The Enumclaw Schools Foundation recently awarded its inaugural round of Enrichment and Innovation Grants.
The Enumclaw Schools Foundation had budgeted $3,000 of its available $3,900 for these first grants for teachers. They received application requests for more than $8,000 from 10 teachers across the district, including eight from the elementary buildings, one from a middle school, and one from the high school.
A grant selection committee reviewed the applications, pared down requests and submitted a recommendation for five grants totaling almost $3,800.
Those receiving grants were:
• Black Diamond Elementary teacher Sara Davis, to partner with the Black Diamond Elementary PTA in bringing author Roland Smith for two school-wide assemblies and a comprehensive teacher workshop, $500.
• Enumclaw High School teacher Ann Freiberger, for the purchase of books to supplement the more rigorous reading and thinking curriculum in all 10th-grade English classes, $500. Students will be involved in the selection process and recommend books to the English faculty for approval.
• Westwood Elementary librarian Dewey Sullivan, teacher Dawn Hoyer, and principal Keri Marquand for “Read with Me” supplemental materials in English and Spanish to support students in grades kindergarten through third in reading with their parents at home, as well as “40 Fabulous Reads” supplemental materials for grades four and five, including parent support materials, $852.
• Southwood Elementary teacher Jody Emerson, to purchase visual arts supplies and materials to enhance the teaching of the “Six Proficient Reader Strategies” for students grades two through five, $919.
• Sunrise Elementary librarian Janie Ingroum, librarian, to partner with the building budget in purchasing a one-year subscription to Bookflix, an on-line interactive resource for kindergarten through third-grade students, $1,000. Bookflix pairs fiction and non-fiction books on the same topics for the purpose of reinforcing reading skills and developing essential real world knowledge and understanding.
Grant selection committee members took into consideration the number of students and/or grade levels impacted by the proposal, and the longevity of the materials or event in being able to push an impact out to additional students over time.
Funding for the first round of Enrichment and Innovation Grants came from United Way contributions, primarily from district employees. Any United Way donor may contribute toward next year’s grants by designating “Enumclaw Schools Foundation EIN #59-3830191” as recipient of their United Way contribution form.
The next Enrichment and Innovation Grant process is slated to begin in spring 2011, with awards expected by the end of May. The exact timeline will be announced at the Foundations’ inaugural Mardi Gras “Jazzing Up Enumclaw School District Education” business and community breakfast March 8. In addition, the ESF anticipates the launching of its website in November, www.enumclawschoolsfoundation.org, where individuals can learn more about ESF, and take advantage of the opportunity to shop Amazon.com and have a portion of each sale be credited to the ESF for future Enrichment and Innovation Grants.
Anyone interested in contributing directly to Enrichment and Innovation Grants is encouraged to contact Dale Holland, ESF grant selection committee chair, at 360-825-3757.
