On October 6, 2015, Champions For Learning awarded $54,450 in Connect With A Classroom grants to area teachers. Volunteers, supporters, and board members of Champions For Learning, surprised local teachers when they delivered
120 grants to 39 Collier County schools, to support creative and innovative experiences for students.
To receive a grant, teachers requested funding through the Connect With A Classroom grant portal through the Champions For Learning website, where grants can be viewed and sponsored by the community. Champions For Learning began funding classroom grants almost 25 years ago. The online Connect With A Classroom program began in 2003, providing teachers the opportunity to post funding requests (from $20-$2,000) for creative, innovative experiences for their students, and also share their best practices with other teachers.
Thanks to a charitable gift from the Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, which supports the technology and capacity for Connect With A Classroom, 100% of community investments goes into supporting teacher grants.
“The opportunity for teachers to request community support for their innovative ideas, helps connect community members to teachers and students in ways that strengthen our entire community,” says Greg Pasanen, Regional Vice President, Suncoast Credit Union. “Suncoast is committed to building strong communities through education and support of educators and students.”
The following provided significant contributions to fund teacher grants: Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, Lucie Jenny MacCarthy Music Fund of the Community Foundation of Collier County, Mary Seaton Breese, Scripps Howard Foundation and proceeds from the specialty State of Florida Educational License for Learning Plates, which were purchased by Collier County community members.
Click here for are more opportunities to fund teacher’s grants