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Ahead of one of the WiSH Education Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year, officials announced five new grants from corporate sponsors Friday.
Ahead of one of the WiSH Education Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year, officials announced five new grants from corporate sponsors Friday.

WiSH Foundation Touts Grants, Starry, Starry Night

Ahead of one of the WiSH Education Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year, officials announced five new grants from corporate sponsors Friday.


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With Starry, Starry Night is right around the corner, WiSH sent out a “thank you” to several community partners Friday, as well as news about its traditionally star-studded annual event.

In addition to general fund support, which is the main goal of the WiSH Foundation, this school year, the organization is focusing its efforts on supporting career technical education and helping Hart district students achieve with funding for classroom equipment.

To that end, the organization received a $10,000 grant from the Boston Scientific Foundation, which was set up by the eponymous global medical device company, to upgrade a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, or STEM, lab for the William S. Hart Union High School District.

In addition, Walmart gifted three individual grants for a total of $3,500 for career tech education — namely video production equipment — while Union Bank also donated $1,000 for upgraded technology.Ahead of one of the WiSH Education Foundation’s biggest fundraisers of the year, officials announced five new grants from corporate sponsors Friday.

The goal of the WiSH Education Foundation is to replace program funding lost to budget cuts since 2008, officials said in a news release.

The partnerships were partially a result of generous donations that helped fulfill district educators’ “WiSHlists” of current needs; and also the work of grant writers, who helped match the funding sources with various needs.

One of the recent requests made was for upgraded computers for an AP Computer Science lab at Hart High School.

The grant awarded by the Boston Scientific Foundation, that supports health and education initiatives in the Valencia area and four other markets, will focus on STEM learning.

“There are approximately 270 students across several disciplines who regularly use the lab so this upgrade will have a very big impact,” according to Amy Daniels, executive director for the WiSH Education Foundation.

The support from Walmart and Union Bank helps satisfy some of the requests for video technology funding, Daniels added.

WiSH officials are working with district technology services to fund the new equipment immediately.

Starry, Starry Night, which is taking place March 14 at 7 p.m. at Golden Valley High School, will feature famous dancers from several popular television dance competition shows, including “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

Performers will be announced in February, however past performers have included: SYTYCD season winners Fik-Shun and Amy Yakima, Witney Carson, Brandon Mitchell, Will Thomas, Jordan Casanova and Chris Koehl, along with Chelsie Hightower, Anna Trebunskaya, Jonathan Roberts, Karina Smirnoff and Dmitry Chaplin from “Dancing with the Stars.”

Past hosts have included the comedian Collin Moulton, Kyle Massey from the television show “That’s So Raven” and Cassie Scerbo from “Make it or Break It” and the “Bring It On” trilogy of films.

All celebrities are subject to change without notice. A Hart District Dance Team will also be performing.

Adult tickets are $25 general admission and tickets for students, active military and seniors tickets are $20. Purchases of 20 tickets or more will get a $5 per ticket discount; please contact WiSH directly for group sales. Tickets available online at www.WiSHscv.org beginning in February or at the door if tickets are still available.

The district oversees public education for more than 22,000 public junior high and high school students in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

WiSH Foundation Touts Grants, Starry, Starry Night

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.