WGU Missouri Donates $10,000 in Grant Funding to K-12 Teachers

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran May 6 -10, WGU Missouri announced it is funding approximately 15 innovative Missouri teachers’ projects, totaling $10,000, through its inaugural Fund My Classroom initiative. The donation will go a long way toward making several K-12 classrooms a more engaging environment for students. St. Louis projects set to receive funding include an effort to bring pedal exercisers to the library media center at Blades Elementary in the Mehlville School District in hopes of sparking an enthusiasm for reading, while also promoting a healthy and active lifestyle for students; and the debut of ‘Shakespeare in the Park,’ a free public performance of a Shakespearean comedy by McCluer High School students in the Ferguson-Florissant School District to promote literacy, expand cultural options and rebuild community relations.

Teachers often spend their own savings to cover the costs of classroom projects. To thank them for their efforts, WGU Missouri issued a call last month for K-12 teachers to submit their project ideas on the university’s website for consideration for full or partial funding. By the April 26 deadline, the online, nonprofit university received more than 200 nominations for classroom projects across the state.

“We heard from many teachers with innovative and unique ideas on how to improve their classroom, and we’re so pleased we can help bring several of those ideas to fruition,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor of WGU Missouri. “The inaugural Fund My Classroom initiative is an opportunity for WGU Missouri to celebrate teachers and thank them for the lasting, positive impact they have on their students.”

In addition to donating funds to deserving teachers across the state, WGU Missouri also marked Teacher Appreciation Week by offering up to $50,000 in scholarships to those who wish to further their education. Each WGU Teacher Appreciation Scholarship is valued at up to $2,500, which is applied at the rate of $625 per six-month term for up to four consecutive terms. To be eligible, scholarship applicants must be officially admitted to WGU Missouri, complete the scholarship application, and be interviewed by a WGU scholarship counselor. Recipients will be selected based on their academic records, financial need and readiness for online study at WGU Missouri, among other considerations. New students can apply online now through June 30 at missouri.wgu.edu/teachers.

To learn more about the Fund My Classroom initiative and the work WGU Missouri is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit missouri.wgu.edu.

About WGU Missouri

WGU Missouri is a competency-based, nonprofit, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. WGU Missouri faculty members provide one-on-one guidance, support, and instruction.

Established through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,000 per year for most programs.

Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*).