The Anchorage Schools Foundation (ASF), a field of interest fund of The Alaska Community Foundation, recently awarded over $15,000 in small grants to 35 teachers and classrooms in the Anchorage School District (ASD). Following the October 2013 deadline, the ASF received a record-setting 48 applications from ASD teachers and staff.
The grants were selected through a competitive process and support innovative classroom projects that will enhance the classroom experience for K-12 students. Grant sizes ranged from $300 to a maximum of $500. The schools and projects that were selected for support include:
- Airport Heights Elementary for new reference books to support a science fair with mentors and volunteers from BP Alaska.
- Chester Valley Elementary for materials for creative storytelling through puppetry to address common core standards in a unique and innovative format.
- Chugiak High School for a moose DNA mapping project.
- Highland Tech Charter School for a student-designed, vertical gardening project.
- Mears Middle School for materials to build large hula hoops for the physical education program.
- S.A.V.E. High School for fabric and trimmings to allow students to make and sew kuspuks as part of their Alaska Native studies curriculum.
- Willow Crest Elementary for new library books that support social and emotional learning.
During the review process, the members of the ASF Advisory Board quickly realized that the financial need far exceeded the funding available for grant awards. To augment the budget and double the number of grants that could be awarded, the ASF gratefully acknowledges donations from Congregation Beth Sholom, Rasmuson Foundation, and the offices of Woelber, Jacobson, and Passard, LLC.
The Anchorage Schools Foundation is a field of interest fund of The Alaska Community Foundation. It was created by a dedicated group of volunteers who are passionate about supporting projects that enhance the success of students in the Anchorage School District. Though independent from the Anchorage School District, ASF works in partnership with the ASD staff, teachers, and administrators to help direct private philanthropic donations to the public school system.
Find out who received a grant! Read the full list of the 35 grantees.