Thanks to a $21,000 donation from MidAmerica Bank, the Jefferson City Public Schools Foundation is expanding its teacher and school grant program.
The money will support one $5,000 school grant and four $500 teacher grants each fall for the next three years, according to a JC Schools Foundation news release. Currently, the JC Schools Foundation only distributes grants in the spring.
Ashley Varner, JC Schools Foundation executive director, said she's excited to add the fall distribution cycle because it will allow the foundation to fill grant needs faster and more frequently.
"This is really exciting for us and just the history of the foundation to be able to expand this and make more impact," Varner said.
The foundation awards grants to teachers and schools at the elementary, middle and high school levels for projects and equipment to support students in math, literacy, leadership development and more.
Every year, teachers can request a grant for up to $500 for their classrooms and schools can request a grant for up to $5,000 to benefit the entire school.
The school principal first approves and signs off on the grant applications before they go to the JC Schools Foundation. Then, the JC Schools Foundation Programs Committee reviews the applications and selects which ones to fund. The foundation typically receives about 30 grant applications, Varner said.
The foundation uses donations from individuals, businesses and corporations to fund its grant program. The program is primarily funded through individual memorial funds that the foundation manages.
Kylie Schnaible, MidAmerica Bank's marketing and events coordinator, said the bank is excited to partner with the JC Schools Foundation to help local teachers and students.
"Our mission is always to support the communities that we are in and invest in those communities, and we felt like this was a great way to impact our local community," Schnaible said.
The JC Schools Foundation's mission is to "build endowments to perpetuate funds for excellence in education, involve the community in support of quality education and obtain contributions to facilitate student achievement," according to the news release.
If you are interested in donating to the foundation's grant program, contact Varner at 573-659-3549.