AEF gives $18K in grants

By Basil Gist

Staff Writer

The Aubrey Education Foundation took a second trip around the district this year to award teacher grants, this time totaling $18,000.

In an effort to set up a new cycle of awarding grants to teachers at the top of the school year, the foundation awarded a smaller round of grants, one to each school with two grants apiece going to Brockett and West elementaries.

“We awarded in May but are switching our application process to be open at the end of the summer and close it closer to the beginning of the year, so they’re getting these grants at the start of the school year,” AEF president Holly Drew said. “This round we’re giving out eight grants, which is about $18,000. Last semester, we gave out $37,000.”

Divvied across the campuses, the largest grant, for $4,025, was awarded to dyslexia specialist Juniper Wingert to allow her team to differentiate their instruction to better serve their students. She states in her proposal that dyslexic student population has increased 98% over the last few years as the district has grown.

“At AISD, we go beyond basic instruction,” Wingert wrote. “We aim to nurture, inspire and empower students to succeed in an ever-changing world. Our team is looking for creative ways to enhance the current curriculum. We want to captivate the interests in reading and writing for our dyslexic learners through supplemental and fun reading and writing tools, connecting texts and interactive games to practice and reinforce their learning.”

Other grants included a joint project between physical education and music at Brockett Elementary called Active Academic Drum Beats as well as a new phonics program at West Elementary called UFLI named for the University of Florida Literacy Institute where it was developed.

“It helps the teachers do innovative things with their students that ordinarily aren’t funded through a regular state budget, helps them go above and beyond, be really creative and helps get the kids really engaged,” AISD Superintendent Dr. Shannon Saylor said of the foundation’s grant program. “It speaks volumes as to how much people care about our kids.”

Assistant Superintendent Eric Hough expanded on Saylor’s sentiment.

“When we find things that work, it allows the school district to come fund that in the future because we know it’s going to be successful,” Hough said. “Some of the things they purchase last for years, so it enhances future classes as they go along.”

Drew explained that the above projects, and the others, are chosen because they’re meant to be long lasting.

“They touch so many different student’s,” Drew said. “It’s not just giving a scholarship to one. You’re touching 200 kids, a whole grade. We try to make it things that will go on continuously year after year.”

Foundation member Erin Bogart shared the value she sees in the foundation doing more than scholarships at graduation.

“Some of these children have been exposed to AEF from the time they were in elementary all the way to graduation,” Bogart said. “It’s neat that they can see a giving heart year over year from the district.”