WGU Awards Nearly $9,500 in Grant Funding to Teachers in Minnesota

Western Governors University (WGU) today announced it has awarded $9,483 in grant funding to teachers across the state, funding their innovative classroom projects that foster learning in new, unique ways. The grants are made possible through WGU’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative, and a total of 10 classroom projects in Minnesota were selected for funding.

The funding will go a long way toward making several K-12 classrooms a more engaging environment for students when they return to school this fall. Grants awarded include the following:

• A $1,900 grant, used to purchase a LEGO Education BricQ Motion Essential Hybrid Learning Classroom Starter Pack for students in grades K-5 at Pilot Knob STEM Magnet School in Eagan. The starter pack features 24 personal learning kits that include LEGO minifigures, gears, weighted springs and more and are designed to foster an understanding of forces, motion and interactions among students by providing easy, technology-free, hands-on learning experiences.
• A $1,750 grant that will be used to bring art therapist Donna Alena Hrabcakova to Cass Lake-Bena Middle School in Cass Lake for an inspiring guided art activity that will enable students to explore the healing power of art and discover their own creative potential.

• A $1,250 grant, used to purchase flexible seating for a special education classroom at Windom Senior High School in Windom.

• A $1,020 grant, used to purchase a variety of new books that align with what students at Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial Elementary School in Lake Crystal are learning in class throughout the year. The books will be available to all students in the school library.

• A $900 grant, used to install whiteboard walls in a math classroom at Pine River-Backus High School in Pine River to create an interactive and collaborative learning environment that will result in increased student engagement and improved mathematical understanding.

• A $760 grant, used to purchase fishing rods and necessary tackle and supplies for 33 third graders at J.A. Hughes Elementary School in Red Lake Falls. The fishing rods and supplies will be used to support a teaching unit on lakes, fish, fishing and boat and lake safety – culminating in a field trip to a nearby lake where students fish for the day – and students will be able to use the supplies at home once the unit ends.
• A $560 grant, used to purchase an Ender-5 S1 3D printer 3D printer for the print lab at Challenger Elementary in Thief River Falls. The printer will allow the 750 students participating in innovative technology classes each week to gain valuable skills in problem-solving, critical thinking and technological literacy as they navigate the 3D printing process.
• A $500 grant to purchase class sets of literary titles that include I Am Malala, The 57 Bus, and Reaching for the Moon: The Autobiography of NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson for ELA students at The Journey School in Saint Paul. The new and diverse books will enable students to read in novel study groups, improving collaborative learning and critical thinking skills, while expanding their knowledge and understanding of different cultures and experiences.

• A $500 grant, used to purchase supplies for outdoor education and for STEM bins, for students at Eastview Elementary School in Lakeville.

• A $343 grant that was used to stock an English classroom library at Plainview-Elgin-Millville High School in Plainview with new books that are diverse, engaging and relevant for students in grades 9 through 12.

WGU issued a call in March for K-12 teachers to submit their project ideas on the university’s website by April 14 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran May 8-12.

“We received so many great nominations this year, and we are thrilled to be able to fund dozens of innovative projects that will play a role in setting up our children for success later in life,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Vice President of Western Governors University. “K-12 teachers are often limited by the costs associated with providing impactful educational learning and end up spending money out of their own pockets. The ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative is an opportunity for us to help make a difference in classrooms across the state and show appreciation for our teachers, who work tirelessly to educate young minds.”

To learn more about the “Fund My Classroom” initiative and the work WGU is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit wgu.edu.