Education Foundation bestows grants to 36 teachers and principals

By PAMELA GRANT

Cove Leader-Press

Cheering, ringing bells, and wielding cans of Silly String, several Copperas Cove Education Foundation members made their way down the halls of various Copperas Cove schools before awarding deserving teachers and principals with a giant check.

The giant check of course is a prop check, but the Education Foundation did award $43,967 in grants to 36 teachers and principals in nine Copperas Cove schools.

The first Board of Directors of the Copperas Cove Public Education Foundation was formed in early 2008, received their 501(c)(3) in March 2008, and awarded their first grants at the end of that same year. Counting this year, the organization has awarded a total of $476,758 in grants.

“This is the best thing we do,” said Beverly Smith, president of the Education Foundation and a founding member, about handing out the grants. “Everybody loves it, and it’s so rewarding.”

The goal of the grants is to enhance education and support creative approaches to education. Smith said that a lot of the teachers and principals have innovative ideas that just aren’t in the budget. The grants provided by the Education Foundation can help turn those ideas into reality.

“They have innovative ideas that aren’t in the budget, and that’s where we come in,” said Smith.

Teachers and principals interested in securing a grant submit their ideas which are then scored (any identifying information is removed before the scoring process). This year, they had 62 applications and were able to award grants for 21 of them.

“This was a great turnout,” said Smith.  “The projects make learning more fun and interesting.”

Mae Stevens Early Learning Academy art and music teacher Willie Elmore was one of the lucky grant recipients. Elmore and Principal Leah Miller applied for the $1,500 grant under the title “Dream It, Paint It, Sing It”. Their project focuses on art and music and will work to ensure that students will be able to fully experience an introduction to art and music with weekly classes. Their program will help teach the students better skills, creativity, self-expression, and improved cognition. Elmore teaches 4-year-olds.

“This is definitely going to help me out a bunch,” said Elmore. “We’ve been limited on what we can use…A lot of the stuff I’ve brought in or teachers have donated.”

Elmore said that before the grant, he had to use found items and creativity to make items like their “rhythm sticks” which are actually crafted from the cardboard rolls from his laminator.

Another example of what Elmore teaches is AB patterns with colors. He drew and printed out turkeys for the young children in his class and has them work on coloring in parts one step at a time. For the tails, he taught them to alternate red and orange and used the lesson to teach AB patterns. 

Elmore also said that by slowing the students down, it teaches them to use and improve both their fine and their gross motor skills.

Elmore gives back to the Education Foundation each year by donating an art piece to their annual gala’s silent auction. His piece generally sells for one of the highest prices.