Los Alamos Reporter

LAPS Foundation Grant Applications Due By Sept. 30

Clark_VR (1).JPGLos Alamos High School chemistry teacher Shelley Clark demonstrates the new virtual reality headsets she now uses in her classroom. Photo Courtesy LAPS Foundation

IMG_9837.jpgMountain Elementary School 3rd grade teacher Kandice Favorite displays the Polyhedron Models she received from a LAPS Foundation grant. Photo Courtesy LAPS Foundation

LAPS FOUNDATION NEWS

Important! Important! Important! This comes as a friendly reminder that the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation is still accepting Fall semester grant applications. The deadline is quickly approaching on September 30th. Thanks to many generous donations by individuals and organizations last year, the LAPS Foundation has been able to increase the amount available by 20 percent to $18,000 for the following grants:

  • Great Ideas Grants
  • Professional Development Grants
  • Professional Book Group Grants

Great Ideas Grants support teachers who have innovative ideas for enriching their curriculum to provide students with unique and effective learning experiences. The LAPS Foundation can unlock remarkable resources and opportunities for the schools’ classrooms in ways the school’s budget cannot. In the 2019 spring semester, the LAPS Foundation funded 10 Great Ideas Grants, including adding virtual reality to the classroom at LAHS, furthering a music sectionals program at LAMS, initiating a parent library at Chamisa Elementary, and purchasing Polyhedron Models for 3rd graders at Mountain Elementary.

Professional Development Grants provide the opportunity for teachers to strengthen their classroom abilities for not only themselves, but also for their students. These grants make it possible for teachers to attend conferences and workshops, and take advantage of online training. Spring 2019 grants sent teachers to the National Restaurant Association Summer Intensive Education training, the National Association for Gifted Children’s 66th Annual Convention, and the Greg Tang MATH PLUS National Conference, among others. Through these professional development grants, teachers are able to further grow in their field of study to gain new perspectives on their teaching methods and adapt them to the needs of each individual student.

Professional Book Group Grants allow for LAPS instructors and assistants to gather to read and discuss educational and instructional books. These book groups encourage instructors to collaborate on their individual instructional techniques, with the goal of implementing new or refined practices in their classrooms.

In addition, this year the LAPS Foundation has increased the funds available for fall Mini-Grants by 33% to $1,500, and it has added $2,000 for new Wellness Grants. For both of these grants, there is no deadline to apply, and grants will be awarded until the funds have been exhausted for the semester. More funding will become available for all grants again in the spring semester. Over the course of the 2019-20 school year, the LAPS Foundation intends to give out at least $44,000 in teacher grants.

The deadline for submission for the fall semester is September 30th, 2019. All licensed LAPS teachers may apply online at lapsfoundation.com/educators/apply-for-a-grant/.

The Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation is an independent organization that invests in a successful future for all Los Alamos public school students. Since its inception in 2005, the LAPS Foundation has raised more than $1 million for Los Alamos public schools. The Foundation raises money through generous contributions from individuals and organizations who share the Foundation’s core values. To learn more about the LAPS Foundation and how to get involved and/or make a donation, visit lapsfoundation.com or call 505.500.6501.