Teachers in northern Beaufort County public schools are encouraged to apply for grants to use in classrooms the first semester of the upcoming school year. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. April 27.
The Northern Beaufort County Public Education Foundation, founded almost 20 years ago, hasn’t been active in recent years. However, a new board of directors, led by Chairman Jim Grimsley, is re-energizing the group.
The springtime awards will set the stage for bigger fundraising efforts and more grants, Grimsley said.
“Historically, the schools in northern Beaufort County haven’t had the same kind of outside financial support from businesses and the community that schools in the southern county, especially on Hilton Head, have enjoyed,” he said.
“Our goal is to target public schools in northern Beaufort County and help teachers do things they might not ordinarily be able to do because of funding,” Grimsley said.
Successful applications should encourage imaginative, innovative projects that can be targeted to a specific goal the teacher has, for which funds are otherwise not available. This first round of grant awards must be spent before Dec. 31.
Winners will be announced in late May and the funds will be disbursed after the new school year starts in August. Teachers earning the grants are required to submit after-action reports on the success of their efforts and how the grant money helped.
“We want to let teachers know that there are other options out there for financial help,” said Laura Eggers, co-chair of the board’s public relations committee.
“Lady’s Island Middle, for instance, received a contribution from the Lady’s Island Business and Professional Association to serve as seed money for the first year of a Junior Leadership program,” she said. “Our foundation is ready to help — we just need the teachers to submit the simple application and we’ll do our best to help.”
The Board of Directors is considering several fundraising ideas for the fall and spring seasons. In the meantime, contributions can be made to the Northern Beaufort County Public Education Foundation, 611 Bay Street, Beaufort SC 29902. The foundation is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit and donations may be tax deductible.
For more information or to obtain an application, email the Northern Beaufort County Public Education Foundation at nbcpef1@gmail.com.