The Waco ISD Education Foundation and its SurPRIZE Patrol visited 16 Waco ISD campuses Tuesday to surprise 26 teachers with the news that their grant applications were approved for funding for the 2019-2020 school year. This year, the foundation is awarding $113,682 back to the district, bringing the total funded to more than $1.7 million over the past decade and a half.
District teachers and staff had the opportunity to apply for funding through the foundation’s Innovative Grants program beginning this past fall. That program annually awards approximately $100,000 in grant funding in the four focus areas of early childhood development, enhanced programming for advanced students, extended education for staff, and emphasis on student performance.
This year’s grant projects span a wide array of topics and areas from engineering, coding and blended learning initiatives to the fine arts, literacy and augmented reality.
Taylor Bledsoe, chairman of the Waco ISD Education Foundation Board of Directors and vice president of Sturdisteel, was present for multiple grant surprises, including a grant for 3-D printers at Waco High School named in Sturdisteel’s honor.
“Each year, I’m amazed by the creativity and innovation shown through these grant applications. Our teachers have invested time and energy to research and develop plans for new and exciting ways to educate our students,” Bledsoe said. “Waco ISD continues to be a vital part of our community, and my family, our business and I are proud to continue to support the district’s and foundation’s efforts.”
In addition to district staff, foundation board members and committee members, today’s SurPRIZE Patrol also included representatives from some of the 18 local businesses and individuals that had a grant named in their honor based on their recent support of the 13th Annual H-E-B Celebrity Cookoff. Additionally, 10 guests, who were finalists in the Grand Prize Game, at the event also received a grant named in their honor.
Letters of intent and full applications are screened and scored by a committee comprised of members of the foundation’s board of directors and community volunteers. Applications are scored on various categories including rationale, goals, plan of operation, communication and long-term implications.
Pictured above: "iPads for Techminds of Music" - Matthew McMahon, Crestview Elementary - Named in honor of: TFNB - Your Bank for Life
Below is a list of the 26 grants, including the grant writer’s name and campus, title of the project, amount funded and named sponsor/honoree.
Ernest Amende
Indian Spring Middle
“Edge Reading”
$6,500
Named in honor of: Waco Motorsports
Yolanda Anzures & Lauren Reasor
Cedar Ridge Elementary
“Who Shall I Be Today?”
$4,145
Named in honor of: GoldStar Transit
Kandace Beckham
Greater Waco Advanced Healthcare Academy
“Inside Out: A Virtual Human Body Exploration”
$7,500
Named in honor of: Ascension Providence
Jeff Bray
Waco High
“1, 2, 3D Print!”
$3,500
Named in honor of: Sturdisteel
Leslie Cannon
ATLAS Academy
“Botball Robotics-Let's Engage in STEAM”
$4,000
Named in honor of: City of Waco: Convention and Visitors Bureau
Leslie Cannon
ATLAS Academy
“Computing Across the Curriculum”
$3,000
Named in honor of: Gina and Congressman Bill Flores
Larry Carpenter
Waco ISD Fine Arts
“Art Expedition: Bringing Art to Life by Bringing Art to Students”
$7,500
Named in honor of: H-E-B
Inga Chow-Monreal
J.H. Hines Elementary
“Thinking OUT-side the Box”
$7,500
Named in honor of: Cargill
Marie Cleary
ATLAS Academy
“Transforming Lives One Page at a Time”
$2,500
Named in honor of: H&B Packing
Jorge De Alva Cardenas & Hayley Ballesteros
Provident Heights Elementary
“PreK Travels the Community”
$1,250
Named in honor of: Brad Crye
Carrie Forehand
Waco ISD Fine Arts
“ROCK in Our Li-bra-ry”
$7,500
Named in honor of: Keurig Dr Pepper
Meghan Green & Melissa Pritchard
Mountainview Elementary
“Pause for a Moment of Science”
$1,500
Named in honor of: Luwenda Pollard & Betty Haas
Erin Lange
Cedar Ridge Elementary
“An Active Path to Success”
$893
Named in honor of: Matt Rohrer
Caitlyn Layman & Anand Salodkar
University High
“An APple a Day”
$7,500
Named in honor of: Allen Samuels Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram FIAT
Cheryl McIlwain & Tyeasa Thompson
West Avenue Elementary
“Trainin’ My Brain: Drummin’ and Dancin’”
$5,211
Named in honor of: Central National Bank
Matthew McMahon
Crestview Elementary
“iPads for Techminds of Music”
$4,619
Named in honor of: TFNB – Your Bank for Life
Destinee Mordecai & Daniel Renfro
Cesar Chavez Middle
“Topographic That”
$7,102
Named in honor of: Italian Granite
Elisha Oliver & Jessica Ellis
Kendrick Elementary
“Swifter Swivel”
$2,150
Named in honor of: Mary Olivarez and Chief David Williams
M. Angelica Olvera
Provident Heights Elementary
“Shutterbug Photography”
$2,245
Named in honor of: Jeremy Vickers
Jeff Platt
Tennyson Middle / ATLAS Academy
“Students Achieve, Lives Transformed, Attitudes Changed, Connections Made Rachel's Challenge”
$4,800
Named in honor of: Educators Credit Union
Rebekah Raabe
Waco ISD Middle Schools
“Exploring the World Around Us”
$3,000
Named in honor of: Sally and Johnny Bledsoe
Kenneth Rodriguez
Dean Highland Elementary
“Dream It, Design It, Built It”
$2,300
Named in honor of: Jamie Crow
Jo Sparks & Hannah Rawles
Alta Vista Elementary
“World Peace & Other 5th Grade Achievements”
$5,936
Named in honor of: Window World of Waco
Dana Telep
Hillcrest PDS Elementary
“Our Library: The Ultimate Transformer”
$7,031
Named in honor of: Lowe’s of Waco
James Villa
Tennyson Middle
“Real Scientists Argue: Introducing Argument Driven Inquiry in Middle School Science”
$2,500
Named in honor of: John Lewis
Paula White & Jennifer Zane
Cedar Ridge Elementary
“Breaking Into Learning”
$2,000
Named in honor of: Alicia Hodde
