The Kent School District is proud to share exciting news made possible through the generous support of the Kent Schools Foundation. This year, KSF has awarded 161 Classroom Enrichment Grants, directly benefiting students and educators across the district.
Through a combination of individual and collaborative grants, 224 educators representing 39 school sites and departments received funding totaling nearly $98,000. These grants will support a wide range of innovative and student-centered projects, including field trips, math and phonics manipulatives, vertical whiteboards, classroom libraries, flexible seating, inclusive physical education initiatives, robotics kits, and much more.
For Meridian Middle School educator Sonja Stroomer, the impact of receiving a grant is deeply meaningful. “My grant for making math engaging was approved and received by the Kent Schools Foundation,” Streamer said. “Receiving this grant really matters for our students, so they can get the quality, necessary materials to create a fun, engaging learning environment. It’s important for them to have quality tools for their instruction.”
The funded projects will enhance learning opportunities for students across the district—bringing engaging, hands-on experiences into classrooms and learning spaces.
Some grants also support collaboration across grade levels. Laurie Donati highlighted one such project made possible through Foundation support. “We worked with the Kent Schools Foundation and were able to do multiple grants, including a collaborative grant, to get a salmon tank at Sawyer Woods,” Donati shared. “Every kid, kindergarten through fifth grade, gets to participate in science exploration together.”
This past month, Kent School Foundation representatives had the pleasure of visiting several schools to surprise educators with the exciting news that their grants had been funded.
The Kent School District is grateful to the Kent Schools Foundation and its supporters for their continued commitment to enriching classrooms and empowering educators to create meaningful learning experiences for every student.