Innovative Grants for SAISD teachers
Chauncey Taylor doesn’t surprise easily. But the Gates Elementary School pre-K teacher was visibly shocked when the SAISD Foundation awarded her an Innovative Grant Award in front of her students and District leadership last week.
“Oh my goodness, oh my goodness,” Taylor repeated over and over as she wiped tears from her eyes. “Thank you so much!”
Taylor’s $4,768 grant to develop an outdoor classroom was one of 56 grants that will be awarded to SAISD teachers over the next few weeks. A total of $213,000 will be distributed to fund educational projects across the District. Grant winners represent all grade levels, and thousands of students will benefit through projects and opportunities designed to enrich their learning.
“This is the best time of year!” said Judy Geelhoed, executive director of the SAISD Foundation. “Not only is it the start of school, but we get to give out 56 grants over the next couple of weeks. For us, it is wonderful to watch our teachers’ ideas come to fruition. Seeing their ideas coming to life for the kids is such a rewarding experience.”
The process began earlier in the spring when educators applied for grants to fund innovative projects that they wanted to implement to pique student interest, increase student engagement, and improve student academic performance. Grants were rated by a team of community representatives, former teachers, and SAISD Foundation Directors.
The SAISD Foundation motivates the community to invest in teacher and student success. In doing so, the foundation has raised funds to support innovation in the classroom, awarding more than 1,000 teacher grants benefiting SAISD students.
Surprise visits to award the grants continues through the end of the month.
To learn more about grants through the SAISD Foundation, click here.