Dearborn Co. Retired Teachers Announce 16 Educator Grants

The grants were given to teachers at public and private schools in the county.

Grant recipients gather at Greendale Middle School. Photo provided. 

(Dearborn County, Ind.) - Sixteen educator grants are helping teachers in Eagle Country. 

The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation announced Thursday that the grants will go to teachers in public and private schools. 

The following grants are for projects which would not otherwise be funded because of budgetary shortfalls. 

• Christie Andres and Christina Lecher will be able to purchase books for their Port Chicago 50 Project at the Sunman-Dearborn Middle School.  This was because of a generous donation from the Betty McLaughlin Endowment.
• Heather Lunsford, Sunman Elementary, will have Flexible Seating provided by Haag Ford.
• Barb Katenkamp, North Dearborn Elementary, will be able to purchase books for her One School, One Book project.  Katenkamp’s project was paid for by the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation.
• Valley Utilities sponsored Beth McClamroch’s Stand Up for Education alternative seating project at Bright Elementary.
• Hayley Miller, Sunman Elementary, was sponsored by Maxwell Construction.  Her project, STEM Tinker Crate Class Set, will help the third grade classes meet state standards for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).
• The Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation will fund Brenda Osman’s Playschool at East Central High School.
• Lauren White, French teacher at East Central High School, will have materials for her Sustained Silent Reading in French paid for by the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation.
• Kevin Zugelter has purchased a document camera for Aurora Elementary with funds from the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation.
• South Dearborn’s FCCLA Sponsor Brian Schuerman was able to accompany his student Torrey Hiibbard to the National Leadership Conference in Anaheim, CA with fundng from the Margaret Seitz Agency and Los Primos Mexican Restaurant.
• Duke Energy sponsored Nicole Bosch at Manchester Elementary.  Bosch requested fees for the Robotics Club.
• HighPoint Health will provide meals and snacks for Donna Sizemore’s Healthy Learning, Healthy Living classes at Aurora Elementary.
• Walmart and CIVISTA worked to provide funding to purchase a DNA Machine for Peter Brown at South Dearborn High School.
• Katherine Magalski has been awarded money from the Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation  to Upgrade the Art Room at Central Elementary.
• The Knights of Columbus Councils of Bright and Lawrenceburg supported the teachers in the private schools.  Pam Leiker, Lindsey Jenkins, and Mary Ann Atwood, St. Lawrence School, will have funding for their Stirring Lessons for Early Learning, while Bryan Wagner will have money for his PE Improvement Plan.  Kimber Ampt at St. John Evangelical Lutheran School will have money for STEAM Day Robotics.
• Independent Financial Advisor Greg Horn provided meals for all award winners, sponsors, and guests.  Additionally, he was able to obtain matching funds from LPL Financial for another grant.

Applications are available at the schools each January.  Any Dearborn County teacher or administrator is eligible for the funding.  They can be nominated to be recognized for their work by members of the public.  For additional information, contact Dearborn County Retired Teachers Foundation, Inc. Director Betty Bourquein, 812-934-4454.