KILLEEN, Texas — In the season of giving, Killeen ISD teachers received the gift of expanding their learning as educators.
This year, the Education Foundation awarded a total of $95,710 in grants to Killeen teachers.
Teachers who were selected had to do a grant application and be selected by the Education Foundation grant board of directors. 26 grants were allocated to teachers who pitched creative learning ideas they had in store for their students.
"It has been so rewarding to see the teachers receive these grants. They work so hard with students, but being able to help them with a small monetary donation through this grant is just absolutely something that we look forward to each year," Grant director Julia Dorroh explained.
According to the KISD website, these grants help pay for supplies for projects ranging from archery to child-centered play therapy to computer coding, reading projects, percussion equipment, travel to a book fair in the Dallas area and much more.
For Haynes Elementary School counselor Monica Howell, receiving her portion of the grant means expanding her work with mental health and giving students a safe space to be themselves.
"I'm just so appreciative of winning this grant. I know it is going to help a lot of our kids to be more successful with expressing their emotions, dealing with their emotions and being able to go back to class. I just want them to have a successful day," Howell mentioned.
18 of the 26 grants are aimed at efforts to improve literacy at these schools.
Other education programs centered around computer coding, archery and math are also apart of the grant.
"These grants enhance our teachers ability to teach our students and I am so proud of the work my teachers have done. I'm also grateful for the Education Foundation for awarding three of my teachers who plan to do some really great work," Haynes Principal Alice Bauman said.
Since its inception in 2000, the Education Foundation has awarded almost 200 grants totaling $1,242,890. Including scholarships and other programs, it has awarded $3,189,139.
Here is the list of all the schools with teachers who received a portion of the over $95,000 grant.
- Mountain View Elementary, “Serenity Den: Where Mind and Body Connect,” $3,431.
- Harker Heights Elementary, “Aardvarks to Zebras: Reading Through the Animal Kingdom,” $4,501; “Getting in Touch with Math,” $2,757.
- Skipcha Elementary, “Code for Success,” $1,650.
- Meadows Elementary, “Little Engineers Full STEAM Ahead,” $2,179.
- Trimmier Elementary, “Wobble for Math,” $1,649; “Differentiation for the Win,” $2,489.
- Hay Branch Elementary, “Where Play Becomes Therapy,” $1,500.
- Haynes Elementary, “Math Stackers,” $5,000, “Big Books Building Big Brains,” $5,000; “Chillin’ in Chillville,” $4,989.
- Pershing Park Elementary, “Archery,” $4,944.
- Ira Cross Elementary, “Just the Facts: Helping Students Get Wild About Reading,” $2,661.
- Oveta Culp Hobby Elementary, “Social Emotional Learning Book in English and Spanish,” $2,472.
- Palo Alto Middle School, “Beginning Percussion Equipment,” $2,396.
- Eastern Hills Middle School, “Relevant Reading,” $2,428; “Bright, Bold, Browsable Books,” $2,222.
- Liberty Hill, Eastern Hills and Live Oak Ridge, “Endless Stories, Endless Inspiration,” $3,364.
- Killeen Elementary, “Music Classroom Ukuleles,” $2,591; “Building Dyslexia One Step at a Time,” $2,301.
- Ellison High, “LevelUP Reading Challenge,” $5,000; “Dear Author Letters About Literature,” $1,990.
- Timber Ridge Elementary, “Tackling Reading Scores,” $3,256.
- Willow Springs Elementary, “Math is so Lit!,” $4,927.
- Districtwide, Science Olympiad, $10,000.
- Districtwide, Elementary Battle of the Books, $9,996.
The foundation looks forward to assisting students, parents, and teachers for years to come.