Several Marietta Public School teachers received $6,111.04 in CLASS 2.0 grants. Using federal pandemic funding, the Oklahoma State Department of Education partnered with national nonprofit organization DonorsChoose to award Oklahoma public school teachers with Classroon Learning and School Supplies (CLASS) grants of up to $800 each.
The DonorsChoose website portal opened at 4 p.m. daily from November 1 through 3 for teachers to submit potential classroom projects. Grants were available to teachers on a first-come, first-served basis. Funds were divided into three equitable amounts and distributed to teachers serving students in each Oklahoma area code.
All full-time PreK-12 teachers – including school counselors, reading specialists, media specialists, speech pathologists, physical therapists, and occupational/speech therapists, and other certified faculty whose role is focused on direct, in-person services to students – were eligible to apply. Teacher projects were designed to address student learning, remediation and enrichment needs.
Grants were awarded to the following teachers for purchasing items to help their projects come to fruition:
- Tammy Blevins will use grant proceeds to give students a fun learning experience using dramatic play learning materials.
- Hope Willis will use grant proceeds to develop a multi-sensory station for students.
- Bonnie Peterson will use grant proceeds to provide her art students with no-spill paint cups and carrying baskets for supplies.
- Amanda Faulkenberry will use grant proceeds to help give students educational opportunities beyond textbooks by using other resources to reinforce skills learned in class.
- Jessica N. Wolfe will use grant proceeds to give students positive messages to help support, encourage, and motivate them to be their best.
- Christina Conway will use grant proceeds to give her students alphabet activities to help build alphabet knowledge and storytelling props to foster a love of books and reading.
In addition to the district’s fulltime teachers, a contracted speech teacher, Jennifer Fielding was awarded a grant that she will use to provide her students with language and literacy activities to help increase their communication.