The Smart Money Nonprofit Group In Post Falls Gives Creative Teaching A Chance To Succeed

Four-and 5-year-olds are preparing for kindergarten with the aid of a school-created handbook.

Seltice Elementary School fourth-graders are learning about regional flora and fauna in their science and social studies classes with a series of video discs.

And other students throughout the Post Falls School District have more books, more videos and more educational materials and programs thanks to the Post Falls Education Foundation.

Last year the group raised $12,719 in grant money for teachers doing innovative, creative projects to help kids learn.

“There’s every kind of project from reading to a scanner and some equipment we bought for the high school for their newspaper,” said Valerie Wilcox, vice president of the Education Foundation.

The foundation funds grants for materials, equipment, speakers or programs the school district normally would not provide.

“It’s anything that will enhance the learning opportunities for the kids,” said Ron Jacobson, foundation president.

For example, kindergarten teachers received $334 to pay for binding handbooks they send home with parents when they register their children for school.

“Because of the foundation, we were able to put them in a spiral binding so they would look nice and parents would use them,” explained Kindercenter principal Sue Ledbetter. “On the first day we were registering (last year), one mother played one of the games and her little girl was so excited that the mother put her on the phone to say thank you.”

The handbooks contain everything from what skills children should master before starting school to games parents can play with their children to better prepare them for reading.

In another example, the Education Foundation gave $1,411 to two Post Falls High School freshmen English teachers - Pat Schmidt and Russ Wright - to start a class on the literature of the Northwest.

Jacobson figures the new class should benefit about 150 freshmen.

“It’s a class in progress,” Schmidt explained. “The students are reading books by Northwest authors about the Northwest. We’re going to use it as a basis for research on the Northwest.”

So far, the project is going well, she said.

“They (students) are much more excited about the literature because they pick their books and it’s about places they know,” she said.

Saturday, the nonprofit Education Foundation is holding its annual fund-raiser: an evening of sampling appetizers, microbrews and wines from area restaurants.

Foundation members refer to it as their “Wine, Stein and Dine” event and last year raised more than $7,000 from the nearly 300 people who attended.

The event costs $25 per person in advance or $30 at the door and will be held at Cavanaughs Templin’s Resort from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets can be purchased from Washington Trust Bank, Mountain West Bank or Country Clutter at the Factory Outlet Mall.

Teachers with innovative ideas needing funding must submit grants to the foundation by March 13 to be considered.

Last year, the foundation received requests for about $15,000 from teachers all over the district, Wilcox said.

“We know they’re doing the best they can with the number of kids they have and anything we can do to help, that’s what we’re here for,” she said.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: ‘WINE, STEIN AND DINE’ The nonprofit Education Foundation is holding its annual fund-raiser on Saturday: an evening of sampling appetizers, microbrews and wines from area restaurants. The event costs $25 in advance or $30 at the door and will be held at Cavanaughs Templin’s Resort from 7 to 10 p.m.