Windsor High School Teacher Receives Grant from WGU Missouri

Whitney Crabtree, an English teacher at Windsor High School in the Windsor C-1 School District in Imperial, has received a $500 grant through WGU Missouri’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The funds will be used to create a classroom library, filled with a variety of young adult novels of varying interests for her students to independently read. She hopes this project will spark a love for reading in each of her students that will last beyond their high school years. Crabtree learned she was selected for the grant when WGU staff surprised her in early May with a check presentation at her school.

Crabtree’s students are assigned to read three novels independently throughout each school year, and she has found this task has helped them make gains in self-confidence, reading comprehension and reading endurance. Crabtree believes that reading also provides her students with a chance to look at life from another person's point of view, which has helped them build empathy and compassion for others. With students spending an extensive amount of time on screens, reading gives students an opportunity to learn beyond the technological realm. The grant money received from WGU Missouri will allow Crabtree to add a variety of young adult novels of varying topics – including diversity, equity and inclusion – to her classroom library. She feels that by offering many titles for her students to choose from, they will be more likely to find books they love and can experience the joy of reading for pleasure rather than just for schoolwork.

The innovative classroom project is one of 50 across Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding. The nonprofit, fully online university issued a call in March for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects by April 17 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. Crabtree’s proposal is one of almost 200 nominations received statewide. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 2-6.

“We received nominations for some amazing classroom projects, and we are happy to bring so many to life through this year’s ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Director of WGU Missouri. “When it comes to expanding classroom curriculum and employing innovative techniques to engage and challenge students, teachers are often limited by costs. This initiative is an opportunity for WGU to give back to teachers, who go above and beyond to educate our students, by providing them with funding they can use to further enhance learning both in and out of the classroom.”

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

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.

Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).