North Central Education Foundation awards record 225 Teacher Grants

WENATCHEE — The North Central Education Foundation announced a record-breaking distribution of classroom grants to 225 teachers across four Washington counties, marking the largest number of awards in the foundation's 15-year history.

The grants, awarded to educators in Chelan, Douglas, Grant and Okanogan Counties, span multiple categories including cultural awareness, financial education, social studies, wellness, literacy, arts, and STEM programs. The initiative received support from numerous community organizations, businesses, and private donors.

This year's program emphasized collaborative projects, with 41 grants awarded to teams of two or more teachers. However, due to limited resources, 49 applications representing 85 teachers went unfunded.

"I believe adopting a teacher grant is a wonderful and cost-effective way to support our region's students and schools in a more personal manner, by connecting with a specific teacher and grant request," said NCEF Board member Jeff Kimbell.

The foundation reported that teachers from 23 of the 29 school districts within the North Central Educational Service District region received grants, including educators from private and charter schools.

Major funding partners included Wheatland Bank, North Central ESD, Woods Family Music & Arts Fund, Confluence Health, Community Foundation of NCW, and various local Rotary clubs. The grants aim to address classroom needs that teachers often fund out of pocket.

Unfunded grant applications remain available for adoption through the foundation's website at www.loveteachers.org.

The program distributed funds across seven categories, with dedicated support for specific subjects. The Cultural Awareness grants were funded by Lake Chelan Rotary and Confluence Rotary, while the Consumer Jungle supported Financial Education initiatives. Environmental and geology projects received backing from Friends of Lower Grand Coulee, and various community organizations funded wellness, literacy, arts, and STEM programs.

Teachers receiving the 2023 North Central Education Foundation Teacher Classroom Grants