As Bartlesville Public Schools reach the halfway point of the school year, the Bartlesville Public Schools Foundation has already awarded 18 grants to teachers, totaling $29,733 in approved funds. To date, the grants have included numerous classroom and science grants, many professional development opportunities for teachers, as we]ll as two performing arts grants, all spanning a range of schools, grade levels, and subject areas.
The Foundation’s teacher grant program, “Bruin Bright Ideas,” is designed to empower educators, engage students, and enrich learning opportunities within Bartlesville Public Schools.
This fall, the Foundation provided support for several innovative classroom projects including an inflatable cell that elementary students can walk through and explore, 3D art supplies for high school students, and a book vending machine where students can earn tokens for good behavior to “purchase” books.
Throughout the semester, the Foundation has funded several teachers to attend conferences, including one in New York and another in Florida. It has also sent school counselors, librarians, and speech pathologists to participate in state level workshops, learning the latest techniques for engaging and educating students.
Through the Foundation’s Dora Randolph Performing Arts Grant, the Foundation is supporting the BPS choir, band, and orchestra students as they fly with their instruments to perform in Italy on New Years Eve. Earlier this fall, the Foundation funded an experts grant to bring in a quartet from the Bartlesville Symphony Orchestra to play with our secondary orchestra students.
Thanks to local individual donations and grants, including a partnership with the Northern Oklahoma American Chemical Society to fund science grants, the Foundation was able to increase its budget for Bruin Bright Ideas this year to meet the recent rise in demand. Several grant cycles are still open and will remain open for the remainder of the school year, including the Professional Growth Grants and Experts Grants.
For more stories about how Foundation grants empower teachers, engage students, and enrich learning across the District, including complete lists of funded grants, and for information on how you can support these programs, contact BPSF executive director, Blair Ellis at 918-336-8600 ext 3523 or visit the BPSF’s website at bpsfoundation.org.