2009 Teacher Creativity Mini-Grants Awarded

 Jay County Christian Academy kindergarten           Redkey Elementary - Grade 3
    class at the grasslands at Minnetrista.                       Mrs. Hoffman's Class

The Board of Trustees of The Portland Foundation has approved Teacher Creativity Mini-Grants totaling $1,150 for 7 projects for the summer grant cycle of 2009. The mini-grants are to help cover the cost ($250 or less) of creative learning experiences which teachers feel are important to their students, yet are outside the budget of their school. This program is funded by the Virgil and Josephine Thomas Educational Fund and serves to allow teachers to become more creative in their teaching styles and methods, without being hindered by cost. 

General Shanks Elementary School

Nora Stephens and Kristin Westgerdes - $100 for materials to make dog biscuits with the intent to sell them as a fundraiser for the Jay County Humane Society. 

Jay County High School 

Dennis Dwiggins, Chrissy Kreig and Krista Muhlenkamp - $100 each to purchase items for the Freshman Academy's "Pay it Forward" philanthropy project. 
 

Judge Haynes Elementary School

Gladys Mithcel - $250 to purchase pedometers for a walking program to promote wellness. 

Rex Pinkerton - $250 to assist in the purchase of a student response system for the classroom, which allows greater student participation. 

 Zion Early Learning Center Preschool

Cindy Strietelmeier - $250 to assist in the purchase of musical instruments to be used in the Orff Schulwerk method of music instruction.

The next Teacher Creativity Mini-grant application deadline for the Winter grant cycle is February 1, 2010 by 5 p.m. 

The summer 2010 application deadline will be in July.