Teachers Earn More Than $175,000 in Grants From The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County
One evening’s celebration of public education will lead to many months of innovation in Palm Beach County classrooms and long-lasting positive effects on students.
“Any type of technology enhancement is going to benefit the students and anything that benefits the students, I’m happy with,” said Dr. Aaron Snyder, a teacher at Santaluces High School and the recipient of this year’s inaugural GoTeach STEM! Innovation Award for $5,000.
Eighty-eight grants were up for grabs in the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County’s GoTeach! Classroom Grants competitive program for public school teachers. These grants provide teachers with the opportunity to present innovative ideas for projects that would contribute to student success.
“The last year has been the year of the teacher,” Education Foundation of Palm Beach County President/CEO James Gavrilos said during Wednesday’s awards ceremony. “You have chosen a profession and you honor us, you honor our children, you bring honor to the District, and every day, you bring honor to the profession of teaching and we cannot thank you enough.”
GoTeach! Classroom Grant Awards fund individual teacher projects up to $1,000 and team projects receive up to $1,500. GoReach! High Impact Awards fund projects up to $3,000 with funding from the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation. New this year are the GoTeach STEM! Innovation Award and GoTeach FINLIT! Innovation Award with funding support of $5,000 courtesy of the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation.
“Our trustees consider the GoTeach! Awards as excellent mechanisms to incentivize and support teachers in the School District of Palm Beach County,” said David Nicholson, president of the Stiles-Nicholson Foundation. “Our hope is to take these initiatives to the next level by introducing our inaugural Innovation Awards for GoTeach STEM! and GoTeach FinLit! Teachers have a leveraged impact on society via the large number of students that are influenced by them. Accordingly, we feel strongly that teachers need to be supported, especially in a few key subject areas which help the students succeed in life.”
This year’s grants totalled more than $175,000.
“It’s going to allow us to get some more things in here related to STEM and STEAM,” said Georgene Joyner, a teacher at Royal Palm School who received a GoReach! High Impact Award for $3,000. “I want to get 3D pens, which I think will be easier for our students to use, and a 3D printer because I like the cause and effect and them being able to see the process.”
The Education Foundation, community partners, District leaders, teachers, and administrators attended the celebration at the Duncan Theatre at Palm Beach State College on Wednesday, September 29. Watch the virtual broadcast of the event here.
“To do more for your students to make their experience better, to be innovative and to engage them, is just very impressive and greatly appreciated,” Superintendent Mike Burke told the crowd of educators. “We are fortunate to have you all.”
Community partners supporting this program are the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, Stiles-Nicholson Foundation, the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations via the School District Education Foundation Matching Grant Program, the state of Florida’s ‘Support Education’ license plate program, SRG Technology, UnitedHealthcare, Verizon, U.S. Sugar, Aerojet Rocketdyne Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Regions Bank, PNC Bank, and HBK CPAs and Consultants.
“The Education Foundation is humbled by what our teachers do everyday in the classroom for our children,” said Jim Moore, board chair for the Education Foundation and executive with UnitedHealthcare. “We are honored to host the GoTeach! Classroom Grant Awards that bring together the School Board, the District staff, and our generous community business partners to recognize some of these amazing teachers and fund their fantastic project to help our students excel.”
Classroom grant awards were presented to the following School District of Palm Beach County recipients: