Foundation awards $171,400 in grants
Students, teachers and education employees statewide will benefit from more than $171,000 in new grants announced March 21, 2009, by the Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.
The total includes $94,400 to Education Minnesota members in two categories: Classroom Grants for teachers, and Professional Development Leadership Grants for educational support professionals.
"These grant recipients go above and beyond when it comes to improving teaching and learning," said Education Minnesota President Tom Dooher.
Additionally, 11 nonprofit organizations received Affinity Grants in the past year to offer high-quality professional development and instructional materials to Education Minnesota members:
Foundation grants are funded by voluntary contributions of $5 per member. Since its inception in 1992, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.4 million for projects aimed at improving teaching and learning.
This year's recipients were recognized at the Education Minnesota Representative Convention, the annual meeting of its highest policy-making body, March 20-21.
Professional Development Leadership Grant recipients
McLeod West |
John Lipke |
NEA Representative Assembly |
Minneapolis |
Jeanne Bakke |
Positive School Climate |
Minneapolis |
Patsy Okolie |
Physical Health Disorder |
Minneapolis |
Christine Wuensch |
Developmental Movement for Staff and Students |
Minenapolis |
Mary Malicki |
Multi-sensory Handwriting |
Minneapolis |
Robert Lindberg |
CPR/First Aid Training |
| Minneapolis |
Linda Case |
National Resource Center for Paraprofessionals |
| Osseo |
Karen Piepho |
Reading Intervention Program |
| Osseo |
Gale Theroux |
NEA Representative Assembly |
| Prior Lake/Savage |
Pam Mikkelson |
NEA Representative Assembly |
| St. Paul |
Pamela Ellison |
PACT Program |
| St. Paul |
Irene Pederson |
National Interpreter Certification |
| United South Central |
Susan Summer |
Rotate |
Classroom Grant recipients
Albert Lea |
Beth Erickson |
Social Skills for ASD Students |
Anoka Hennepin |
Joan Flygare |
Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) |
Bloomington |
Cassie Bjerke-Armstrong |
WEB-Where Everyone Belongs |
| Bloomington |
Peggy Locke |
Walking the Butterfly |
Bloomington |
Chris Reano |
Arts In Autism |
Brainerd |
Denise Reeser |
Wet and Wild Learning |
Burnsville |
Megan Gonzalez |
Increasing Family Involvement for ESL Students |
Burnsville |
Amanda Lutz |
Real Reading |
Burnsville |
Tanja Putman |
Home Connection |
Cambridge-Isanti |
Kathy Belsheim |
Real Men Read |
Cambridge-Isanti |
Matthew Braaten |
Student Response Devices |
Cambridge-Isanti |
Carol Hazard |
GRINS |
Cambridge-Isanti |
Amy Jordan |
Bridge Backpacks |
Cass Lake |
Dianna Morrison |
iPods in the Classroom |
Chaska |
Scott Buschena |
Interest and Career Exploration for Middle School |
Dawson-Boyd |
Jeri Popma |
M & Ms: Manipulating Math |
Duluth |
Catherine Nachbar |
Random Acts of Kindness |
Elk River |
Melissa Jordan |
Elder's Wisdom, Children's Song |
Fergus Falls |
Kristin Tuel |
Stitch and Nutrition |
Fridley |
Dorothy Mattson |
Little Hands-on Letters |
Hopkins |
Kjersti Gilthvedt |
Program Library |
Hutchinson |
Heidi vanderHagen |
Monarchs in the Classroom |
Minneapolis |
Wendy Ballou |
Sign Language for Families |
Minneapolis |
Amanda Struxness |
Video Models to Improving Student Performance |
Moorhead |
Vicki Bowe |
Math, Science and Literacy Discovery Nights |
Osseo |
Stacy Grant |
Operation ROAR |
Osseo |
Donna Ohlgren |
Think, Click, Feedback |
Osseo |
Kelli Waalk-Gilbertson |
Oriole Gardens |
Red Lake Falls |
Mickie Spurgin |
Care and Share |
South Plains Education Cooperative |
Teresa Davison |
Tackling Technology with Teens |
South Plains Education Cooperative |
Kristin Tietje |
Using SMART Board Technology for ASD |
Southwest Star Concept |
Chris Elzenga |
Learning to Give |
St. Paul |
Ann Egyhazi |
Mirrors and Windows |
January 19, 2009