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SANDPOINT – Panhandle Alliance For Education has awarded more than 40 grants to teachers in the Lake Pend Oreille School District totaling nearly $111,000.

PAFE announced the grants at its annual teacher grant awards celebration on Wednesday. This celebration, which has been held since 2003, has seen more than 800 scholarships awarded, totaling more than $2,000,000.

PAFE is an organization made up of teachers, parents, and businesses that support and promote “excellence in education” through strategic programs for students and resources to help teachers with funding and various instructional coaches.

This organization is responsible for funding programs in schools, such as the counseling center at Sandpoint High School, paying part of the salaries of those involved for the first three years until a levy is taken. the relay, and the funding of programs and projects initiated by teachers with “teacher grants”. This is the case of Megan Hoffmeister, an English teacher at SHS.

Hoffmeister, who applied for a grant to buy graphic novels of all the texts read in her Strategic English class, was among those who received a grant on Wednesday. Graphic novels will allow students with Individual Education Plans and lower reading scores to read the same novels as their peers and improve overall reading levels, which Hoffmeister said he has already seen to be beneficial. with the few graphic novels already in his class.

“A student with an IEP can be offered this graphic novel that they can read alongside their classmates so they’re reading the same text, it’s just at a level that meets their needs,” said Hoffmaster.

Teacher grants are awarded annually to teachers who apply based on a points system and assessment. The evaluation process assigns points based on criteria such as student participation and overall goal. Those who receive PAFE grants can reapply each year and with them come discussions to fund these grants permanently, as was the case with the Read with Lucky program which is now part of the PAFE early literacy program.

Although all programs and projects that receive grants aim to improve and introduce new education for students, not all teacher grants are targeted at specific schools or classes.

Barbie Hunt, another recipient of the 2022 PAFE Teaching Fellowship, applied for a Teaching Fellowship to fund the 2023 Pend Oreille Water Festival. The annual event brings together all LPOSD fifth-grade students to be guided by students of SHS and local professionals. The event features educational activities to teach fifth graders about water resources and how to protect and enjoy them.

While organizations like this are not uncommon, not every community has an organization like PAFE, whose sole purpose is to support the education of LPOSD students by supporting teachers and students. LPOSD Superintendent Tom Albertson told those gathered that he and the district are grateful for the support that PAFE gives exclusively to LPOSD, as not all communities have the same.

“One of the greatest joys I have had is being able to speak to other educators statewide and regionally about the support the Lake Pend Oreille School District receives from a group like Panhandle Alliance for Education and that’s not to be taken for granted because it’s not everywhere,” Albertson said.

The superintendent also spoke of the importance of PAFE and all teacher grants as they allow students to explore new avenues in many subjects, from nuclear science to integrating music into physical education. .

“Students need to be engaged, they need to be excited to learn. And these grants do that,” Albertson said.