More than $61,000 in private donations was split between 28 teaching grants. The projects that will be funded address fine arts, STEM education or students’ social and emotional needs, among other areas. NEF gave another $45,000 to the district for classroom grants to be divided evenly between NISD’s 29 campuses.
“NEF’s Week of Giving allowed NEF board members and teaching grant sponsors to personally thank our teachers and staff for all their hard work and dedication during a challenging year," NEF Executive Director Jennifer Burton said in a statement.
NEF’s “grant brigades” visited campuses before and after the school day to deliver the news to grant recipients, minimizing contact with students, and the announcements were spread out over the week.
Peterson Elementary in Fort Worth received $2,600 for supplies to start DrumFIT, a cardio and rhythm program. Steele Accelerated High School in Roanoke, which had no athletics program, received $2,630 for intramural athletics resources. Tidwell Middle School in Roanoke received $4,710 to purchase an interactive whiteboard to help engage students in special education classes.
In addition, Granger Elementary in Fort Worth received $1,651 for two projects, Cox Elementary in Roanoke received $6,741 for three projects and Beck Elementary received $5,010 for three projects.
NEF is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that funds innovative teaching projects and provides scholarships for graduating students who will be leaving the district. NEF funding also goes to special education, career readiness programs and a resource center that fulfills teachers’ requests for classroom supplies. Since its founding in 1999, the organization has received almost $2 million in donations and distributed that to teachers as grants.
Other grant recipients are Haslet Elementary, Hatfield Elementary, Clara Love Elementary, Justin Elementary, Sendera Ranch Elementary, Wilson Middle School, Seven Hills Elementary, Eaton High School, Adams Middle School, Schluter Elementary and the Northwest ISD Outdoor Learning Center and music therapy program.
