Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund
To honor the legacy of its namesake, the Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund is dedicated to advancing the cause of Early Childhood Education. The Fund welcomes applications for grants from school programs such as Kindergarten, Pre-K Counts, Head Start, and other nonprofit organizations serving children and families in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. The Fund seeks to support programs that prepare parents to nurture and support their children through the earliest stages of learning, promote school-readiness, and provide enrichment experiences for young learners (field trips, creative materials, etc.). At this time, applicants are encouraged to apply for grants in the range of $250-$500.
Penny Allison dedicated her life to the well-being of children. At age twelve, she established a summer day camp for preschoolers in her parents’ backyard, and in high school she worked as an aide for children with cystic fibrosis. Penny earned a BA in Early Childhood Education from the University of North Carolina followed by a Masters in Psychology from Temple University. She had a 38-year career as an early childhood teacher with the Philadelphia School District across a varied spectrum of positions: a “Play Lady” at Philadelphia’s Children’s Hospital, a Kindergarten teacher, Lead Teacher in the first Infant Education Program in the United States, a teacher consultant at the Durham Teacher Center, Adjunct Professor at Temple University, teacher for the Parent Cooperative Nursery Program, and Head Start Lead Teacher.
Penny was honored for her work in 1986 by the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children with their Award of Excellence. In 2007 she was presented with the Prekindergarten Head Start Teacher Service Award for her commitment to Head Start children and families.
Apply Now
The Carbon County Community Foundation invites all educators, school administrators, and nonprofit organizations providing early childhood education services to submit an application for the 2023 Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund grant cycle. Applications are due April 5, 2024. If you have questions about the application, please contact CCCF at director@cccfoundpa.org or 610-730-2526.
Sometimes Penny had to paint over graffiti on her portable classroom.
Penny’s class dresses for Halloween.
Besides being a teacher, Penny was a mom. Here she just returned from the hospital with her baby daughter.
Penny and her assistant, Cindy.