Casper College SparkTank project receives $10,000
Casper College has received a $10,000 grant from the John P. Ellbogen Foundation in support of the college’s new project, the Casper College SparkTank.
According to Rachel Chadderdon, dean for the Casper College School of Business and Industry, the Casper College program is modeled after the University of Wyoming’s own SparkTank project.
The project will be led by Casper College students active in the Casper College Economics Club sponsored by Jim Chappelow, business instructor. “Our goal is to create a dynamic and engaging pilot program that empowers students to make a meaningful impact in our community while developing critical skills in philanthropy, community engagement, and business analysis, said Chadderdon.
Chadderdon and Chappelow believe that the Casper College SparkTank will help students as they learn and implement the philanthropic process, which mirrors venture capital models to benefit local nonprofits.
Nonprofits will be asked to submit video nominations that highlight their missions and project proposals to participate in the program. After reviewing the submissions, the CC Economics Club students and Chappelow will use clearly defined criteria to narrow the submissions down. Those finalists will be vetted through site visits and on-campus Q&A sessions.
Finally, an on-campus community event will be held in the spring. During the community event, the finalists will present their cases. At the end of the event, the students will announce the winning nonprofits and award the grant proceeds.
“We are grateful for the support of the John P. Ellbogen Foundation in fostering the development of a SparkTank project at Casper College. In our commitment to the foundation, we assured that students, under Jim’s guidance, will actively seek additional matching funds to leverage this grant and enhance its impact within the community. We are excited about the transformative potential of this initiative to create meaningful, positive change,” said Chadderdon.