The Garden City Public Schools Foundation Grant Squad visited schools on Monday, November 13th, to award $200 mini-grants to help teachers enhance instruction in their classrooms. The awards were presented to teachers in a surprise celebration in their classrooms.
The foundation received 16 grant applications from staff around the school district. The grants are awarded to help support learning initiatives in the classrooms. The grants may be used for the classroom, department, or individual staff development for a district employee. The applications are read and judged by the Garden City Public Schools Foundation committee.
Mitchelle Perez, Garden City High School biology teacher, will use the grant to purchase blue recycle bins as part of a freshman project to analyze and looked at ways to help expand and improve the schools recycling and composting programs.
Alessandro Marnoni, Garden City High School science teacher, will use the grant to purchase Snatoms Molecular Modeling Kit that provides a hands-on way to visualize and understand atomic structures. It will help students understand molecular bonding and chemical reactions along with promoting problem-solving skills.
Asa Gottsponer, Kenneth Henderson Middle School physical education teacher, will use the grant to purchase Open Trap Bars that will help to provide students with a variety of exercises. The bars will help to get more use out of a single piece of equipment in the weight room and will help to promote proper technique and health for the students.
Jessica Lofquist, Jennie Wilson Elementary School special education gifted teacher, will use the grant to purchase portable 3-D printer. Students will use the technology to design problem/solution scenarios while using a student-driven project-based learning model on their projects that they are creating.
Heidi Berg, Abe Hubert Elementary School speech teacher, will use the grant to purchase vocabulary word sets to help students with limited traditional vocabulary and communication skills. The materials will help to increase those skills by a systematic approach for exposure, measurement, and structured practice to improve their skills.
The Garden City Public Schools Foundation has provided over $37,000 in grants to fund opportunities to enhance the learning environment and increase the effectiveness of instruction across the district. The foundation was founded in 2004 and is a non-profit organization that is committed to effectively generate, manage and distribute funds to stimulate excellence for the preservation and enhancement of an exemplary education provided by Garden City Public Schools. The foundation functions in alliance with the Western Kansas Community Foundation.