60 Ankeny Educators Get 'Wish List' Grants

ANKENY, IA — The Ankeny School Foundation has selected 60 recipients for more than $47,000 in foundation grants for the 2017-18 school year. The grants cover a variety of classroom and additional educational activities educators aspire to bring to students but can't provide within regular budget limitations.

Since 2000, the foundation has awarded more than $400,000 to teachers, clubs, students and parents for use in educational endeavors that benefit students in Ankeny.

The current round of grants include the following projects and recipients:

• Ankeny Centennial Garden, recipient Chad Fickbohm, Ankeny Centennial High School, $1,000
• Ankeny Centennial Phase Robotics, Karen O'Louglin, Ankeny Centennial High School, $1,000
• Digital Link Over Amateur Radio, Mike Miller, Ankeny Centennial High School, $1,000
• PEOPLE PE Moving, Renata Eustice, Ankeny Centennial High School, $1,000
• ACHS/AHS Art Clubs, Holland Evermore, ACHS/AHS, $1,000
• Calculus the Musical Comes to AHS, Angela Hanson, Ankeny High School, $1,000
• Model UN, Meaghan Dowdle, Ankeny High School, $407.50
• Raspberry Pi Computer Science Principles Project, Steve VanGundy, Ankeny High School, $1,000
• Challenging Gifted Readers, Linette Mace, Ashland Ridge Elementary, $850
• Virtual Reality Field Trip, Amy Halstead, Ashland Ridge Elementary, $1,000
• Songtales for Crocker Library, Holly Varner, Crocker Elementary, $200
• Project Fresh Start, Dave Kissinger, District Office, $1,000
• Breakout EDU Kids - Kindergarten, Carrie Braden, East Elementary, $500
• Building STEAM in the Classroom, Kristin Melcher, Jessie Purviance, Northeast Elementary, $966.41
• Leveled Literacy Library, Sara Muller, Northeast Elementary, $1,000
• Makerspaces in the Library, Kristen Brunelle, Northeast Elementary, $1,000
• Middle School Mock Trial, Kathryn Cooper, Northview Middle School, $1,000
• Northview Quiz Team, Kathryn Cooper, Northview Middle School, $500
• PE Uniforms, Mary Snyder, Northview Middle School, $400
• Veterans Day Breakfast, Kim Meller-Angus, Northview Middle School, $650
• Ankeny Instrument in Every Hand Program, Dave Brown, Northwest Elementary, $1,000
• Fifth Grade, Emily Hodson, Northwest Elementary, $600
• Northwest STEAM Bins; Lori Reha, Caitlin Bauerly, Molly Fox, Hailey Haight; Northwest Elementary,
• $1,000
• Sixth Grade Audiobooks. Brooke Johnson, Parkview Middle School, $979
• Alternative Seating, Sarah Ostrem, Parkview Middle School, $985.44
• Breakout EDU, Valerie Greiner, Parkview Middle School, $975
• Building Community During Advisory, Lra Balk, Parkview Middle School, $641.90
• Flexible Seating for Maximum Learning, Kelsey Coy, Parkview Middle School, $789.50
• Movement and Learning, Jackie Holland, Parkview Middle School, $929.69
• Parkview Vocal Music iPads, Adam Brown, Parkview Middle School, $919.02
• Team Building Manipulatives, Steffanie Elkin, Parkview Middle School, $300
• WordMasters Challenge, Erryn O'Conner, Parkview Middle School, $3807
• A Team Community Connectivity Outreach, Christina Hill, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $1,000
• Seventh Grade Math Technology Grant, Tiffany Day, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $1,000
• Dry Erase Tables, Kelly Chalupa, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $636.93
• Vocal Music iPad Technology, Lisa Evans, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $867.08
• KVM Switches, Jim Landuyt, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $899.64
• Support of Gifted Students, Bayle Larpenteur, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $911.36
• Special Needs Robotics Course, Amber Medici, Prairie Ridge Middle School, $900
• Fifth Grade STEM Education, Amy Krause. Prairie Trail Elementary, $1,000
• Author Visit, Brandon Hargens, Prairie Trail Elementary, $1,000
• Inventors Kit, Tammi McClain.Prairie Trail Elementary, $350
• Student Clubs, Amy Krause, Prairie Trail Elementary, $1,000
• Reading Relay Books - Fifth Grade, Rebecca Schnorr, Prairie Trail Elementary, $1,000
• Ukulele Fever! Program, Kendra Leisinger, Rock Creek Elementary, $800
• Engaging Word Work Activities, Megan Schmelzer, Southeast Elementary, $1,000
• English Speakers of Other Languages Newcomer Resources, Laurel Quinn, Southeast Elementary, $990.86
• Instruments for Wold Music Drumming, Marie Stuart Shilkaitis. Southeast Elementary, $1,000
• Integration of Connected Texts for Phonics with ELL Title I Reading Students, Louise Meyer, Southeast Elementary, $965
• Teach the Way They Learn, Chrystal Sanders, Southeast Elementary, $1,000
• Best Buddies Chapter, Tammy Sass, Southview Middle School, $1,000
• Building a Bilingual World, Jae Dwyer, Southview Middle School, $400
• Collaboration Stations, Carol Yager, Brad Edmondson, Southview Middle School, $1,000
• Freshman Speech Team, Erin Bosley, Southview Middle School, $1,000
• Books for Kindergarten; Stephanie Clark, Nancy Noll; Terrace Elementary; $2,700
• Vocabulary Instruct Support Materials, Tiffany Goetz, Terrace Elementary, $619
• Fifth Grade Reading Relays, Alana Dunkin, Westwood Elementary, $375
• IXL Math, Sarah Miller, Westwood Elementary, $600
• Music Stands for Lessons, Rachel Urban, Westwood Elementary, $336

About the Ankeny Schools Foundation

The Ankeny Community School District Foundation is an independent non-profit organization operated by community volunteers dedicated to motivating and inspiring high quality education in Ankeny. The foundation is the only community volunteer organization that serves all schools in the district and provides a way for the community to support all educators, volunteers and students.

Through the yearly grant program, money is available to students, teachers and organizations to provide educational opportunities that are not funded from the school district budget. The Foundation Awards Committee determines the distribution of awards, based on academic quality and need.

Annual scholarships for Ankeny students are also supported by the foundation. Scholarships are administered by the local Dollars for Scholars group, as directed by the donor or memorial established. The nonprofit status of the foundation offers tax benefits to donors such as alumni, individuals interested in tax-deductible donations, estates, and memorials. The foundation is funded solely by private grants, endowments and donations.