SPRINGDALE — More classroom projects in Springdale may get funded thanks to a $100,000 grant Tyson Foods awarded the Springdale Public Schools Education Foundation on Monday, officials said.
This is the first grant Tyson has given to the foundation, said Annetta Young, director of corporate philanthropy. Tyson also helps Springdale schools through food vouchers and sponsorship of Partners in Education, a school-to-business partnership program, she said.
“We want to be very supportive of this area,” Young said. “It’s a natural fit for us to give back to our schools.”
Tyson will give the foundation $50,000 each year for two years, said Chris Stecklein, executive director of the foundation, which is in its second year. Each year, $15,000 will go toward operating costs for the foundation while $35,000 will go into the grant fund, for which teachers in the Springdale School District can apply, he said.
“We’re all about supporting kids and teachers,” Stecklein said.
Grants can pay for any kind of educational project that is not covered by regular school funds.
Josh Worthy, Environmental And Spatial Technology coordinator at Sonora Elementary, said he received a grant from the foundation last year to cover part of a Global Positioning System project. The kids did most of the work for the grant by writing all of their ideas out on butcher paper, he said.
“The kids totally wrote the grant,” Worthy said. “I just helped cross the t’s and dot the i’s.”
Grant money from the foundation is important for teachers since money for projects and some types of supplies often comes out of a teacher’s paycheck, Worthy said. On average, a teacher will spend $600 out of their paychecks each year for items for their classrooms, he said.
“They warn you a little about it in school,” Worthy said. “But it’s just part of the job.”
The foundation gave out 21 grants last year shared among 22 schools, Stecklein said. The foundation is accepting applications for next year’s grants until May 31, he said.