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.

COVID-19

• We will be requesting that each teacher provide details on how their project(s) will be completed if their students are required to work remote during the school year.
• PPE items will not be considered unless it is part of an imaginative program.
• If your 2019-2020 project was extended due to COVID-19, we request that your project and final report be completed by May 21, 2021. If you received this extension, you are still eligible to submit two applications for the 2020-2021 grant period.

Grant Application Details

• Maximum amount per request is $500.
• Educators may submit only 2 separate requests for funding.
• The application deadline is 11:45 p.m. on September 30th.
• DO NOT INCLUDE any school or teacher identifying information in any part of the application.
  
  • This includes mascots, Title I status, school annuals or newspapers, etc. Also, please make sure the school name does not appear on any uploaded documents. 
    • In fairness to all applications, the inclusion of such information will result in the request being eliminated.  
• Speakers' fees will not be considered unless it is part of an imaginative program.
• Honorariums to persons employed by the school system are not eligible for mini-grant funds.
• Party food and consumable items are not generally funded.
• The activity must directly involve and benefit students.
• A final report is due following completion of your project and is due no later than May 21, 2021. 
  • Failure to fulfill this requirement will result in exclusion from the next application cycle.

How to apply

1) Click here to go to our Grant Portal
2)  Create an account, or sign in to a previously created account.
3)  When creating a new account, you will need to add the following information:

• Organization - School information
• User - Your contact information
• Administrator - Your administrator's contact information
• Password - Create a password 

4) When you have created your account, you should be able to see your dashboard, and click the "apply" tab.
5) Select the Students First Application and submit once completed.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us at 304-253-3806 or email samuel@bafwv.org

Apply Now

2019 - 2020 Students First Award Recipients:

Beckley-Stratton Middle School
Mona Floyd—Students Outta Be in Pictures!
Lisa Shrewsbury—Bone Apple Teeth
Susan Vandall—All About the Weather
 
Bradley Elementary School
Walter Farr—On the Go with GoPro
Julie Midkiff—Color From Nature & Make One and Take One
Beth Nixon—Ready to Read!
Allison Shriver—Outreach to Their Box & Snuggle and Read
Andrea Sullivan—A Kind Foundation & Making Music From Nothing

Clear Fork Elementary School
Monica Britt—Breakfast Club
Sarah Martin—ABC’s of West Virginia
 
Coal City Elementary School
Megan Gray—Finger Drumming in the Digital Music Room
Margret Perdue—STEAMing in Primary
 
Cranberry Prosperity Elementary School
Lisa Griffith—Tykes-N-Trikes
Terri Gunter— ‘Earth’ Without ‘Art’ is Just ‘Eh’ & I Like to Move it! Move it
Belinda Harvey—Table Troubles
Juliana Huff—Wiggle While You Work
Erica Pack— Manipulatives Galore
Stacy Stump—Brain Break and Recess Equipment to Foster Collaboration, Engagement & Physical Activity
Cassie Tunstalle—Light it Up!
 
Crescent Elementary School
Katie Ringwald—K’NEX Simple Machines
 
Daniels Elementary School
Wendy Keeney—Get Moving and Drum!
Angela Mullins—Pals Peer Buddy Program
 
Fairdale Elementary School
Heather Arbogast—It Just Makes Sense & Light it Up
Tara Grubb— Hands on STEM/Math/ELA Learning Centers for Our Exploratory Learners & Learning Through the Use of Drones!
Jamie Hazelwood—Learning Together with Engaging Math Games! & STEAM with Shifu!
Staci Stover—Let’s Burn off Energy Through Dancing!
 
Ghent Elementary School
Danielle Callaway—STEM is the Future!
Donna Cruise— OSMOS & Games for the Classroom
Amanda Fairchild—Dinosaur Den
April Smith—Flexibility in STEM Education

Hollywood Elementary School
Andrea Horn—Math Fun You can COUNT on & Watch Us Grow with Osmo
Emily Persinger— STEM Brain Bins
Elizabeth Raney—The Magic of Coding & Versatile Grouping
 
Independence High School
Dale Barnett—Chinese Kites & Japanese Umbrella Installation
 
Independence Middle School
Carolyn Buzbee—Legos in the Art Room & Tiles, Turtles and Coils
Hanna McIntyre— The Magic Pen
Adam Miller—Microscopes for the Classroom
Wendy Peters—Choose Kind & Poetry Live
Tim Tetil— Engineering Structures & Rocketry and Space
Barb Yurick—Anyone Can Play Guitar

Liberty High School
JoAnn Tweeddale—The International Cultural Exchange Project
 
Mabscott Elementary School
Bethany Weimer—Disney’s “Frozen Kids” Musical
 
Marsh Fork Elementary School
Kimberly Cantley— Music for Everyone & Orff Xylo-Fun
Rose Ann Harvey— POP into STEM
 
Maxwell Hill Elementary School
Tammy Donahue—Guys Read Club & Using “Magic” to     Become Better Readers
 
Mount Hope Christian Academy
Martha Cruise—Running on STEAM
Kara Shuemake—Need for Seeds
 
Office of Special Programs
Lindsay Flanagan—A Novel Idea
 
Park Middle School
Crista Childers— A Walk with the Arts
Melissa Edwards—The Other Side of Bullying
Jonathan Lipscomb—Studies in Wireless Communication
 
Ridgeview Elementary School
Carrie Earehart— Go for Launch!
Gregory Farrell—Ukulele’s... You in?
Amber Hart—Engaged Education & To Grow or Not to Grow
Beth Richards—Kinders in Training & Outstanding              Osmonauts
 
Shady Spring Elementary School
Deana Bolen—STEAMing Through the Year
Tonya Sexton— Classroom STEM Bins
Wilma Ward— 3-D Doodle Me & Sustainable Toys
 
Shady Spring High School
Heather Brown—Daily Living
Tiffany Lucas— Carve, Print, Repeat & Clay, the Only Thing You Should be Throwing in Art Class
 
Sophia Christian Academy
Teresa Bowman—The Best Green Machine
 
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Day School
Stacie Hall—Fairy Tale STEM & Let There be Light

Stanaford Elementary School
Stephanie Birchfield—Can We Build it? Yes We Can!
Carla Bird— A “Dino”mite Unit & A STEM Fairy Tale Ending
 
Stratton Elementary School
Tammy Acord—Communities in Schools Has a Nose for News
Jada Reeves— 3, 2, 1… Blastoff! & Fraction Frappuccino
 
Trap Hill Middle School
Aaron England—Gouache and Wood-Burned Designs
 
Victory Baptist Academy
Stacie Thomas—Make No BONES About it.. We Love Science
 
Woodrow Wilson High School
Travis Doyle—A Stage for a Smaller World
Billie Vandall— Reading Through the Genre
Charles Williamson— Let’s Get Rolling

Please note that the selection process is done "blindly".  Our committee members do not know the name of the teacher or school when reviewing applications.  This is to encourage and ensure that the best ideas are funded.

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The Beckley Area Foundation offers a special grant program for Raleigh County classroom teachers, Pre-K through 12.  Teachers may apply for $500 grants for supplementary programs showing innovation and educational merit.  To request funds, teachers must apply online by September 30th.