In a surprise visit to 42 schools throughout Plano ISD, members of the Education Foundation, along with PISD staff and sponsors, awarded grants of varying amounts to 97 different projects on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Plano ISD Grants to Educators Grant Patrol visited libraries, classrooms and offices complete with whistles, cowbells and pompoms to bestow the winners with a certificate and a packet explaining the reasoning behind the grant. Sponsor Park Place Lexus lent cars for grant patrol participants to use in order to deliver the awards.

“For us, it’s [about] investing back into our community because the kids who go to school here will come work for us because we are a local company,” said Jeff Krone, Alliance Data learning solutions manager.

Krone, whose company was one of the foundation’s grant sponsors, was one of the judges tasked with reviewing the applications.

“I didn’t realize that [teachers] would be this excited about these programs because, you figure, they are already there day in and day out doing work and doing these things for the kids,” he said. “But for them to apply to these grants and get them and see them respond in tears and jumping up and down—that was really heartwarming.”

PISD Education Foundation executive director Jeanine Alpert said the goal of the grants is to help teachers who are looking to incorporate creative ways into the learning process.

“Teachers have so much to do and they are so creative, but the limitation on them is monetary,” Alpert said. “They are so excited to be able to implement their ideas in a way that they can engage their students in something. They are usually trying to fill a need that they see and they have a creative way they would like to approach it.”

At Beaty Early Childhood School, teachers Megan Fogarty and Dennise Schuler received a grant of $1,000 to continue the “We All Read Together” program, which includes adapting grade level literature books for special education students.

Teacher Heather Schmitt, also at Beaty Early Childhood School, received a $780 grant in order to purchase the Family Visual Supports Training Series. The series will be used to help parents and caregivers improve their children’s participation in school, as well as in the community and at home.

Vines High School Teacher Barbara Hester received $3,100 grant from the foundation in order to provide transportation for students who need afternoon tutorials but lack the transportation.

“I am so excited. I can’t wait until next semester when I can tell our students that you get to go to the tutorial,” she said.