Literacy Grants The Christmas Season, Spring Break Season, or whatever the season, the Evergreen School District Foundation has a season as well. Like these other seasons this is an annual event. Teachers are encouraged to write a need based Literacy Grant that would provide supplemental money for teaching material and other educational tools for helping to teach reading, mathematics- science, and writing. The foundation is again funding their Literacy Grant program with $30,000 available, yet recently moved on a motion from the chair of the Literacy Grant Committee to take a calculated step of faith and and increase the grant cycle to $40,000.
The Literacy Grant program is funded by various fundraisers conducted throughout the year. Along with private donors, the annual Spring Gala ( April 21, 2012) and the Phone-A-Thon help to provided the necessary funds. As shrinking state budgets face schools the foundation is called upon to help bridge the gap of many basic education needs. The foundation then takes many of its funding cues from the generosity of individual donors as well as local and worldwide corporations here in the SW Washington and Portland area.
As to date the Literacy Grant Committee, as related by the VP of Special Programs T Westbrook, announced that forty-six elementary school grants totaling $67,000, seven middle school $31,000 and fifteen high school totaling $31,000 has been received. The total grant request for 2011-2012 so far is $131,800! Be that is may that we would love to grant each request the committee now has the arduous task of reviewing, granting, and or helping teachers find the necessary funds for their ideas and programs. There are many times a teacher or school may be have to be encouraged to look for additional funding other than through the foundation. The schools parent groups, business or other civic organization that the foundation has relationships with do in fact turn up the additional funds for a project. Because the need is so great there are many times that we just simply cannot fund the request. That being said, this is why the foundation is constantly working to find new sources of revenue. Whether it is the upcoming Gala in April, the Phone-A-Thon, employee matched giving programs, auto-deductions from your account, or you simply want to hit the donate button on the Home Page, together we can create a legacy of education for our children and teachers.
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