Mat-Su Schools Foundation announces grant awards

MAT-SU — Each October, Mat-Su Schools Foundation reviews grant proposals that expand educational opportunities for kids beyond what limited school budgets can provide. Proposals are considered for their sustainability, the number of kids they serve and the degree to which they benefit student learning.

Grants for up to $500 per project are funded through donations and membership fees. Gorilla Fireworks additionally funds one $1,000 grant for a proposal benefiting students in the Big Lake/Houston area.

This year, six grants were awarded to the following schools and teachers:

• Connie Bamburg, Machetanz Elementary School — Auditory Acquisition: Listening to Learn supplies, including six MP3 players, headphone sets, cases, memory cards, chargers, USB cables and storage containers. Bamburg will establish a listening center in her classroom where MP3s will be loaded with books of various reading levels.

• Marcy Farris, Finger Lake Elementary School — LEGO Education BuildToExpress is a program that creates a hands-on learning environment that enables students to illustrate how they “view” the main idea of a story or how they visualize a historic event.

• Sharon Johnson and Samantha Artz, Goose Bay Elementary School — Update all seven first-grade classroom Tech Savvy Listening Centers with headphones, headphone splitters and CDs.

• Kathleen Trump, Susitna Valley High School — “Romeo and Juliet” costumes, set materials and makeup to replace drama department materials destroyed in a fire.

• Jill Showman, Wasilla High School — Yoga straps and blocks for an after-school yoga program for students and community members. Donations from yoga class participants will in turn be used to help homeless students at MY House.

• Kathryn Sharp, Wasilla Middle School — Music Exploration through Native Studies for drum kits (skins, ties, frames). Music exploration students will learn how to make traditional skin hand drums and how to play them. The drums will become part of the WMS music department for future Native Studies instruction.

• Kathy Barney, Shari Qual and Lisa Humphreys, Houston High School was awarded the Gorilla Fireworks Grant for supplies and building materials for of a student government espresso cart. Proceeds from sales will benefit school projects, dances and special events. Beverage coupons will be awarded to individual students to recognize exceptional attendance, job and life skills, business skills and volunteerism. Student government members will also develop a peer mentor program serving special education students, working with them to develop life skills.

The Mat-Su Schools Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation organized to support student learning by providing supplemental funding for education. Children are our future. Therefore, investments in improving educational opportunities for kids are investments in our community and society as a whole.

Contributions to the Mat-Su Schools Foundation are exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) and are tax deductible.

To learn more, make a contribution or become a member, visit matsuschoolsfoundation.org. Annual membership is $10 and lifetime membership is $75. The Mat-Su Schools Foundation is also forming an advisory board and is inviting community members to consider sharing their talents, ideas and enthusiasm. Information about the function and purpose of this group can be found at the MSSF website.