On December 6th, with help from Park Place Lexus of Grapevine, CEF corporate sponsor, the Coppell ISD Education Foundation (CEF) delivered 28 Classroom Grants, totaling over $48,854. The Classroom Grants given out this year, will impact 16 campuses in CISD.
Of the 28 grants given out, CEF funded 25. Three additional grants were funded by CEF donors and sponsors. Corgan and L.A. Fuess co-funded the $3,650 grant, “Kindergarten Puts the E in STEAM!” awarded to Stacey Harris at Cottonwood Creek Elementary. Walsh Gallegos Trevino Russo & Kyle P.C. funded the $250 grant, “Increasing Social Successes through Interactive Games” awarded to Melissa Murray at Coppell High School. An anonymous donor funded the $46 grant, “Colored Overlays” awarded to Eve Engelbrite at Coppell High School.
This year CEF opened their Classroom Grant application window in early August to give CISD staff time before school started to work on their application. CEF encouraged all Coppell ISD educators to submit grant requests for innovative and transformative ideas or projects and describe how it would impact student achievement. They received an unprecedented 51 Classroom Grant applications from across 16 CISD campuses requesting a total of about $160,000.
Classroom Grant recipients found out if their grants were being funded during surprise visits from CEF board members known as the “Grant Patrol.” This year, Park Place Lexus of Grapevine sponsored the CEF Grant Patrol. They provided six Lexus cars and drivers to shuttle the CEF board members to the CISD schools to award the Classroom Grants.
Classroom Grants are funded by CEF’s community-wide fundraising effort, Give for Grants. Other CEF programs include events such as the Run to Fund, Robotics Camp, Interactive Institute, Recognition Banquet and Super Stars. CEF is a non-profit organization of volunteers, chartered in 2000, in support of the students and teachers of Coppell ISD.
Information about all the grants awarded in 2018, as well as those from past years, can be found on CEF's website at www.coppellisdef.com.