The Michigan City Education Foundation recently awarded several small grants to teachers for innovative approaches in the classroom for the 2016-17 school year.
The recipients teach in grades kindergarten through eighth in Michigan City area public and parochial schools. A total of 38 grants were awarded for $11,479, benefiting 10 Schools, 49 Teachers and 3,281 Students. The impact will continue in future years as many of the grants funded items that can be used with classes on an ongoing basis.
The Michigan City Education Foundation (MCEF), a component fund of the Unity Foundation of La Porte County, was formed in 1994 to encourage and recognize outstanding teacher projects. Three groups came together - the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. and Mrs. Burton Ruby, and Mary Lou Linnen. Each contributed funds to create a permanent endowment of more than $150,000.
Earnings from this fund are used to make grants to teachers for generations to come. Since its inception more than 20 years ago, the endowment has awarded more than $224,000 to benefit approximately 34,000 students – illustrating the great value over time of creating such permanent funding streams.
Anyone can make a tax-deductible contribution to the Michigan City Education Foundation Fund. For more information call the Unity Foundation at 879-0327, or email unity@uflc.net.
This year’s recipients include the following:
Barker Middle School
Tim Blekeney & Kathleen Gushrowski, Measuring Up, $342.31
Kathleen Gushrowski, Math is a Cake Walk, $128.66
Valerie Mecklenburg , Cell Growth: Identifying Normal & Abnormal Cell Growth, $286.16
Mariah Pol, Historical Explorers Club, $350
Kelly Tokoly-Rothermel, 21st Century Color, $343.44
Krueger Middle School
Shirley Allen, Men sing Out!, $350
Janine Peo, East Asian Immersion the Krueger Way, $347.57
Kathryn Triemstra, Old School Gaming, $269.11
Edgewood Elementary School
Courtney Barber, Seeing Yourself While Reading, $300
Teresa Pavloff, Dream Big Arts and Drama, $350
Sheri Tuesburg & Michelle Sickles, Third Grade Biography Wax Museum and Ambitious Authors, $350
Joy Elementary School
Lauren Stacks, iPads for 5th, $288.89
Samantha White, Amy Bartels & Andrew Dudeck, Family Fun Night, $350
Lake Hills STEM Magnet School
Candace Archer, Instrument Suppliments, $138.90
Kelley Gertner, Early Engineers, $338.92
Diane Grams, Learning Conflict Resolution Through Art, $349.42
Renee Hall, Reaching the Second Step, $350
Erin Lozano, Sizzling Science, $162.23
Janis Mitchell & DeAnna Munoz, Creating Confident Citizens, $350
DeAnna Munoz & Janis Mitchell, Cookies and Canvas, $350
Sheri Wagner, Lap Pad Learning, $350
Penny Will, Cookies and Canvas, $350
Marsh Elementary School
Alisa Carlson, Growth Minded, $341.66
Susan Shell, All Hands on Deck!, $350
Pine Magnet School for the Performing and Visual Arts
Holy Beadles, Gluing Magic, $282.43
Julie Schmidt, Holly Beadles, Samantha Lakin & Samantha Kubik, Acceptance Through Ugly Dolls, $189
Elizabeth Schreeg, Tuning Up with Tablets, $267.25
Notre Dame Catholic School
Trish Baczkiewicz, Joe Bobillo, Joanna Cate & Sandy Purcell, Brain Pop, $220
Kathlene Bobillo & Natasha Magnuson, Chickens Go To School, $350
Barbara Brandon & Jennifer Scriba, Boom and Ring, Then Let's Sing, $279
Natasha Magnuson, Here Birdie Birdie, $350
Angela Ruiz & Nancy Donoghue, Math for Fast Finishers, $65.08
Queen of All Saints Catholic School
Laura Bennett, Giant Indiana Map, $350
Andi Haas, Saints Among Us, $350
Stephanie Kush, Challenger Learning Center Field Trip, $350
Carla Neary, The "Wonder" Effect, $350
St. Paul Lutheran School
Lexa Allison, Sight Word Scramble, $239.12
Melissa Bushnell, STEAM Science Innovation, $350