Sturgis teachers receive mini-grants for classrooms
STURGIS — More than $9,000 in grant funding was dispersed to teachers at Sturgis Public Schools through the district's teacher mini-grant program, with the support of several area organizations and foundations.
Each year, mini-grants provide Sturgis teachers with resources for what the district reported are "innovative classroom initiatives that enrich the educational experience for students." Teachers and staff are eligible to submit an application each December for consideration. Typically, teacher mini-grant awards are up to $500 for individual teachers and larger sums for group projects.
The award recipients were announced at the Feb. 20 Sturgis Public Schools board of education meeting.
Nineteen projects were funded with support from the Sturgis Area Community Foundation and local service clubs, including Sturgis Exchange Club, Eastside Kiwanis and Noon Kiwanis.
At Sturgis High School, Amber Meert's grant award will be applied toward flexible seating for the reading area of her classroom. Meaghan Anderson said she will use her grant to help provide new classroom laptops for her 11th-grade classes.
At Sturgis Middle School, Andrea Littlefield reported she plans to use her award to introduce her agriculture students to indoor gardening through a tower garden project. The course was recently launched at the middle school.
Dianne Wolford's mini-grant will expand her classroom's library and start a six-week program in which students will choose their own novel to read and to increase "engagement and learning."
Jody Cline's mini-grant will provide start-up funding for a student-run business, "Kanine Kindness Krunchies," that makes and sells dog treats each week.
Megan Watkins reported her grant will enable her to purchase new sets of "Tall Tales" books for her students to read as part of book report projects. Morgan Pueschel said she will run "Unified Club," an after-school club providing leadership and sports opportunities for students with disabilities and their peers.
Nikita Milliman’s mini-grant will be used to purchase "Captain America: Civil War" graphic novels to support classroom learning topical discussion. Stacey Richardson said she plans to make updates to her classroom kitchen, which supports her life skills and STEM classes.
Whitney Bast plans to apply her award to support the purchase a new Apple iPad to implement digital portfolios for her advanced art classes. Jeannine Koeneke reported she intends to buy pocket-sized computers to give students hands-on STEM experiences in coding and design.
At Eastwood Elementary School, Katie Wooten plans to provide a sensory bin for students to use when they need to regulate their emotions. Nathan Schwartz reported he will use his mini-grant award to purchase new classroom headphones for his students.
Wall Elementary School teacher Ashlin Heller said funding will be used for her project, "Hygge Comfort for Students," which provides a counseling space at the facility. Krystal Watson intends to use her grant to help update the school's book room and increase the number of new texts and reading units for teachers.
Lauren Cypher plans to build a "regulation space" at the school to help students regulate themselves independently, as needed. McKenna Bishop's grant award will support a collaborative mural project for school hallways at both Wall and Congress elementary schools. Students will help design and paint the murals, and funds will be used to support a student postcard art show.
The Sturgis Area Community Foundation is a $30 million entity that serves the charitable needs of the community through philanthropic service.
This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Sturgis teachers receive mini-grants for classrooms
