Williamsville Central School District

Font Size

Williamsville Foundation awards grants

The Williamsville Education Foundation, Inc. announced it has awarded 18 grants totaling $8,382 to teachers in the Williamsville Central School District for educational enrichment projects. The Board of Education accepted the donation at its Dec. 12 meeting.

“The grants awarded this year demonstrate the creative and innovative work teachers are doing every day in their classrooms to engage students,” said Foundation President Jeffrey Katz. “We are proud to play a role in fostering and encouraging their efforts to enhance learning opportunities for Williamsville students.” 

Since it began in 2001, the Foundation mini-grant program has provided more than $85,000 to fund 188 projects, benefitting students at each of the district’s 13 schools.  

Twenty-nine grant applications were submitted this year, with a funding rate of 62 percent. Grant awards ranged from $135 to $720. The 2017-18 grant recipients are:

  • From East High School, Timothy Redmond, Social Studies teacher, History Maker's Speaker Series; Stacy Bernard, Science teacher, Manipulative Models; and Kathleen Kramer, Science teacher, Probe Technology, interfaces & sensors. 
  • From North High School, Mark Percy, Science teacher and District Planetarium Director, two Source-4 Mini Light Fixtures.
  • From South High School, Mary Ellen Ryan, Art teacher, Memory Project. 
  • From Casey Middle School, Melissa Bennett, four Breakout EDU Kits; Timothy Bender, Technology teacher, Little Bits Systems; and ELA teachers Claire May and Colleen Murray, a classroom podium with built-in microphone.          
  • From Heim Middle, Charles Miller, Science teacher, a new Human Body Model.
  • From Transit Middle, Sarah Stanbury, Science teacher, Microscope Slides; and Mark Arnold, Technology teacher, Festool Domino Tenon Assortments.
  • From Dodge Elementary, Thomas Knab, Art teacher, Maker Space Materials; Ellen Schaab, second grade teacher, three microphones; and Betsy Gengo, Music teacher, Sound equipment including a Bluetooth loudspeaker and cables.
  • From Maple West Elementary, Megan Doherty, Art teacher, a portable drying rack.
  • Also, Amie Vredenburg, Music teacher for Mill Middle and South High, partial funding for a visiting guest music artist; Minerva Moya, English as a New Language teacher, to fund a middle school field trip for English language learners; and Andrea Billias, Art teacher for Mill and Casey middle schools, a clay extruder tool.

The Williamsville Education Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization with an all-volunteer board made up of community members who work to gather and administer private resources to help ensure Williamsville students receive the highest level of education. For more information about the Foundation or to donate to its mini-grant program visit www.wedf.org