1 week Ago By Jennifer Scott
The reverberation of the high school drumline, along with shouts from the cheerleaders and dance team, sounded off the grand patrol alarms Wednesday morning at several Tyler ISD campuses. “We are excited to go through the hallways of Tyler ISD awarding innovative classroom teaching grants and throughout different departments and making those big wishes and big dreams of grants that our teachers have come up with come true today,” said Suzette Farr, executive director of the Tyler ISD Foundation . Representatives from the Foundation - as well as district members and special guests - visited 16 Tyler ISD campuses to surprise educators with 35 grants, totaling $100,000, from the Grants for Great Ideas program.
The initiative encourages, facilitates, recognizes, and rewards innovative and creative instructional approaches that are not already supported by campus budgets. This year’s grants will positively impact 17 campuses and facilities, including the Transportation Department. “We fundraise through events through our annual giving campaign that we just kicked off and it's going on right now,” Farr said.
“That's what helps us raise funds as well as writing grants to other community partners so that we can raise funds to make this happen for students and teachers.” Each year, a committee of board members, community members, and Tyler ISD staff reviews grant proposals based on innovation, impact, and budget considerations. After careful discussion, the grants are selected for their outstanding proposals and significant potential to benefit students, and the educators are awarded.
Several grants are aimed to enhance various educational programs within Tyler ISD. One grant will support improvements to the 9th and 10th grade culinary arts program, serving as a preparatory step before students transition to the CTC's culinary arts program. Additionally, a $3,500 grant will be awarded to the Tyler Legacy Science department for innovative projects and necessary lab supplies for students in grades 9-12.
Farr also recognized a grant for the Tyler Legacy eSports team, noting their recent success in competitions and the growing interest among students. “eSports has really resonated with our students, giving them a sense of community and helping them find their place,” she said, adding that the foundation's support is crucial for providing supplies not typically funded by the district. The Foundation continues to support these initiatives through the Grants for Great Ideas and Adopt-a-Grant programs.
“As a foundation, we want to reach every single student and as many students as possible within Tyler ISD with the funds that we give out every year and that includes life skills,” said Courtney Burlison of Tyler ISD Foundation. Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs was given a grant for "Empowering Independence: Daily Living Skills for Life," which will provide them with adapted kitchen appliances, board games to enhance social skills, and tools for daily living tasks like folding and putting on clothing.
“This grant was actually headed up by a group of three teachers, so those three teachers collaborated together,” said Brooke Parker, director of Boshears. “What's really interesting is it's over the span of multiple grade levels. We have one teacher who's working with middle school students, one with high school students, and one in our 18- to 21-year-old program.
They collaborated together to write this grant to provide new opportunities for them.” These resources will help students with physical and intellectual disabilities learn essential life skills, such as meal preparation and kitchen tasks, promoting independence and self-sufficiency at home. “What is more important than teaching a child how to be more independent, how to and giving them the resources to be successful in whatever environment that they live in?” Burlison said.
Parker shared her gratitude for the strong support from the community. “Yes, it's through the Tyler ISD Foundation, but the Tyler ISD Foundation goes to these community members and says, ‘Hey, we want to raise money so that we can give back to our schools,’” she said. “So to have that level of support and know that our teachers are being rewarded for their innovation and for the new opportunities that they want to give our students, there really are no words to describe the inspiration that that gives to our entire staff.
” Other grants include classroom transformation kits that create immersive learning environments across multiple campuses, an Oral Language Lab to support pre-k and kindergarten students at Bonner Elementary, and an expansion of hands-on music education at Owens Elementary. Meghan Reily, Marketing Manager at Cooperative Teachers Credit Union (CTCU), shared that the credit union has a long history of supporting Tyler ISD, including through the Foundation. “We were founded in 1953 by a group of Smith County educators, so teachers are near and dear to our hearts, especially at Tyler ISD,” she said.
As part of their commitment to giving back, the credit union donates whenever members use their services. “Every swipe, every loan, every deposit you make has an impact on our community, particularly in supporting teachers,” Reily said. Recently, CTCU donated $5,000 to the Tyler ISD Foundation, which will go toward grants for teachers.
“It’s always special,” Reily said. “Every teacher has a different passion and purpose, and we’re in awe of what they do every day. They have one of the hardest, most impactful jobs.
.. helping raise and teach our youth and build up this community.
” Throughout the day, Tyler ISD Foundation members, district administrators, and special guests took their celebratory Grant Patrol caravan through campus hallways to surprise teachers by presenting checks that fund their projects. Since its creation in 1990, the Tyler ISD Foundation has gifted more than $3.5 million to Tyler ISD through innovative teaching grants, student and parent programs, academic and teaching recognition events, and scholarships.
“Tyler ISD Foundation is a wonderful foundation,” Burlison said. “It is truly a foundation where we are pouring back into the students of Tyler ISD and so that we can continue providing them with excellent learning opportunities and also rewarding these amazing teachers and staff that we have within these buildings who are coming up with innovative ideas to reach all of our students.” According to Farr, public school districts in Texas have not received an increase in funding since 2019.
“So we would love for our community to come together and continue to see really amazing public school education,” she said. Farr emphasized the importance of investing in education now, noting that Tyler ISD is already producing a skilled workforce, with over 18,719 students graduating with certifications and ready for both the workforce and higher education. “We’d love to have them come aboard, join us in this mission to keep investing in our students and our teachers,” she added, “because it will only make Tyler stronger.
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