Sugar Bush Foundation

Sugar Bush Foundation The Sugar Bush Foundation (SBF) is a supporting organization of The Ohio University Foundation, fundi

Our Mission:
The Sugar Bush Foundation works with Ohio University and local communities to improve the quality of life in Appalachian Ohio by encouraging civic engagement and by fostering sustainable environmental and socio-economic development. Our Vision:
We envision a model for university-community collaboration based on equal partnership and mutual respect. The impact of The Sugar Bush Foundation will be realized in healthy people, a growing economy, and a vibrant environment.

When local environmental reporters disappear, how do communities learn about important environmental issues?It’s a quest...
04/23/2026

When local environmental reporters disappear, how do communities learn about important environmental issues?

It’s a question more communities in Appalachian Ohio are starting to face.

Through the partnership between the Athens County Independent and Scripps College of Communication, local environmental reporting is doing more than covering stories, it’s bringing attention to issues that might otherwise go unnoticed.

For the past two years, this work has been supported by the Sugar Bush Foundation to help ensure these stories continue to be told. For example recent coverage on fracking didn’t just stay local, it reached the state level, prompting broader attention. That kind of visibility matters. Because when local news disappears, so does accountability. And without it, important stories, especially those tied to the environment and public health risk going unheard.

In the OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship, a teacher isn't just someone who stands at the front of a classroom.Teachers are ...
04/21/2026

In the OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship, a teacher isn't just someone who stands at the front of a classroom.

Teachers are the person who designs a project around a real community challenge, not a textbook one. Who shows a kid that the place they grew up in is worth understanding, worth contributing to, and worth staying in. That's place-based learning. And in Appalachian Ohio, it's a necessity.

Through the OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship, educators are trained to develop community- and career-connected learning projects that put middle schoolers to work on real challenges in their own towns.

The result? Students who see their community differently. Teachers who lead beyond their classroom. And rural towns that get something rare: people who choose to stay.

The Fellowship is a partnership between Building Bridges to Careers, Ohio University Regional Higher Education, and the Sugar Bush Foundation — because we believe strong schools and strong communities aren't separate goals. They're the same one.

04/07/2026

At the Sugar Bush Foundation, our work is guided by core commitments that shape how we engage and support lasting community impact. 🌿

We support campus and community partnerships that bring people together around shared goals, fostering collaboration that strengthens both ecosystems and communities. By engaging students in meaningful, hands-on experiences, we extend learning beyond the classroom—creating opportunities for growth, leadership, and real-world impact.

Our approach builds on the unique assets of our region, recognizing and elevating the strengths already present in Appalachian Ohio. At the same time, we are committed to restoring the environment through work that prioritizes long-term sustainability over short-term solutions.

Through multi-year investments, we create the time and space needed for initiatives to take root and thrive. This intentional approach allows us to develop and support replicable models—solutions that can be adapted and scaled to benefit other communities.

Together, these commitments drive systems change and ensure that our work is not only impactful today, but built to last well into the future.

💚 Support lasting impact, give to The Friends of Sugarbush Fund via the link in our bio or at : https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/74612/donations/new?designation=friendsofthesugarbushfoundation&

Did you know that every Sugar Bush Foundation project includes funding for OHIO students to be engaged in the region? Th...
04/06/2026

Did you know that every Sugar Bush Foundation project includes funding for OHIO students to be engaged in the region? This real-world learning gives students a sense of connection to the region, a taste of the power of working toward the common good, and professional experiences to add to their portfolio.

This Ohio Giving Day, your gift helps expand opportunities for students to learn, lead, and thrive. Support experiences that inspire growth 🌱

👉 Support today: https://bit.ly/3O8qQIq or click the link in our bio

03/25/2026

At Sugar Bush, we believe meaningful change happens when local partners, educators, and students work together to create solutions rooted in place.

Our mission is to improve the quality of life and environment in Appalachian Ohio by investing in sustainable systems that drive lasting community impact.

From surgical sterilization wrap headed for the landfill → to a second life as a tote bag ♻️This collaboration between t...
03/19/2026

From surgical sterilization wrap headed for the landfill → to a second life as a tote bag ♻️

This collaboration between the Voinovich School, Rural Action, and OhioHealth—alongside OHIO and Hocking College students through the Acceleration of the Circular Economy project—shows what’s possible when innovation meets sustainability.

Together, students and community partners are reimagining single-use materials into new, purposeful products.

VoinovichSchool OhioHealth

Appalachian Ohio is a thriving innovation ecosystem, and the Sugar Bush Foundation not only has a front-row seat to many...
02/27/2026

Appalachian Ohio is a thriving innovation ecosystem, and the Sugar Bush Foundation not only has a front-row seat to many of the region’s most exciting projects, we also help fund many of them. What does that look like?

It looks like renewable energy research designed to lower long-term costs for families and institutions. It looks like waste materials finding a second life as products that create local jobs. It looks like circular systems that reduce landfill dependence while strengthening regional supply chains. It looks like working with local farmers to get fresh food to share with people in need.

Innovation is really about solving real problems in ways that strengthen the region for the long term.

In rural communities, educators do far more than teach, they help build the future of place. Strong schools create stron...
02/25/2026

In rural communities, educators do far more than teach, they help build the future of place. Strong schools create strong communities.

The OHIO Rural Teacher Fellowship, a partnership between Building Bridges to Careers and Ohio University Regional Higher Education, with funding from the Sugar Bush Foundation, supports rural teachers and undergraduate education students in designing place-based, career-connected learning experiences. Through the Fellowship, educators create projects that engage middle school students in solving real challenges within their own communities.

By equipping teachers with structured support and community partnerships, the program strengthens workforce readiness while also investing in long-term community vitality.

With support from the Sugar Bush Foundation, this project brings together the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Developme...
02/13/2026

With support from the Sugar Bush Foundation, this project brings together the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) and Ohio University Mechanical Engineering to rethink what happens to damaged solar panels. Instead of sending lightly damaged panels to landfills, researchers are testing whether they can be reused, repaired, or recycled, and put back to work powering community spaces.

Building on COAD’s decades of workforce training through the Ohio Weatherization Training Center, this project explores how renewable energy can be integrated into low-income housing and nonprofit infrastructure across Appalachian Ohio.


ResearchForImpact LowIncomeEnergy ZeroWasteEnergy
RenewableFuture

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Athens, OH
45701

Telephone

+17405930663

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