La Verne Rotary Keeps Education’s Wheel of Knowledge Spinning with 24 Grants

Rotarian Steve Johnson with Roynon's Kerri Obdam

Have you checked the price of projector bulbs lately? If one goes on the fritz, by the time you requisition a new one, it could take weeks to receive it, if it arrives at all, given lean school budgets these days. Without something as simple as projector bulb, students could literally be left in the dark about one of their subjects.

Smart La Verne teachers, in need of vital supplies or key instructional aids for their classroom, have learned four magical words: “Rotary to the Rescue.”

Earlier this fall, La Verne teachers in the know applied for a limited number of La Verne Rotary Club mini-grants with a maximum appeal for $300 for their special classroom projects. The mini grants, established in 1998 by Dr. Roger M. Hanawalt, provide risk capital to innovative teachers who want to develop new ideas to enrich students’ classroom experiences. The mini-grants are awarded to teachers, who would not otherwise have sources of funding or who would have to use their own money to support the project.

After this year’s applications were received, a panel of La Verne Rotarians reviewed them, evaluating for innovation and benefit to students. This year, the La Verne Rotary funded all 24 requests it received for a total of $4,610. Typically, the grants are presented to teachers in mid-December, but this year’s distribution of the checks was moved up.

“Because of the economy, we wanted to get the money in the hands of teachers earlier than usual,” said Rotarian and City Council member Steve Johnson who this year had the honor of distributing the checks to the surprised teachers – La Verne’s version of the Publishers’ Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.

The La Verne Rotary Club sponsors the program, with funding from Rotary Club members and Farmers Insurance.

Photos and a list of the grant winners and their accompanying projects follow:

PHOTOS (Not all recipients pictured)

Alejandra Rivas

Sandy Feger

Jeanie Dolan

Mary Hansen

Alison Reedy

Sarah Nelson

Susan Shibuya

Veronica Chiu

Tony Arriola

Mike Hessom

James Worthington

David Shibuya

Dana Frontino

Nicole Greep

Grace Miller

Mary Hansen / Reading Club Intervention

Dana Frontino / Intervention Reading Centers

Nicole Greep / 1st All-School Dance Festival

Roynon

Kerri Obdam / The Sound of Fluency

Jeanie Dolan / Accelerated Reader Support

Sandy Feger / Technology Update

Mary Carhill / Reach for the Stars w/Reading

Michele Chadeayne / Project Literacy

Alejandra Rivas / Document Camera

Heidi Butkus / Wireless Mouse & Keyboard

Raymond Delgadillo / Teachers Tek

Tara Muro / Writers Workshop Tools

Ramona

Alison Reedy / Science Reference Center

Sierra Tibbetts / Read Naturally

Sarah Nelson / Smart Music Subscription

Bonita

James Worthington / Student Accountability Project

Frank Alvarado / Mimio Innovative Tech

Kathleen Curtis / Fashion Show

Veronica Chiu / Tinker Toys to Classify Triangle

Jill Black / Upgrade Classroom Audio

Michael Hessom / Re-Enactment of Electron Discovery

David Shibuya / Projector Bulb

Susan Sibuya / Document Camera

Tony Arriola / Projector Bulb