PAFE awards over $109,000 in teacher grants
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For the first time in two years, the Panhandle Alliance for Education gathered in person for the 2021-2022 teacher grant awards at the Heartwood Center Wednesday night.
The event celebrated teachers across the Lake Pend Oreille School District who applied for grants to fund different educational projects in a variety of categories including math, science, art and english language.
Marcia Wilson, executive director for PAFE, said many of the grants help fund some type of hands-on learning experience. Some also go to applications for programs that would not otherwise be funded.
A few of the grant recipients this year included programs for raised garden beds by Rand Rosencrans, a construction education program that will have students build sheds for local veterans by Jeralyn Mire, an “innovation station” to teach STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) by Laura Reichart and funds for music and performing arts programs by Amy Stephensen.
In total, 37 grant applications were selected, and PAFE awarded $109,628 in grants for the 2021-2022 school year.
The event was especially meaningful, Wilson said, because the group hasn’t been able to meet for so long.
“I think it’s really important when people do something extra to recognize them,” she said.
Since its beginning in 2003, PAFE has awarded $2,017,695 in teacher grants, said Kelly Prior, PAFE board president. In 2003, the organization awarded $35,000. For the past three years, the group has awarded over $100,000 each year.
As educators move from challenges during the pandemic to addressing the fallout from the past year in the 2021-2022 school year, the teachers who submitted the grants have gone above and beyond, said LPOSD Superintendent Tom Albertson.
“We know that there's going to be behavioral and social adjustments. And there's going to be some level of learning loss as a result of having distance learning from whatever period those students experience individually,” he said. “We sincerely appreciate all that work that you do. And we recognize that the work that you're doing is in fact making our children's lives just a little bit better.”
Stacey Darley, Spokane Teachers Credit Union branch manager for Ponderay, also spoke on behalf of STCU, which sponsored the event.
“We know your reality as teachers is that your work does not end when the school day is over. And typically you reach into your own pockets to help with classroom expenses. We hope the funding provided by the teacher grants will enhance your classroom experience,” Darley said. “Your dedication to education is something to be celebrated.”
In addition to the award ceremony being the first one held in two years, it was the last one for Wilson, who will be retiring from PAFE.
The announcement by Albertson elicited audible gasps by some in attendance. Wilson, who’s been with PAFE for 16 years, said she believes the success of the organization over the years has been thanks to its choice to listen to educators.
Quality education, Wilson said, doesn’t happen in a vacuum — it needs funding. What’s kept her going was knowing the difference the organization’s funding has made for many children into their adult life.
“In the end, it's all about the kids. We talk about grants and teachers and money, but it's really all about kids,” she said.
Wilson added that not only has the organization given out over $2 million in teacher grants, it has given out 800 grants.
“When you take the average number of students impacted by grants, let’s say it’s 40 — and that’s conservative — that’s 3,200 experiences for students that are really off the charts,” she said. “That is what keeps me going, is to know this work is really good, important and valuable. And we are helping you change lives.”
