The APS Education Foundation Announces 2022 Spring Grant Award Winners

Albuquerque NM

13 April, 2022

10:53 AM

Description

Press release from Albuquerque Public Schools: April 8, 2022 In the second semester of the year, The APS Education Foundation received 48 grant applications from educators across the district, with the total request adding up to over half a million dollars. On the afternoon of March 29th, following the review process, the Foundation disbursed $209,615 to 27 programs and projects. This brings the total amount of projects and programs the Foundation has funded this school year to 65, totaling over $408,000. The mission of the APS Education Foundation is to partner with the community to invest in innovative and enhanced learning opportunities to help APS students reach their full potential. Because of the generosity of donors, grantors and event sponsors, the Foundation was able to celebrate the start of new programs and projects with a group of dedicated educators. "It is an honor to meet the people who are designing innovative and creative programs for our students. Their passion and energy are contagious, and they are bright lights during these difficult times," writes Superintendent Scott Elder who was in attendance on March 29th to congratulate this spring's grantees. Those selected for funding included Adobe Acres Elementary for "Native Pollinator Plants/Edible Garden with Outdoor Classroom Space" led by Kelly Eckel. Ms. Eckel was awarded a $25,000 Schoolwide Impact Award that will provide water to the space, laying the foundation for an expansive project in which all stakeholders including students and staff can have a voice and learning experience. Ms. Eckel writes, "The teachers and staff at the school are eager to use the garden as a learning tool. In two years, we hope to have a fully functional outdoor classroom and established native plants. The students will create clay slabs with the names of the plants, and teachers will sign up to use the garden as an area to make art, music, learn about native ecosystems and edible plants." Cibola High School and Lavaland Elementary School became the latest grantees to expand APS Esports and the Foundation was proud to again partner with Pepsi to help send Jefferson Middle School and La Cueva High School to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championships and Highland High School to the FCCLA National Conference through the Pepsi Award. A week earlier, Pepsi funded DECA programs across the district to help with competition expenses. Schoolwide Impact Award Winners Truman Middle School and Jefferson Middle School are taking project-based learning to the next level. Jefferson Middle School is investing in science equipment and reaching out to community partners to enrich the classroom experiences of their students, while Truman Middle School is collaborating with NASA as they create a STEAM lab. Families across Albuquerque will be excited for the "Downtown Book Show" from the Downtown Community School Collaborative (Lew Wallace Elementary School, Eugene Field Elementary School and Longfellow Elementary School). The schools will produce weekly broadcast programs to encourage reading, and students at Bel-Air Elementary School and Edward Gonzales Elementary School will have more opportunities to develop their love of books with an expanded bookroom at Bel-Air Elementary School and by reading Wishtree as part of the One Book: One School program at Edward Gonzales Elementary School. The APS Family Engagement Unit was awarded a grant to expand their efforts to train and support schools as they ensure that families are included in school decisions and that everyone knows they have a role to play in improving educational and social emotional outcomes for all our students. This press release was produced by Albuquerque Public Schools. The views expressed here are the author's own.