Foundation helping students in many ways

For 10 years, the New Prague Area Education Foundation has been providing grants to classroom teachers to help them supplement their curriculum with innovative projects designed to help students learn.

This year’s classroom grants, 10 of them totaling about $12,000, were showcased Monday for foundation members, school board members, school officials and others. Teachers showed off some of the projects the students have been able to work on. These projects are "supplementary" in nature - they are not funded by the schools’ curriculum. Instead, the teachers research and write a grant proposal telling why their students would benefit from this project.

Among this year’s grants was "Writing with Legos," (see photo on Page 2). First grade students use the popular toy building blocks to illustrate their stories and also to help them add to details to their writing, by seeing things from different perspectives.

Another grant, given to teachers from the New Prague Alternative Learning Center, not only benefits the students, but also the community at large. Students used technology to help them set up a geocaching course at the Ney Nature Center, a Le Sueur County Park near Henderson.

The foundation not only benefits public school students, but private school students as well. One of the grants was given to St. Wenceslaus School to help them with the purchase of a 3D printer. There was no demonstration at Monday’s showcase, as teachers are currently writing curriculum to go with the technology.

The Education Foundation has been a big addition to the community. to date, more than $70,000 in grants have been awarded to area teachers, and students have benefitted in many ways. In addition, thousands more have been raised as the foundation has taken and expanded efforts to raise money for scholarships for local high school students.

Learn more about the foundation at www.npaschools.org/foundation.