CELEBRATING 20 YEARS AS EDUCATION AID

For 20 years, the members of one local group have stood behind teachers, providing funds for educational programs that usually aren’t covered by school budgets. Comprising the Fort Smith Public Schools Foundation, these individuals are looking forward both to the next few months and another 20 years of support to help boost the education and interest levels of local students, said Cathy Williams, president of the foundation’s board of directors. For the board members, the teachers and the students, the foundation’s grants helps ensure “educational win-win” scenarios for all involved, she said. “The purpose of the Fort Smith Public Schools Foundation is to provide support for the teachers of all grades in the district in ways that regular funding does not provide,” Williams said. “That can be in the form of equipment, materials, professional development for the teachers, field trips to places like Crystal Bridges and all kinds of things that teachers need or would like to have in order to improve teaching and the students’ education.” Each recipient receives a grant for as much as $1,000 after being approved by the foundation’s board, she said. Teachers interested in receiving these grants apply on the foundation’s page at www.fortsmithschools.org by mid-April; grant winners traditionally are announced in May, Williams said. “The categories for the grants include field trips, technology, books and materials,” she said. “The board selects the ones that we can afford to fund, and the ones we think are most helpful to improve students’ learning.” Lasting legacy Money from the foundation also helps send two Fort Smith teachers each year to the Space Camp event in Huntsville, Ala., which is an experience that benefits the teachers and their students, Williams said. “That part of the foundation is named after Tom Cooley, who was a beloved vice president at First National Bank who passed away,” she said. Fort Smith Public School teachers also are allowed to apply for a $500 stipend from the foundation if they wish to “go back to school and advance their degrees,” Williams said. One of the most impressive aspects of the Fort Smith Public Schools Foundation is how it continues to expand each year, she said. Thanks to a student scholarship fund that was started by Dr. Benny Gooden, former Fort Smith Public Schools superintendent, Fort Smith students now can receive scholarships from the foundation, Williams said. “Dr. Gooden was president for the National Superintendents Association, and he was paid money for that,” she said. “Dr. Gooden gave the money to the foundation and established scholarships for students. That was about 10 years ago when it started.” Students from Northside High School and students from Southside High School are eligible to receive a $1,000 scholarship from the foundation, Williams said. “These scholarship recipients have to want to go into education or be in some type of public service,” she said. “There were about 10 students who received scholarships just recently.” Similar scholarships have been established in honor of Jim Rowland, the school district’s former athletic director, and the late Randy Bridges, who was the director of student services for the district, she said. Sam T. Sicard, who is one of several board members for the foundation, also has awarded students scholarships, Williams said. “All of our money with the foundation comes from donations from the community, and these donations have been large and small,” she said. “Some teachers give to the foundation through their payroll deduction to help fund programs and projects.” Rewarding innovation Fairview Elementary School Principal Peggy Walter remembers when the foundation was formed back in 1997. She was confident the foundation would grow and help Fort Smith students of all ages. “It’s very competitive,” Walter said of the grants and the applicants. “Our teachers work hard to submit their applications because they know it’s very competitive. “There have been lots and lots of different projects funded at Fairview Elementary School, and one that comes to mind involves the Take Home Literacy Bags,” she added. “This program funds backpacks that are sent home to students, so the students’ parents can read to and work with the students at home.” Fairview’s field trips to places such as the Fort Smith Public Library, the Christmas Tree Farm and to Polar Express exhibits were made possible because of the foundation, Walter said. “Kindergarten teachers and students love to order insects, so they will get ladybugs and butterflies, study them and then release them into the wild,” she said. One of the foundation’s new programs is called the “Super Grant,” which provides as much as $5,000 for “special, fantastic” school projects and programs that are approved by the foundation’s board, she said.

CELEBRATING 20 YEARS AS EDUCATION AID

SCOTT SMITH

Times Record | 6/16/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Chaffin Junior High School Athletics