DeSoto Education Foundation awards $106,193 in grants

by Daphne Brown of DeSoto TODAY

The DeSoto Education Foundation delivered larger-than-life-size checks to teachers who submitted grants to improve their classroom teaching techniques.

DeSoto Education Foundation board members, also flanked with balloons and music, surprised teachers with news of their winning grants during classes May 15-16.

Foundation President Joyce Williams said every student in DeSoto benefits.

“This year was the largest amount awarded in the foundation's history,” she said.

The grant selection committee awarded more than $17,000 to teachers who applied for this year's grant money. Of the 30 grant applications submitted, 16 were chosen.

In additional $88,800 was awarded to each campus to be used toward library upgrades.

This year's total amount awarded was $106,193.61.

“The foundation was organized in 2000 and our first prize patrol was in 2001,” she said. “We have averaged around $20,000 a year, so this year we're really stepping out.”

Williams, in her second term as foundation president, said last year one of the district administrators submitted the $100,000 library upgrades grant for the foundation's consideration because all of the campus libraries needed improvements.

“At the time, we didn't have the money, but we did make a commitment to the district that we wanted to fulfill that request,” Williams said. “We've been working hard to do just that, and this year we were able to fund $88,800 toward library upgrades.”

Williams said she is hopeful that the foundation would be able to finish the commitment in an upcoming year.

“It'll depend on how well our fundraising efforts go, but it's something that I hope will happen,” she said. “Each year, we depend on our top sustaining donors who allow us to do what we do for DeSoto children and it's because of their support that we're able to provide these grants to our teachers.”

Williams said DeSoto Schools Superintendent Alton Frailey's hard work in his short tenure in DeSoto afforded the needed motivation to approve the grant.

“He and assistant superintendent Sharon Price worked together with the campus librarians to come up with this grant,” she said. “I just wanted to do this so badly.”

2007 Grant Recipients

Northside Elementary

Library Upgrade Grant

K'NEX Me to Geometry

Applicants: Brenda Cribbs and Kim Augustine - Incorporates the use of K'NEX building materials to help students learn geometry math concepts

Shake and Learn Science

Applicant: Brenda Cribbs - Will energize our Science instruction, it uses music, graphics, and movement to teach Science concepts to children.

Teaching through African Drum Rhythms

Applicants: Lydia A. Perry, Jorge Montes, Windy Roberts and Sheena Andrews - The concept is to teach students math patterns, musical rhythms and the African culture through the use of the drums.

Little Hands on Science

Applicants: Kristen Klatt, Beth Capell & Nancy Weaner - Helping bring science lessons to life for some of DeSoto's littlest learners.

Science Investigators

Applicants: Brenda Cribbs, Janet Barnet, Lydia Perry, Angela Hendrix, Kimberly Augustine and Bessie Price - Expose elementary students to science media on a weekly basis, resulting in a greater level of science literacy amongst our students.

Ruby Young

Library Upgrade Grant

Facilitating Communication through Speech and Language Therapy

Applicant: Becky Campbell - Purchase age appropriate speech and language materials to help facilitate the speech materials shortage problem.

DeSoto West Jr. High

Library Upgrade Grant

Language and Augmentative Communication Technology

Applicants: Becky Campbell and Marie Shoop - Purchase devices that provide effective communication for those who require augmentative device assistance

Adaptive Swing and Swing Frame

Applicant: Kathryn Parkman and Brittany Salguero - For the development center children or any other child with physical disabilities that would prevent them from using the existing playground.

Autism Interactive Software

Applicant: Kathryn Parkman - Children with autism need a simple, visual format; a consistent pattern of presentation; and narration that is consistent in tone and prosody.

DeSoto East Jr. High

Library Upgrade Grant

Differentiated Learning - The Story Quilt

Applicants: Tonya Muhammad and Dajuana Taylor - Making a story quilt is an interactive activity that promotes cooperative.

The Reading Pen

Applicant: Dajuana Taylor - A portable self-contained assistive reading device; helps build fluency and assist with reading comprehension for our students with dyslexia.

Electronic Text Books

Applicant: Dajuana Taylor - Students with reading disabilities are often reluctant to complete reading assignments from their textbooks.

Cockrell Hill Elementary

Library Upgrade Grant

McCowan Middle School

Library Upgrade Grant

Frank D. Moates Elementary

Library Upgrade Grant

DeSoto Freshman Campus

Library Upgrade Grant

DeSoto High School

Library Upgrade Grant

Woodridge Elementary

Library Upgrade Grant