Fort Zumwalt North HS Teacher Receives Grant from WGU Missouri

Lauren Martinez, a science teacher at Forth Zumwalt North High School, has received a $890 grant through WGU Missouri's “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The funds will be used to purchase materials for a biology lab studying elephant poaching that is happening in Africa. Martinez learned she was selected for the grant on May 9 when she was surprised with a check presentation at her school.

Martinez aims to create more interactive learning experiences for her students to further engage them. With the grant she received from WGU, she’ll be able to obtain gel electrophoresis kits and DNA kits to create a hands-on CSI lab that will feature a unique case study focused on elephant poaching in Africa. Students will learn how DNA from poached tusks and different populations of elephants can be used to determine where poaching is occurring. With the items received through the grant, they’ll be able to extract DNA, cut the DNA with restriction enzymes and load it into gel electrophoresis cell chambers. They will be able to read and analyze data received and determine the origin of the poached tusks. The case study will allow students to participate in a common practice used by scientists across multiple different fields, while enabling them to learn about and understand the structure of DNA.

The innovative classroom project is one of 44 across Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding. The nonprofit, fully online university issued a call in early March for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects by April 14 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. Martinez’s proposal is one of nearly 200 nominations received statewide. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 8-12.

“This is the fifth consecutive year we have been able to offer grant funding to deserving teachers across the state through our ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative, and we were so moved by all the nominations we received,” said Jessica Denham, Regional Director of WGU Missouri. “While we aren’t able to support all the projects that were nominated, we are excited to award funding to dozens of teachers who have come up with unique and innovative ways to improve their classrooms in order to promote learning and provide an enriching experience for their students.”

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 80 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).