LREF Awards $44K in Teaching Grants
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LREF Awards $44K in Teaching Grants
We are grateful for the Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation (LREF) for the many ways it supports the District, including our staff members. At our Aug. 20 Convocation that kicked off the new school year, LREF announced nearly $44,000 in teaching grants for staff. The grants will be used to fund 36 unique innovative learning experiences created by the District’s amazing educators. The grants are made possible through a number of dedicated funding sources such as the Margaret B. Warner Fund and the Meinke Creative Teaching Grant Fund as well as LREF’s general fund.
The 5th Grade Battle of the Books program is one of the many funded by LREF.
Some of the grant projects are successful, long-standing programs, such elementary Battle of the Books, middle school “Soccer Club, and high school Stock Market Game and Model United Nations. Each year, however, our staff come up with new and creative ideas to offer enrichment to our students. New grant initiatives include Shake, Build, and Grow: Preschool Engineering in Action, Navigating History through Map Literacy at Garfield Middle School, Phones Down, Sketchbooks Up at Lakewood High, and Creating Beyond Paper: Expanding Creative Possibilities with Chomp Saws at the elementary art level.
Lakewood High teacher Ron Lewis is one of the many grateful staff members for the grant program.
“Over the past five years, LREF grants have allowed over 200 LHS students to participate in the Sifma Foundation's Stock Market Game, a hands-on investing simulation in which student teams manage a hypothetical $100,000 portfolio of stocks, bonds, ETFs, and other investments while responding to real-world market conditions,” Lewis said. “LHS students develop valuable skills in research, mathematics, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and financial literacy. Only through the generous support of LREF has this valuable opportunity become a reality for our LHS community.”
LREF Executive Director Mary Sharpe is happy to provide these opportunities to teachers through the foundation: "We know that behind every grant application is a teacher who sees a chance to make a difference for their students. We are proud to help turn some of those ideas into reality."
Thanks to the generosity of LREF supporters, the number of grants the foundation has been able to award has grown over the years. This year’s 36 projects are nearly double the number awarded just three years ago. Still, LREF receives more applications than it can fund. If you would like to help LREF fulfill every teacher request we receive, please consider making a donation at lakewoodrangers.com/donate.