NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release February 28, 2017 COOKE FOUNDATION NOW ACCEPTING NOMINATIONS FOR SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION AWARDS Public Schools Eligible to Win $5,000 Grant for Beautification Projects HONOLULU — The Cooke Foundation, Ltd, today issued a call for nominations for the Cooke Beautification Award, which recognizes public schools for completing significant beautification projects on campus. Three grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to an elementary, middle and high school. “We established this award to reward public schools that are working to create a welcoming and positive learning environment for Hawai‘i’s youth,” said Greg Wrenn, trustee of the Cooke Foundation and chairman of the Beautification Award program. “We encourage all public schools in Hawai‘i that have completed a beautification project to submit an entry for consideration, no matter the size or scale.” The biennial award, first presented in 2008, has honored elementary, middle and high schools across the state for contributing to the overall appearance and ambiance of their campuses through murals, landscaping, gardens, mosaics and other enhancement projects. The previous recipients of the Cooke Beautification Award in 2015 were Alvah A. Scott Elementary School on O‘ahu for making a Peace Garden, Innovations Public Charter School on Hawai‘i Island for building an outdoor learning area, and Lāna‘i High and Elementary School on Lāna‘i for creating a series of murals. All public schools in the state, including charter schools, are eligible to nominate, by September 2, 2017, completed beautification projects that demonstrate significant improvement of the property. Details and submission information are posted at www.cookefdn.org.
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