Forming a celebratory “grant patrol” on January 5 and 8, Foundation board members and two dozen other District and community leaders presented awards totaling $71,787 to 25 Keller ISD educators.

The grants represent the most dollars the Keller ISD Education Foundation has presented in its annual grant program since the Foundation was created in 2005. The awards provide funding for innovative educational projects not covered by KISD’s normal operating budget that stimulate students’ creativity and expand the existing curriculum.

Award recipients were presented with their grants when Education Foundation board members, District administrators, corporate sponsors, and the Keller ISD high schools’ drumlines traveled from campus to campus and surprised the educators with news they had been awarded the funding.

The Foundation raises money for the grants throughout the year via public donations, corporate contributions, and its annual Gala, which will next be held on April 28. All full-time Keller ISD employees were eligible to submit grant proposals requesting support for innovative and creative approaches to identified classroom needs or special student-based projects.

The following Keller ISD educators have been awarded 2018 grants:

• Kim Yarbro, Bear Creek Intermediate School – Integrating the 5Cs of 21st Century Education
• Karen Grantham, Bette Perot Elementary School – The 21st Century Talking Stick
• Diana Colby, Bluebonnet Elementary School and Suzanne Ross, Park Glen Elementary School – Design Thinking with Big Mouth Puppets
• Clint Riddle, Central High School – Helping Students Embrace the Digital Renaissance
• Lynda Knagg, Florence Elementary School – Magical Marimbas!
• Terri Levy, Heritage Elementary School – Innovation by Design
• Courtney George, Independence Elementary School – Keva Structures, Makey Makey, and Osmo oh my! Follow the Makerspace Yellow Brick Road to Creativity!
• Jonathan Thorn, Indian Springs Middle School – STEAM Wall and Makerspace
• Brian Traughber, Jeremy Powell and Shawn Schmuck, Keller Center for Advanced Learning – Scanning the Future in 3D
• Lisa Sturges, Keller-Harvel Elementary School – Problem Solvers See it Through with Breakout EDU, Minds Will Grow Using Osmo
• Audrey Wilson-Youngblood, Keller High School – Future-Proof Learning Spaces for Future-Ready Learners
• Sandra McCorkle, Keller Middle School – Decoding with Dictionaries
• Lauren Stutler and Benjamin Rundell, Keller Middle School – All the Little Bits of STEAM
• Heather Baldwin, North Riverside Elementary School – From 4th graders to Published Authors!
• Shannon Raaz, Parkview Elementary School – Full STEAM Ahead
• Christy Goff, Parkwood Hill Intermediate School – Step Right Up and Learn!
• Cheri Baxter, Sunset Valley Elementary School – Backpack Artists
• Kelly Kaczmarski, Sunset Valley Elementary School – Full STEAM Ahead!
• John Magbuhat, Trinity Meadows Intermediate School – Printing for the Future, S.T.E.M Drone
• Chelsea Allison, Vista Ridge Middle School – Circuits Center
• LaVonia Nelson, Vista Ridge Middle School – Sphero SPRK+®