By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Paris, Tenn.—It’s always a special night when educators are honored for their achievements, but it was an even bigger night than usual at this year’s PLUS Endowment banquet, as more grants were awarded than ever before, with the total higher than ever before at $72,962.
The annual PLUS Endowment banquet is the night for educators to not only be honored, but to hear about the projects that their fellow educators are spearheading for the coming year. The banquet was held at the Henry County Fairgrounds.
PLUS Endowment was started in 1999 by former Henry County Schools Director William Atchison and provides grants to teachers in both the Henry County Schools and Paris Special Schools programs for innovative projects for students. Board Member Patsy Blount noted that the program began with $500 grants, then began awarding $2,000 grants a few years later.
Last year was the first year for the $5,000 MEGA grant to be awarded and this year six groups applied for it. The William Atchison grant is worth $2,000 and 23 applied for it.
This year, more grants were applied for than ever before, with a total of 159 grant requests received by the PLUS Endowment board. A total 131 mini-grants were awarded at $500 each, making the total granted for those at $59,061.
This year’s MEGA grant was awarded to:
Growing Students and Community “Greenhouse”- Teachers Allen Ashlock and Carrie
Jones; Inman School 6th -8th for $5000. Ashlock said once the greenhouse is underway, they’ll be giving out free vegetables for the community. Paris Special Schools District Director Dr. Norma Gerrell said the project is the first phase of a program in which another community garden will be planted for the housing project that is adjacent to Inman School.
This year’s William Atchison grants were awarded to:
Fingers of the Future- by Karen Goodman, Inman 7th -8th Grade, Gifted
Program for $2000;
Better Serving Students via a Mobile Counseling Station- Amy Vance,
Guidance at Inman, for $1534;
8th Grade Reality Day- Guidance staff for Lakewood-Brandi Besand and
Carrie Burns; Harrelson- Jennifer Petronico; Henry- Jodi Bell and Inman-
Amy Vance, serving all 8 th graders in City and County for $1400;
Little Hands, Big Learning- STEM through Learning- STEM through the
Year; Lakewood Kindergarten; contacts Riley Nance and Katie O’Brien for
$2000;
Special Learners Listening Center- Heather Kingery; Harrelson 1 st -8 th ;
Special Education Reading for $1967
Mega Grant Selection;
Growing Students and Community “Greenhouse”- Allen Ashlock and Carrie
Jones; Inman 6 th -8 th for $5000
PLUS Endowment officials said momentum is increasing interest in the grants, as well as liaisons within the school districts who promote quality grant writing, deadlines and keep information flowing. In the County Schools, the liaison is Dr. Susan Burton and in the PSSD, the liaison is Becky Cate.
Grants were awarded to teachers on a wide array of special projects, including Animal Life Cycles, Farm to Table, Sensational Learning, Art Around the Ancient World and more. But the names of the projects often are unique, too, including Roddy Adkisson’s project called, “First We Do Math, Then We Get Ice Cream” and Linda Armour’s project called, “We Need the Monet to Buy Degas to make the Van Gogh to Nashville.”
Photo: Board Member Patsy Blount (at mike) announces the winners of the William Atchison grants. (Shannon McFarlin photo)
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