Seven grants were awarded to Albert Lea teachers for the 2013-14 school year from the Education Foundation of Albert Lea.

All Albert Lea School District teachers were eligible to apply for $500 grants to enhance the educational opportunities for their students. The following grants were funded:

1. Michele Burkard and Christma Lange will be purchasing multiple copies of nonfiction titles for their Hawthorne Elementary School fourth- grade students. They know nonfiction forms the majority of the questions on the state test in reading.

2. The team of Jill Petersen, Kristin Shanahan, Heather Heitman and Nicole Peterson will be purchasing books and educational materials for students at all four elementary schools for student-parent literacy nights.

3. Gayle Brownlow, Spanish teacher at Albert Lea High School, will be purchasing Spanish language books so that heritage Spanish-speaking students can do more reading. Both fiction and nonfiction books will be purchased at a variety of reading levels.

4. Heather Heitman and Allison Miller will be purchasing additional leveled readers for their Title 1 students at Sibley Elementary School. These books are specifically purchased for students to check out to read at home and return.

5. Tonya Prouty of the Lakeview Elementary School’s Options Program will be getting an iTunes application voucher to purchase apps that use technology to teach reading, writing, math, social learning and sensory skills for students in this program.

6. William Weitman, math teacher at ALHS, will be purchasing large math “graffiti” posters to explain basic concepts for each unit.

7. Sonya Zieske, gifted and talented coordinator, will be using funds to purchase equipment to begin Lego clubs at each of the four elementary schools so that K-2 students have access to enrichment activities.

The Education Foundation is pleased to award these funds to the district for these teachers to access. The mission of the Education Foundation is to provide students in the K-12 program access to resources that might not otherwise be available. The teacher grant program is one project of many supporting this mission. Donations to the Education Foundation for the teacher grant program are encouraged and may be sent to Education Foundation of Albert Lea, PO Box 828, Albert Lea, MN 56007. All donations are tax deductible and will be carefully acknowledged and documented.