Earlier this morning, Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation (SFPSEF) staff and volunteers surprised 70 new educators with $200 First Time Teacher Grants during orientation at Jefferson High School. Educators from 33 schools in the Sioux Falls School District received awards to purchase supplies for their classrooms.
First-time teachers often buy materials using their own funds because they are not typically covered by school budgets. A recent study found that the average teacher spends $673 out-of-pocket per year on classroom supplies (https://www.aaeteachers.org/pr-educatorspendingsurvey-082423). With the $200 grants from the Education Foundation, teachers have purchased posters, art supplies, sets of books, bulletin board materials, organization kits, games, puzzles, posters, dry erase markers, extra school supplies, and snacks for students.
The Education Foundation started this program in 2011, and with the announcement this morning, the organization has awarded more than 1,000 First Time Teacher Grants. The Education Foundation provides $100 for each teacher, and the Mary Chilton DAR Foundation matches $100.
“We were thrilled to surprise new staff this morning to announce First Time Teacher Grants,” said Allison Struck, executive director of the Education Foundation. “This was a fantastic way to welcome new educators to the Sioux Falls School District and to show them that we are investing in them as they start their careers. Teachers know what they need to supplement or what they are missing, and these grants empower staff to make those decisions for their first classrooms.”