Retired educator busy as ever helping local education
Bill Allison has made education his life’s work.
And though he is retired from the classroom, he continues to support those who followed in his footsteps.
Allison, of Penn Forest Township, has spent countless hours giving back through the Jim Thorpe Rotary and the Carbon County Community Foundation, with a focus on education.
“It’s so wonderful that the community has the institutions intact that allows a person to do this, and to make a difference,” Allison said.
Allison spent many years in the Philadelphia area, where he was a school principal and teacher.
After retiring, he settled in Jim Thorpe, where he could enjoy the outdoors. But he also felt a strong urge to give back to his adopted home. One of the organizations he joined was the Jim Thorpe Rotary — of which he has been a part for over a decade.
With Rotary, Allison has been active volunteering with its ghost walk fundraisers and buying clothing for needy families. He’s been particularly involved with the group’s efforts to promote education in the community — supporting and expanding its high school scholarship programs, GED testing, and youth leadership program.
“Bill has been a great advocate for educational initiatives in Carbon County as a member of the Jim Thorpe Rotary Club,” said Jeanne Miller, the club’s president.
His favorite part is interacting with students during rotary events. He likes the opportunity to learn from his younger neighbors, and advise them as well.
“I always like to challenge teenagers to think about what they’re going to do as adults,” he said.
Recently, Allison has been involved with Rotary’s efforts to bring a childcare center to Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe has been identified as a ‘child care desert’ because of the lack of licensed centers available to families who live and work there.
“Being able to place their kids in a place where they feel secure, and there is professionalism is so important,” he said.
In 2015, Allison became a founding board member of the Carbon County Community Foundation. The foundation has distributed hundreds of thousands
of dollars to organizations that serve Carbon County residents.
President/CEO Sharon Alexander said that Allison’s enthusiasm, and welcoming personality are an asset to the organization.
“He has a passion for Carbon County and giving back,” she said.
The Community Foundation oversees a number of dedicated funds — one of which Allison founded in honor of his late wife, who had a long career in early childhood education. The Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund gives grants to teachers and preschools so they can explore new programs.
“I like the opportunity to provide a grant for people doing special work,” Allison said.
At Panther Valley, they used the grant to fund an
innovative reading program. In Jim Thorpe School District, teachers used the grant to buy special furniture and a book bag full of educational activities for kindergarten students to take home and experience with their families.
Allison’s work to promote education have earned him mentions in print and on television, and now on the Facebook pages of the schools he supports. That recognition always feels good, but it is secondary to the satisfaction of seeing students succeed in the classroom.
“The real reward is kind of inherent,” he said.
More information about the Penny Allison Early Childhood Fund is available at cccfoundpa.org. For more information on the Jim Thorpe Rotary, visit www.jimthorperotary.org.