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School teacher wins classroom mini-grant
Jessica Vanderwall, a fifth grade science teacher in Prairie School District #242, has been awarded a $500 mini-grant award from Northwest Professional Educators (NWPE), the state’s only non-union professional teacher association. The grant will be used to purchase project supplies for a Mars Rover project. The award was presented on Monday, December 18, at Prairie Middle School. 
“The Northwest Professional Educators grant will enhance an engineering and teamwork project that provides a practical application of math, science, and language skills,” stated Ms. Vanderwall. “It also demonstrates the significance of teamwork and engineering as students consider their future educational pursuits. The project wraps up with a competition in May sponsored by NASA and the University of Idaho.” “Northwest Professional Educators is happy to award Ms. Vanderwall this mini-grant, which will enhance student learning throughout the curriculum,” said Cindy Omlin, Executive Director of NWPE. “NWPE is proud to reward educators for their hard work and creativity in the classroom. Ms. Vanderwall’s award is certainly well-deserved as she seeks ways to increase student achievement.” NWPE awards teacher scholarships and classroom mini-grants twice a year. All educators are eligible for the awards although NWPE members receive first preference. The next application deadline is March 31, 2007. Northwest Professional Educators is a nonprofit, non-union, professional educators’ organization focused on students as educators’ highest priority and improving the professionalism of education. NWPE welcomes educators of any education entity including teachers, administrators and support staff and provides members with liability insurance, legal services, professional development resources, teacher scholarships/classroom mini-grants, and a voice on education issues. Membership dues for new members are $12 a month. More information about Northwest Professional Educators and its teacher scholarship/ classroom mini-grant program may be obtained by visiting the website at www.nwpe.org or calling 800-380-6973. |
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