Picente Announces STEM, Arts and Culture Projects

28 projects will be funded through Partners In Prosperity Funding

County Executive Picente announced today 28 individual projects impacting arts, culture and STEM education that are funded through the Partners In Prosperity Funding.

The County budget allocated $830,000 in grant funding for 2015. $330,000 is set aside for arts and culture projects and $500,000 for STEM Education projects.

In an effort to meet and fund a larger number of these requests and make bigger impact in the region, The Community Foundation of Herkimer & Oneida Counties, Inc. has partnered with the county to expand the arts and culture investment by $135,000.

The total investment in these programs is $965,000.

The county has chosen 28 projects. 10 STEM education and 18 Arts and Culture.

“These organizations and institutions are at the forefront of teaching our children and expanding our cultural offerings here in Oneida County.” Picente added that the chosen projects will go towards programs for music, ballet and art as well as to schools to expand STEM in the classrooms. “STEM programs are a key essential to preparing our children to be a part of the workforce of tomorrow. These projects are a direct investment in their future and the future of our community.”

Partners in Prosperity Funding was included in Picente’ s 2015 budget and funds projects in infrastructure, public safety, arts and culture, sharing agreements and economic development as well as tax stabilization. The funding comes directly from gaming revenue as agreed on in the historic Settlement Agreement with the Oneida Indian Nation.

“This Partners in Prosperity Funding was created as long term investment in specific areas that allow us to move our entire community forward. That includes stabilizing property taxes as well as investing in education, infrastructure, public safety the economy and the arts. This not a onetime investment but  a fund that will continue annually.”