Students and schools in Maricopa are about to cash in on benefits from the August 2007 formation of the Maricopa Education Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organization designed to provide grants and scholarships to schools, teachers and students in need of additional help with meeting their financial resource needs. Classroom grant awards are available from $100 to $2,000 for teachers and other school personnel. These grants can be used to enrich the classroom-learning environment. The first round of grant applications will be available to teachers by fall 2008. “Individual teachers at various schools will be identifying their classroom needs,” according to MEF President Rick Abel. “Teachers best understand the needs of their students.” In addition, scholarship money is available for graduating high school seniors or GED holders and educators who are going to college or vocational schools to obtain a degree, certification or for professional development training. Additional scholarships will be available for other academic pursuits on a case-by-case basis. Corporate sponsorships and donations are the primary source of funding and for that reason the foundation requires additional financial donations to be an effective service to the community. Maricopa residents and business people created the foundation. Board members consist of small business owners, corporate personnel, teachers, retired teachers and city personnel. For more information visit its Web site at www.maricopaeducationfoundation.org or call (520)483-5531. Submitted image |