CHANDLER — Teaching is a calling and every day in the Chandler Unified School District, teachers find ways to provide additional engaging, hands-on learning opportunities for our students.
CUSD educators are so dedicated to their craft that sometimes they pay for classroom items right out of their own pocket. However, thanks to the 2022 Cash for Classrooms campaign hosted by the Chandler Education Foundation, 127 educators received enrichment grants to supplement their classroom campaigns. Many CUSD educators use the grant money to help fund additional educational experiences for their students.
The foundation has been a non-profit supporter of the district for more than 36 years.
The number of grants funded each year depends on the amount of money contributed by the community during the August campaign. This year, $139,700 was raised.
When grants are approved, foundation volunteers surprise the recipient with a visit from the “Woo-Hoo Patrol, ” which is a group of district community members who volunteer time to celebrate grant awards.
Unbeknown to the recipient, the site administrator and Chandler Education Foundation plan the patrol visit. When the day arrives, the group surprises the teacher and students with a celebratory appearance in the recipient’s classroom. Many CUSD educators have said the “Woo Hoo Patrol” visit is very memorable and meaningful.
“Chandler Education Foundation believes every student deserves opportunities and experiences to enrich learning, regardless of a school’s PTO or booster program’s ability to provide those ‘extras’ CUSD families have come to count on. Our community has proven the importance of investing in education through countless years of generous giving. These grants aid countless educators in their efforts to make classroom experiences hands-on, innovative, and captivating,” Chandler Education Foundation Events and marketing coordinator Melissa Poure said.
When writing grant applications, applicants must clearly state their projects, what materials they need, and how the lesson applies to state standards.
Tarwater Elementary third-grade teacher Nikole Bohn applied for a foundation grant to fund a project called “Author’s Tea,” a well-known project at Tarwater which aims to benefit the entire third-grade department. The hands-on opportunity plans to share the author’s writing process with students by giving them the opportunity to write, illustrate, and publish their own hardcover book, purchased from Bare Books Publishing Company.
“Getting this grant allows our third-grade students to participate in a tradition that our students and families love and enjoy.,” Bohn said. “Getting support from our community helps provide real life writing experience for our students.”
Bohn said throughout the year, students practice the entire writing process, but with the Author’s Tea project, students can see a final product.
“Students have a sense of self-accomplishment they may not have felt before with any other project,” she said. “Parents also love seeing their work since it is a big writing project, and it is a piece they can keep and treasure. Without the help of Chandler Education Foundation, this project would be much more limited with what we do.”
Bohn has been teaching third grade at Tarwater for 10 years.
Eighth-grade Willis Junior High School science teacher Zach Ringo-Kasotakis pitched his project called “Exploring the Magic of Chemistry.”
In his application, Ringo-Kasotakis wrote “due to chemical interactions beginning on a microscopic level, most chemistry is taught exclusively through expository reading. This grant will allow me to equip my entire 8th grade science class with enough materials that they can each experience the magic of chemistry and chemical reactions up close with their own hands.”
Materials that he needed included potassium iodide, a yellow and blue Switcheroo chemical kit, litmus red and blue test papers, and more.
He had all the items he needed in an online cart to buy them with his own money the day administrators surprised him with the good news.
“This grant represents peace of mind in my classroom,” Ringo-Kasotakis said. “It affords my students the opportunity to be uninhibited in their exploration of science. They can make a mess and we now have the material resources to try again.”
Look for additional opportunities to support CUSD educators and students with the foundation, such as January’s car raffle, which funds IMPACT scholarships for eligible graduating CUSD seniors.
For more information on the Chandler Education Foundation, visit chandleredfoundation.org.
