Klein, Texas – The Klein ISD Education Foundation (KEF) awarded $74,500 in classroom teacher grants May 5 to nine Klein ISD campuses.
The Foundation also set a new record in its 15-year history by awarding $148,005 in grants for the 2015-16 school year beating the previous record-high amount of $132,690.
Community members, local business owners, district officials, and KEF directors boarded a school bus to travel from school to school awarding the grants. Out of the nine grants awarded, two were LEAD the SPARK grants which are special grants that allow principals to apply for funds that will impact their entire campus.
“These transformational grants have been awarded for a wide variety of projects and programs ranging from the revitalization of campus common spaces to campus-wide literacy programs for staff and students,” Foundation director Cindy Doyle said. “The first Lead the Spark grant was awarded in 2011 and to date, 12 have been awarded totaling $275,485.”
Ehrhardt Elementary was awarded a $24,000 LEAD the SPARK grant for their STEAM-Powered Reading program. The grant, sponsored by Campus Kids, LLC, was written by Ehrhardt principal Charles Hall and will allow literary genres to come to life with science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) stations.
“The STEAM-Powered Reading program will allow our kids to get involved in hands-on learning with the books they are reading by visiting our STEAM stations,” Hall said. “This is something we’ve wanted to do for many years. We will be able to reach kids in ways we have not been able to ever reach them before. Thank you so much for funding our grant.”
Schultz Elementary was also awarded a LEAD the SPARK grant. Schultz’s $24,100 grant will be used to transform an underused space into a STEM science classroom. The grant, written by campus principal Sherri Davenport, was sponsored by RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Through this grant, the campus will be able to transform an existing computer lab into a flexible space where teachers can integrate STEM opportunities for students.
“We are so excited and honored to receive this grant,” Davenport said. “This is all an effort by our Transform Academy teachers to transform the learning on our campus. Our students will be able to visit our new STEM lab to engage in hands-on learning, use makerspace activities, and interact with new technologies. This is going to be a great multi-use classroom for us.”
Other schools awarded grants during this round were:
- Benfer Elementary: Fine Motor Time
Award: $1,400
Sponsor: Outlook Financial Group, LLC
Grant writers: Sandy Schiffer - Benignus Elementary: Let’s Have a Ball!
Award: $2,450
Sponsor: Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc.
Grant writers: Shay Harman, Cara O’Leary, Jessica Crow, Amy Devlin, Jonathan Mitchen - Doerre, Klein Oak, Klein High, Klein Collins & Klein Forest: To BEE or Not to BEE
Award: $5,350
Sponsor: Klein Equities
Grant writers: Steve Baird, Jamie Philen, Rebecca Brummond, Danny Reaves, Amanda Simmons - French Elementary: STEM and Fine Arts: It’s Happening in the Library!
Award: $5,000
Sponsor: PBK, Inc.
Grant writers: Debbie McKamie, Sandra Koslosky - Grace England Early Childhood and Prekindergarten Center: Digging into Learning: Thinking Inside the Sandbox
Award: $3,450
Sponsor: Perdue Brandon Fielder Collins & Mott, LLP
Grant writers: Rachel Heallen, Ann Dristas, Jaunee Perry - Kuehnle Elementary: Beating Drums, Building Brains and Bodies
Award: $4,500
Sponsor: Herff Jones
Grant writers: Annaliese Altendorf, Dianne Dobb, Merry Keith - Vistas High School Program: Lights, Camera, Green Screen!! Engaging Students Through Video Production
Award: $4,250
Sponsor: Lone Star College – University Park
Grant writers: Amanda Blevins, Kim Sharp, Scott Williams, Lisa Comeaux, Karla Fuerst
Since 2001, the Klein ISD Education Foundation has awarded more than $1.44 million in educator grants to teachers in the Klein ISD.
Teachers may apply for educator grants each semester. Grants are evaluated by KEF directors and district representatives. The number of grants awarded is determined by funds allocated by KEF each semester. Winners are then notified by a surprise visit from the Celebration Express bus that arrives at their campus.
For a complete list of winners and project descriptions, visit the KEF grants webpage at http://kleinisdeducationfoundation.com/educator-grants/.
To learn more about the Klein ISD Education Foundation, visit our website at http://kleinisd.net/KEF. Information can also be obtained by contacting Cindy Doyle, Education Foundation Director, at (832) 249-4753 or email cdoyle3@kleinisd.net.
