My current students and hundreds more in the future will benefit greatly.”

Brandi Wernet | Arizona Charter Academy third-grade teacher

The Friends of the Surprise Libraries has released the names of the educators in the local school districts who have received a combined total of $28,714.96 in school grants during 2024.

Grants to support learning through literacy in the Surprise area schools became a mission of the organization in 2012. Since the organization began in 2003, nearly $457,000 has been awarded to schools and teachers submitting applications wishing to enhance classroom learning experiences through literacy.

Grants are received and considered for approval at each monthly Board of Directors meeting. Materials are purchased by Friends of the Surprise Libraries and delivered to the schools.

Grants are made possible by the sale of used books in the Friends Place bookstore in the west wing of the Surprise Regional Library building on Bullard Avenue. Friends Place is operated and staffed by volunteers of the Friends of the Surprise Libraries, who have given 7,043 volunteer hours to keep the bookstore open in 2024.

Materials requested in 2024 included books for classroom libraries to encourage reading for enjoyment; leveled readers and decodable readers for learning how to read; materials to enhance the process of learning to read; books to supplement the classroom curriculum, and books to help children express how they are feeling.

The 2024 award recipients listed by school district are as follows:

Arizona Charter Academy teachers who requested books and learning materials received a total of $8,998.92, an increase of $2,577 over 2023. Participating teachers were S. Allen, C. Figueroa, S. Haberkorn, J. Henderson, G. Pridie, S. Uher, and B. Wernet.

“I am truly grateful for the work that (Friends of the Surprise Libraries) organization does, and my current students and hundreds more in the future will benefit greatly,” said ACA third-grade teacher Brandi Wernet.

Dysart Unified School District teachers from four schools applied for and received grants in the amount of $7,135.62, an increase of $4,510 over last year.

Teachers and their schools are H. Polk of Countryside Elementary, B. Zavala of Luke Elementary, A. Meyer of Rancho Gabriella Elementary, L. Salas and P. Ziemann of West Point Elementary. Also receiving a grant was S. Rivera for the Dysart District ESS program.

Nadaburg USD had the highest teacher participation in the grant program for the third year in a row. The district received a total of $12,580.42.

Desert Oasis Elementary teachers J. Bewley, L. Dyer, L. Frazier, J. Lansdon, R. Lopez, R. McKee, D, Mize, L. Phillips and T. Schrader received grants totaling $10,862.61.

Nadaburg Elementary teachers R. Londt, M. McCarthy, and S. Morais received grants totaling $1,482.49. Counselor N. McMahon at the Nadaburg School District received $235.32 for books on emotional regulation.

The Friends of the Surprise Libraries is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supporting literacy improvement in the northwest Valley. For information or to make a donation, visit friendsofthesurpriselibraries.org.