* CSU launches its $100,000 Community-University Partnerships grants program for 2018. * Up to $20,000 available across five different categories to support our regions. * Launch at CSU in Dubbo today. Online applications here. * Grants for projects across arts and culture, education, sport, indigenous and discretionary grants for community initiatives. Grant money totalling $100,000 is now on offer from Charles Sturt University (CSU) for local communities following the launch of the 2018 Community-University Partnerships (CUP) grant program.Head of Campus at CSU in Dubbo Ms Cathy Maginnis (pictured second from left) said, “The University is offering $100,000 in grants as an investment in the development of our regions.“Members of our local communities are encouraged to apply for the funding to support their local community groups and activities.“There’s funding from hundreds of dollars, up to a maximum amount of $20,000 in each grant category,” Ms Maginnis said.CUP grants are across five separate categories across arts and culture, education, sport, Indigenous, as well as discretionary grants to support small community initiatives.Launching in Dubbo today, CSU also welcomed successful recipients from last year’s program to congratulate them on their success and for them to share with the community how they spent the grant they received.In 2017, four community groups received $1,000 grants each as a part of the CSU in Dubbo CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program: * Wellington Primary School Parents and Citizens, to erect playground structures and create a sensory garden. * Buninyong Public School, to provide migrant families with quality books to support English language learning. * Orana Heights Public School - Early Intervention Support Class, Dubbo, to add to sensory, gross motor and fine motor equipment to increase student engagement and participation. * St John's Parish School, Trangie, to add to mathematical resources in classroomsMs Xanthie Kerin, a teacher at St John’s Parish School in Trangie, said, “We thank Charles Sturt University for the generous grant that enabled our small rural school to be able to purchase up-to-date contemporary learning mathematical resources for our classrooms.“With this grant we have been able to launch our little school into contemporary 21st learning, leading in world class math practices. Our classrooms are fully resourced in new learning manipulatives that enable students to engage in investigative and open-ended math learning.”In 2017, a Head of Campus small grant was awarded to Condobolin High School to install swing gates in the existing cattle yards to ensure safety for students and animals.Condobolin High School teacher Ms Katrina Thomas said, “The purchase of the gate makes the yards safer the students to work in and increases their confidence in handling stock”.Grants are not just awarded within the local government area. In past years grants have been awarded to recipients in Enngonia, Bourke, Peak Hill, and Wee Waa.Ms Maginnis said, “Given that winter is just around the corner, we’ve opened the 2018 grant program with the Rural and Regional Sports Development round first and the other grant programs will open in a rolling fashion throughout the year.“Charles Sturt University has a long and proud tradition of supporting our communities. The CUP initiative is all about the University supporting groups and organisations in Dubbo and the surrounding region in achieving the goals,” Ms Maginnis concluded.BackgroundGrants are available from five different categories. The CUP Head of Campus Small Grants Program, CUP Rural and Regional Arts and Culture Program, CUP Rural and Regional Education Development Program, CUP Rural and Regional Indigenous Community Engagement Program and CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program.Online applications are now open for the 2018 CUP Rural and Regional Sports Development Program, with the other programs to follow. Further information, application packs and program guidelines can be found here.