2011-2012 Grants Awarded

Great Opportunities Grant Recipients

The Kalispell Education Foundation has announced the recipients of the 2011 Fall, and 2012 Winter, Great

Opportunities Grants. These grants were developed to enrich education in the Kalispell Public

School System. They are designed to put the money directly into the hands of classroom

teachers, helping educators make innovative teaching strategies a reality.

The next Great Opportunities Grant deadline is October 1, 2012, with recipients recognized by

September 15, 2012. Educators may find application information on the website, and

businesses, organizations, or individuals interested donating or sponsoring current or future

grants are encouraged to contact Mike Kofford at the Foundation (koffordm@sd5.k12.mt.us)

for more information.

The 2012 Winter Grant Recipient is:

Sharing and Honoring Montana’s Native American Cultures

Teachers: Mimi Basden, Mary Lloyd, Kathy Martin (Hockaday Musuem)

Schools: Hedges Elementary School

“Sharing and Honoring Montana’s Native American Cultures” provides support for the school’s

art and culture programs, and the “Indian Education for All” curriculum mandated by the state.

The hands-on project facilitated by a Native American artist helps to develop an understanding

and respect for the creative process and for the need for the preservation of artifacts. The

program further cultivates the relationship with northwest Montana’s Indian Nations and acts as

a bridge to provide a positive cross cultural experience for all participants.

The program is an opportunity to introduce youth to Indian art and culture. Students experience

original and authentically produced artifacts of the Northern Plains Indians with an emphasis on

the Blackfeet. The project is presented in collaboration with the Hockaday Museum of Art. The

Hockaday’s commitment to enriching the cultural life of our community beyond the Museum’s

walls is reflected in the scope and quality of its outreach programs.

The 2011 Fall Grant Recipients are:

Real Results Science

Teachers: Megan Couser, Kaylee Shaw

Schools: Flathead High School

“Real Results Science” meets the needs of technology-minded students by offering them

the opportunity to collect real-time data in their Biology classrooms. Through the use of

classroom computers students will participate and engage in inquiry-based

experiments, allowing them to further their understanding of biological processes

through the use of technology.

Sit to Succeed: Ball Chair Project

Teachers: Wendy Lee Bumgarner, Vicki Robins, Katie Armstrong,

Tonya Nickerson.

Schools: Edgerton Elementary School

Research shows that the use of a specialized ball chair improves students’ attention,

behavior, and academic performance in the classroom by providing the kinesthetic

movement and sensory input they need and seek. While there are other ways to

incorporate kinesthetic movement and sensory input into a lesson, using ball chairs is

the safest, most cost-effective, and least disruptive in the classroom, while also

affording each student the ability to individually tailor the amount of kinesthetic and

sensory input received according to his/her needs at any given time on any given day.

Kalispell Education Foundation