GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Grand Rapids Public Schools Foundation just launched a new grant, allowing teachers to use the funds to improve their student’s classroom experience.
North Park Montessori Academy teacher Tonia Ettinger says she was the first to be approved for the new grant and is already making plans to use the money to make her classroom better.
“When I opened it, I was like 'oh my gosh, all that work paid off.' It's a lot of work to apply for a grant, but it was worth it,” Ettinger said.
After Ettinger received the news she’d be the first recipient, she began planning to put the money to work. She hopes for a more hands-on experience in the classroom.
“I am a big science nut and science tools are expensive, so I wanted to get tools that kids could do real science with but it wasn't contrived and they could ask real questions,” Ettinger said.
The Teacher Innovation Fund is open to all GRPS teachers to apply for the grant and those approved will receive up to $500 dollars to buy classroom materials. The foundation hopes to award close to $25,000 dollars this school year and is seeking more funding to provide the grant opportunity to more teachers.
“An investment in teachers is an investment into our future through our students,” GRPS Foundation president and chief executive officer Stephanie Andrews said.
“We're doing rolling applications so teachers can apply and every month, our board of directors will be approving them through May and then we'll start a new process. If community members want to get involved we are looking for additional funds for this grant to be able to make this larger and to have as much money available to our teachers as possible,” Andrews said.
The grant from the Teacher Innovation Fund is only available for teachers in the Grand Rapids Public Schools District to apply. The application cycle opens Feb. 14 and closes May 1.
For more information about the GRPS Foundation and to apply for the grant, visit their website here.
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