Education foundation donates over $100,000 to GISD teachers

The Graham Public Education Foundation continued its charitable efforts and donated $113,266.45 in grants to Graham ISD teachers last week.

GPEF is a nonprofit organization that works to enrich and enhance the education of Graham students. The organization takes a bus with board members and campus administrators, called the prize patrol, to each campus to present awards each year.

“I have never seen another organization that invests into student outcomes more than GPEF. Even when they were going through the processes and trying to decide which grants were going to be accepted or not, it was always about, ‘How do we help the students more? How much does it help out more? How does this help our teachers?’” GISD Chief Academic Office Janel Madeley said. “They were 100% invested in the outcomes of our students, and they want to help our teachers and our educators.”

The organization provides funding to GISD teachers outside of the budget through an application process and obtains money through donations and fundraising events. The organization actively seeks donations from alumni, citizens, businesses, corporations and other foundations.

This was the first year Madeley was a part of the prize patrol program being new to the district and she said the experience was outstanding.

“It’s just a really awesome opportunity, and we celebrate big. We had the drumline lead us through this time. It was super fun. It brought in a lot of life and excitement,” she said.

One of the most expensive items funded was at Graham High School for the University of Texas OnRamps program which helps to prepare students for college-level courses.

“They are advanced academic courses at the high school. …They are rigorous and so they can be a dual credit class. They don’t have to be, but they can be. It’s up to the student and the parent,” Madeley said. “They’ll take the rigor of college and they’ll apply it in their high school class. They’ll have the same course and kids will take the college assessments and either get the credit or they don’t.”

Another GHS grant was for Vu Scholarships which is a reverse-engineered scholarship program where colleges and scholarships seek out students after they fill out a profile. 

A benefit to all campuses with the exception of Pioneer Elementary School, was the grant for the Gizmos program.

“They are digital simulated labs for science classes and we have it in K-12. We’re even using it in CTE, so we’re using it cross-curricular,” Madeley said. “(It contains) things that you couldn’t ever experience in science because of our limitations of location and materials and it’s hands-on.”

Across the district supportive reading tools were purchased by GPEF and literacy intervention tools were also purchased for Woodland Elementary School and Crestview Elementary School. 

On the art side of things, both GHS and Graham Junior High School were provided hardware and software with the Artsonia program.

Artsonia features a digital gallery of student art portfolios to display their works. Students take pictures of their artwork using a tool and an iPad and store it in the digital portfolio that can be viewed by parents, guardians and family members.

The GHS and GJHS band program also received eight marimbas and the high school additionally received five trombones.

Grants that were already received by teachers at Pioneer Elementary School, were field trips to the Old Post Office Museum and Art Center for the Dinosaur Revolution interactive exhibit.

Pioneer was also awarded grants for playground equipment and a sensory table for students to expand their accessibility.

“It’s a lot of sensory (equipment) and they’re able to communicate in different ways,” Madeley said. “It’s a different outlet for students that may not be able to pick up and play. ...We’re just trying to make it more accessible to all of our students.”

To help prepare students for the SAT exam, PSAT exams were funded for eighth and ninth grade students for GHS and GJHS.

“Our younger students are able to assess earlier so that they can start seeing where their strengths lie,” Madeley said. “It builds correlation and practice. With that practice, it builds correlation to the SAT, which gives a higher result to get into college.”

Those that wish to donate to GPEF, can drop off a donation at the GISD administration office at 400 Third St., call 940-549-0595 or send an email to the organization at gpef@grahamisd.com.