West Plains, Mo. (Apr. 12, 2022) – In a continued effort to show appreciation for area K-12 educators who have been navigating diverse styles of teaching to best lead students on their education journey, WGU Missouri has announced the return of its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The fully online, nonprofit university is pledging up to $100,000 in grant money for K-12 teachers who need help funding their innovative classroom projects. Teachers can submit proposed projects online at wgu.edu/fundmyclassroom for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding. Applications are being accepted March 21 through April 17, and selected classroom projects will be announced during Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 2-6.
K-12 educators can request funding for any type of innovative classroom project they believe would provide an enriching classroom experience for their students – from books, supplies and equipment or technology to classroom experiences and field trips. To be considered, proposed projects must include a description, detailing how much funding is needed and how the proposed project will benefit students. Both public and private school teachers are encouraged to submit applications. Teachers do not have to be WGU students or alumni to apply.
“Teachers work tirelessly to ensure that students have the tools they need to reach their full potential, but they often have to spend their own savings to cover the costs of classroom projects that create an impactful learning experience,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor of WGU Missouri. “Through the Fund My Classroom grants, WGU is proud to give back to teachers as a way to thank them for their dedication to educating students. We look forward to learning about all the amazing projects being proposed this year and are excited to provide deserving teachers with the funds to bring so many of them to life.”
This is the fourth consecutive year WGU Missouri is making the “Fund My Classroom” initiative available for Missouri teachers. In the three previous years, the university has awarded more than $80,000 in grant funding toward 96 classroom projects in Missouri and parts of the Kansas City, Hannibal-Quincy and St. Louis metro areas extending into Kansas and Illinois. The university hopes to continue to fund dozens of projects throughout Missouri, Kansas and Illinois this year.
Some of last year’s funded projects through WGU’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative included the following: a “Little Free” Library at Highlandville Elementary in Highlandville, Mo., for rural families to use to expose their children to a wider range of literature, without requiring them to drive to larger towns; an outdoor classroom for students to experience hands-on lessons in ecology and botany at Diamond High School in the Joplin, Mo., area; advanced equipment for a biology project at Seymour High School in Seymour, Mo., allowing students to use electrophoresis to easily read DNA samples and learn about genetic screening and environmental forensics; musical instruments for at-risk students at Northview Elementary School in the St. Louis suburb of Jennings, Mo., to use to learn about technical fields in music while developing the skills to read, compose, write and produce music; and a makerspace where students in all grade levels can come and share their ideas and create STEM-focused products, prototypes and projects at Longview Farm Elementary School in the Kansas City suburb of Lee’s Summit.
Anyone interested in nominating themselves, colleagues, family or friends can fill out the short application available at wgu.edu/fundmyclassroom. Nominees must reside in Missouri, Illinois or Kansas.
