The College of Southern Idaho opened Wednesday the doors of its new biology lab in Hailey to the Wood River Women's Charitable Foundation.
The foundation's $12,500 grant allowed the lab to purchase 15 microscopes and upgrade its science facility.
Department Chair of Biology and Professor Mark Sugden said the addition of the microscopes and the improvements to the lab "have opened the door for students who want to get into healthcare."
Prior to the upgrade, Hailey students would have to travel to Twin Falls for the lab classes required to complete their education, Sugden said.
"If they (the Wood River Women's Charitable Foundation) had not stepped forward, we would not be able to offer lab sciences in Hailey," Sugden said.
The foundation was formed in 2005 with the hope of getting 25 people together. Today, the foundation has nearly 100 members who pledge $1,000 a year.
Past contributions from the foundation include a $10,000 donation to the Bellevue Public Library to refurbish the children's area and a $9,500 donation to the Blaine County Senior Council for additional door-to-door transportation for senior citizens. They also contributed $5,000 to train additional volunteers as guardians ad litem for abused and neglected children in Blaine County, said Jo Murray, one of the group's members.
The foundation expects to have a total of $50,000 or more available for general grants in 2007, Murray said. Categories eligible for donations include economic and basic needs, education, environment, health, cultural arts and recreation.
Sugden expressed his gratitude to the foundation for its contribution to CSI's biology program. A school "dedicated to science education can't teach science on a shoe-string budget."
For more information on the Wood River Women's Charitable Foundation, visit www.wrwomen.org.
Mark Sugden, College of Southern Idaho biology department chair and biology professor, tours the school?s new science lab. Photo by David N. Seelig
