Last month, the Northwest ISD Education Foundation presented $61,486.57 in teaching grants and $45,000 to be split among the district’s campuses.
The foundation surprised teachers with the grants — which will fund innovative projects — during its annual Five Days of Giving campaign just before the winter break began. NEF aligned with COVID-19 health and safety protocols, stretching the award presentations from one day to five and utilizing times when students were not present on campus, according to a news release from Northwest ISD.
In all, 28 grants across 17 campuses were awarded during the NEF Week of Giving to fund projects including:
- “Kids on Cougar News” to allow students at Hatfield Elementary in Justin to direct, film, star in and stream morning announcements at their campus.
- “Bringing History to Life: Using AR Technology to Learn About Historical Figures” to enable students at Cox Elementary in Roanoke to experience history in the palm of their hands using Merge Cubes to create 3D models of historical figures and artifacts.
Jennifer Burton, executive director of NEF, said this is her favorite event of the year.
“Although our grant presentations looked a little different this holiday season, celebrating the success of our NISD educators remains a priority,” she said. “Spreading holiday cheer throughout the district during NEF’s Week of Giving allowed NEF board members and teaching grant sponsors to personally thank our teachers and staff for all their hard work and dedication during a challenging year.”
To date, more than $1.8 million has been distributed to teachers in Northwest ISD by the foundation. Additionally, the foundation raises funds to support students for scholarship opportunities (awarded in May) and a resource center that provides classroom supplies for teachers across the district, according to NISD.
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