Helping Local Educators Make A Difference

Beckley Area Foundation began this program in 1996 to offer a special grant opportunity for Raleigh County classroom teachers, Pre-K through 12th grade. It is designed to provide funding support for creative and innovative instructional projects. A committee comprised of current and retired educators, community volunteers and BAF board members review applications utilizing a 'blind methodology' in October. This methodology does not present the applicant's name or school during the review process. Mini-grants, up to $500, are awarded in November with checks being made payable to the educators' appropriate schools.

The current application window for Students First 2020-2021 is now closed.

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2020 - 2021 Students First Award Recipients:

Beckley-Stratton Middle School
Mona Floyd | First Hand Knowledge  & Learning From the Past
Anna Harmon | Read Naturally Live
Lisa Shrewsberry | No Cap
 
Bradley Elementary School
Kimberly Cormack |More Than Peach
Julie Midkiff | Celebrating Diversity and Multicultural Art Education for Young Learners & Piecing it Together
Allison Shriver | Page to Screen & Socially Distant Recess
Andrea Sullivan | Mindful Music in Motion & Our Musical Bodies 
Sarah Toney | Play With Me, Watch Me Learn
 
Coal City Elementary School
Margret Perdue | Turning STEAM into STREAM
 
Cranberry Prosperity Elementary School
Leann Chesley | Connect 4 Life & Under the Microscope
Angela Hughes | Math Maker's Manipulatives
Stacy Stump | Book it
 
Fairdale Elementary School
Heather Arbogast | Magnetic Engineering & Special Needs Special Tools
Tara Grubb |  Creative Art During Recess & The Future of Reading
Lindsay Hall-Acord | Fractions with Skittles & Take Home Math Kits
Jamie Hazelwood | Painting Science
Staci Stover | Twirling Through Education with Style

Ghent Elementary School
Danielle Callaway | Dynamic Digital Resources & Using Reflex to Become the Best
Amanda Fairchild | Creation Station
Lisa Hatcher | Be in the Know with Scholastic Magazines & Crunching Math Facts Like a T-rex with Reflex
Carolyn Lilly | We Need Math Reflexes
Stacie Lilly  | We Don't Need a Kleenex, We've Got Reflex

Hollywood Elementary School
Rebecca Chapman | Yoga in P.E.
Andrea Horn | Building Readers 1 Plank at a Time
Lisa Hunt | Math Family Fun

Liberty High School
Amanda Allen | Growing and Learning

Mabscott Elementary School
Leah Evans | Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds
Hillary Lewis | ​Math Toolkits

Marsh Fork Elementary School
Kimberly Cantley | Mountaineer Musicians & Uk-e-safely
 
Park Middle School
Tammy Donahue | Discovering Phi & Robots and the Fibonacci Sequence
 
Ridgeview Elementary School
Taryn Ramsden | Hands-On Learning with my First Grade Osmonauts
Taylor Sexton | Motor (Skills) Tune-Up Tool Kits
 
Shady Spring Elementary School
Lindsay Bolen | Lively Literacy
 
Shady Spring High School
Tiffany Lucas | Exploring Masks Around the World & Suminagashi
 
Sophia Christian Academy
Teresa Bowman | West Virginia History Comes Alive
Wendy Howerton | West Virginia Proud
 
Stratton Elementary School
Sarah Hughes | Add it Up
 
Trap Hill Middle School
Hanna McIntyre | Coraline and Claymation
 
Victory Baptist Academy
Stacie Thomas | A Whole New World & Stick to the Subject... Magnets
 
Woodrow Wilson High School
Julie Agnor | Developing a Green Thumb
Julia Blankenship | Stretching for Safety and Social Distancing
Travis Doyle | ​Projecting Without Fomites & Puppets for Everybody

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