Where community empowers public education

Nearly $20K Given Out For Fall Semester Grants So Far

Through many generous contributions, the Foundation has been able to continue, and even grow, our grants program for the 2019-20 school year.  This fall, we’re pleased to be able to support 38 grant ideas so far. As a result of your kind and continuous donations, we are having a huge impact on the quality of education in our Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS).

So far this fall we have given out nearly $20,000 for grants, which has impacted every school in the district in some way. This includes 23 Mini-grants, 5 Great Idea Grants, 5 Professional Development Grants, and 5 Book Group Grants.

Mini-Grants are given to certified LAPS teachers in hopes of funding new and innovative ideas in the classroom that teachers otherwise wouldn’t be able to pursue without the grant. Although we had planned to offer 15 mini-grants this fall, we were able to increase that number because of a fundraiser organized by the Homecoming Court called “Court for a Cause.” Some of the fall grants included math and logic brain games for Mountain Elementary,  magazines and books for Barranca, headphones for creative listening assignments at Pinon, a live Hawk for art classes at LAMS, and a screen capture software at LAHS.

Great Ideas Grants support teachers who have innovative ideas for enriching their curriculum to provide students with unique and effective learning experiences. The LAPS Foundation can unlock remarkable resources and opportunities for the schools’ classrooms in ways the schools’ budgets often cannot. In the 2019 fall semester, the LAPS Foundation will fund five Great Ideas Grants, including adding 35 novels to a classroom at LAHS, furthering a 3-day team building event at LAMS, and purchasing 2 Breakout EDU kits for a classroom at Barranca.

Professional Development Grants provide the opportunity for teachers to strengthen their classroom abilities for not only themselves but also for their students. These grants make it possible for teachers to attend conferences and workshops, and take advantage of online training. Fall 2019 grants will send teachers to the National Association for Gifted Children Conference, the BER Seminar: What is New in Children’s Literature, and a WEB Crew Coordinator Training session, among others. Through these professional development grants, teachers are able to further grow in their field of study to gain new perspectives on their teaching methods and adapt them to the needs of each individual student. 

Professional Book Group Grants allow for LAPS instructors and assistants to gather to read and discuss educational and instructional books. This fall we had an overwhelming response, and we will provide $3,500 worth of books to Barranca, Chamisa, and LAMS educators. These book groups encourage instructors to collaborate on their individual instructional techniques, with the goal of implementing new or refined practices in their classrooms.