The mission of Bartlesville (Okla.) Education Promise to improve educational outcomes for students received additional help recently in the form of a $4,000 donation by the Arvest Foundation.

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Kim Adams, local bank president for Arvest, presented the check to Bartlesville Education Promise chairman Martin Garber, vice chair Vanessa Drummond, and Kevin Brown, principal of Jane Phillips Elementary School.

“We are happy to support Bartlesville Education Promise and present this donation on behalf of the Arvest Foundation,” Adams said. “We appreciate the important work this organization provides, and we hope the donation reflects the foundation’s ongoing commitment to improving the lives of those in the communities we support.”

Bartlesville Education Promise works with local students and public schools to identify unmet needs and then develop appropriate programs with the goal of improving graduation rates and readiness for higher education, technical school or full-time employment.

The donation from the Arvest Foundation will be used in part to help implement a reading program for students at Jane Phillips. All students at Jane Phillips will be provided with books they can take home to be utilized as learning tools.

In accepting the donation, Garber said, “Bartlesville Education Promise is excited about the grant from the Arvest Foundation. The foundation and Arvest employees have been active partners in improving our community’s education opportunities. This donation will allow students to significantly improve their reading skills.”