Two Liberty Schools Awarded Grant Funding by WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri Chancellor Dr. Angie Besendorfer surprised two teachers at Warren Hills and EPiC elementary schools on May 6 with $700 in grant funding for their classroom projects. Both schools are located in the Liberty School District and were awarded funds in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 6 – 10.

A grant of $300 was awarded to Courtney Szymke, a kindergarten teacher at Warren Hills Elementary School, to complete her puppetry theatre. Szymke uses puppets to enhance the language and literacy skills of her students, half of which receive English Language Development (ESL/ELL) or special education support within the classroom. Research has shown that puppetry during storytelling can not only improve language and literacy skills but also help students regulate and explore emotion, problem-solving, and organizational skills within the classroom. The grant will be used to purchase additional puppets and a puppet stand.

EPiC Elementary School teacher Deb Caywood also received a $400 grant for her Trashboat Regatta project, which will allow fifth grade students to design, build and race their own “trashboats” in an effort to study the impact of polymers on the environment. Students will make boats out of plastic jugs, pvc pipe, four rolls of duct tape and a few zip ties and race their designs at the local swimming pool to see which design can pass the test. Guests will be encouraged to purchase tickets and vote for the boat they think will win. All proceeds will go to an ocean clean-up organization that the students have researched and chosen.

Warren Hills and EPiC were two of 15 schools across Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding for innovative classroom projects. Last month, the online, nonprofit university issued a call for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding. Szymke’s and Caywood’s proposals were chosen out of more than 200 nominations received statewide.

To learn more about the Fund My Classroom initiative and the work WGU Missouri is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit missouri.wgu.edu.