Jarrett Middle School Teacher Receives Grant from WGU Missouri

Abby Overton, a sixth-grade teacher at Jarrett Middle School, has received a $3,000 grant through WGU Missouri's “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The funds will be used to create a forensic detective lab. Overton learned she was selected for the grant on May 9 when she was surprised with a check presentation at her school.

Jarrett Middle School recently made the switch to become a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) school. Starting next school year, Overton will be teaching a STEAM class that will provide a hands-on learning opportunity for students to become detectives and explore the science behind DNA, fingerprinting, photo analysis, interviewing and more. With the $3,000 grant she received from WGU, she’ll be able to obtain all the necessary materials for her forensics lab, including a microscope, a camera, a USB SD card reader, SD cards, buccal swabs and kits for evidence collection, fingerprinting and testing simulated blood. These items will allow students to dive deeper into the curriculum and enhance their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

The innovative classroom project is one of 44 across Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding. The nonprofit, fully online university issued a call in early March for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects by April 14 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. Overton’s proposal is one of nearly 200 nominations received statewide. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 8-12.

“This is the fifth consecutive year we have been able to offer grant funding to deserving teachers across the state through our ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative, and we were so moved by all the nominations we received,” said Jessica Denham, Regional Director of WGU Missouri. “While we aren’t able to support all the projects that were nominated, we are excited to award funding to dozens of teachers who have come up with unique and innovative ways to improve their classrooms in order to promote learning and provide an enriching experience for their students.”

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.

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.

Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).

More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.

*Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington DC 20036, 202-877-6791).