The Mary Chilton Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution awarded their largest grant this spring to the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation. The $15,000 donation will support First Time Teacher Grants and Public School Proud Grants.

At the beginning of each school year, the Education Foundation awards $200 to every first-time, first-year teacher in the Sioux Falls School District. Educators use the funds to purchase bulletin board materials, art supplies, puzzles, classroom sets of books, hand sanitizer, etc. The $200 stipend is possible due to the generous support from the DAR Foundation. For every $100 the Education Foundation provides, DAR matches that amount. The Sioux Falls School District typically hires 60-85 first-time, first-year teachers each fall.

The Education Foundation also awards Public School Proud Grants each spring, and the financial support from the DAR Foundation enhances this program. During the 2019-2020 school year, DAR funds were used to support four Public School Proud Grants. The first grant provided social emotional learning materials to ten elementary schools. The second grant funded Osmo kits to three sections of fourth grade classes. The Osmo kits combine technology with hands-on manipulatives, and the equipment can be used for math, reading, and language arts. The third grant winner purchased circuits and STEM devices to use in her classroom to teach coding and programming skills. The fourth grant will fund a morning newscast program at one of the middle schools. Students will interview their peers, report on athletics and fine arts, and film and edit feature videos.

The Mary Chilton DAR Foundation was established in 1987 with a bequest from Dorothy Day Davenport, a longtime DAR member, community leader, and president of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. The DAR Foundation has awarded about 400 grants, totaling $2.5 million.