Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation awards $51,250 in Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants
The Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation (“MPAEF”), which raises money to provide high-quality teachers and educational opportunities for students in the Menlo Park City School District (“MPCSD”), announced that it has recently awarded $51,250 in Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants. These grants, funded by generous community donations to the MPAEF, were awarded to support 31 inventive projects led by teachers and staff at all four MPCSD schools (Encinal Elementary, Laurel Elementary, Oak Knoll Elementary, and Hillview Middle School). The grants – ranging from $222 to $3,190 – provide funding for teachers to integrate innovative curriculum, projects, and experiences in the classroom in the year ahead.
“We are thrilled to support many of our dedicated teachers who have received the Jeannie Ritchie Grant, which will empower our students to think, explore, and dream like scientists!” says Jammie Behrendt, MPCSD Associate nSuperintendent. “This year’s grants focus on teachers’ commitments to hands-on, inquiry-based learning, where every student can dive into the wonders of science and become a curious investigator of the world around them. With these resources, our classrooms will bring the thrill of discovery as students experiment, observe, and analyze, just like scientists.”
The list grants and projects can be viewed online.
For the second year, MPAEF continued its partnership with California Water Service, who provided $6,250 to MPAEF to fund grant projects focused on the theme of “water conservation”. This could include topics and activities specific to local geography, geology, flora, and fauna related to our local water resources, drought resistant flora and fauna, how to be “water wise” in your home and community, and water quality.
MPCSD also committed an additional $20,000 from last year’s successful MPAEF Auction Fund-a-Need to support grant projects focusing on the theme of “Students as Scientists.”
The grant program began in 1984 to honor Jeanie Ritchie, a founder of the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation.
