GLEN CARBON – Heather Hall, a fourth-grade teacher at Albert Cassens Elementary School in Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7, has received a $300 grant through WGU’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative.
The funds will be used to purchase Tinker Crates to spark creativity and curiosity using STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles for her fourth-grade students. Hall learned she was selected for the grant on May 5 when WGU staff surprised her with a check presentation at her school.
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The Tinker Crates will feature engaging, hands-on learning activities designed to help students discover, explore and create things in the world around them. Hall believes this method of learning is the best way for her students to acquire and retain information, while having fun doing so. The grant money received from WGU will allow Hall to add Tinker Crates to her classroom, enabling her fourth graders to use STEM learning as a key to creative problem solving and collaboration, while sparking innovation. Each month, every student will receive a crate, personalized with their names and containing all the materials and inspiration needed for science and engineering projects. Additionally, students will receive a monthly magazine that they will be able to take home to use for other projects with their families.
The innovative classroom project is one of 27 across Illinois chosen by WGU to receive funding. The nonprofit, fully online university issued a call in March for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects by April 17 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. Hall’s proposal is one of more than 80 nominations received statewide. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 2-6.
“We received nominations for some amazing classroom projects, and we are happy to bring so many to life through this year’s ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative,” said Dr. Terrance Hopson, Regional Director of Western Governors University. “When it comes to expanding classroom curriculum and employing innovative techniques to engage and challenge students, teachers are often limited by costs. This initiative is an opportunity for WGU to give back to teachers, who go above and beyond to educate our students, by providing them with funding they can use to further enhance learning both in and out of the classroom.”
To learn more about the “Fund My Classroom” initiative and the work WGU is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit wgu.edu.
About WGU
Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 131,000 students nationwide and has more than 277,000 graduates. Driving innovation as the nation’s leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 25 years, the university has become a leading influence in the development of innovative workforce-focused approaches to education. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu.
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