical services to the homebound, including medical screenings and testing, blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, glucose checks, and mental health questionnaires. This service would help the most vulnerable populations in Highland Park by reducing their transportation and medical costs.