There’s less than two weeks until the first day of school, and the Sioux Falls Public Schools Education Foundation (SFPSEF) will be surprising teachers Monday morning when it awards 61 First Time Teacher Grants during New Teacher Orientation at Lincoln High School. The 61 grants will go to educators at 26 schools within the Sioux Falls School District. Every first-time, first year teacher will receive $200 to equip their classrooms. This year’s First Time Teacher Grants are sponsored by the Mary Chilton Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution and Billion Chevrolet.
First-time teachers often purchase supplies out of their own pocket. These start-up costs are necessary for the classroom environment, yet they are not typically covered by school budgets. Educators have used funds to purchase bulletin board materials, organization kits, art supplies, games, puzzles, posters, snacks for students and more. Since the program began in 2011, the Education Foundation has awarded more than $84,000 to 624 teachers.
“We look forward to awarding these grants each year,” said Allison Struck, executive director of the Education Foundation. “We are able to recognize new educators to the profession and let them know that we appreciate what they’re doing in the classroom. It’s also a nice way to welcome them to the Sioux Falls School District,” Struck said.