TAHOE/TRUCKEE, Calif. — Excellence in Education Foundation is proud to announce the awarding of $190,748 in grants to support 60 educational projects across the district. This year, key themes among the funded grants include literacy, math, and science.

Approximately $38,000 was allocated for supplemental books, with a significant focus on decodable readers due to the district’s shift to the Science of Reading. Nearly $75,000 was dedicated to math and science projects, including $34,000 in total for 255 graphing calculators for local high school students.

A particularly exciting grant was awarded for an Anatomage Tablet for Truckee High School. This cutting-edge tool provides students access to two human cadavers in a three-dimensional format, allowing detailed study and dissection. The tablet allows students to isolate and study the 11 major body systems, highlight and zoom in on structures within the systems, and access 71 three-dimensional anatomy videos and 300 real patient CT/MRI scans for normal anatomy and unique diseases. This will benefit students in forensic science, biomedical science, and human body systems courses.

Other noteworthy grants include music production software, climate action robotic kits, a kiln, materials for expanding transitional kindergarten classes, an exercise machine, and more.

On Aug. 7, Laura Brown, Executive Director at Excellence in Education, presented a check for $186,819 to support 53 district grants. An additional $3,930 was issued to Sierra Expeditionary Learning School, a charter school within the district, to support seven more grants. 

Excellence in Education’s grant process ensures that the most impactful projects receive funding. Teachers submit their grant requests, which are reviewed and approved by their school principal. The requests are then presented at the school site council meeting, where the grants are prioritized based on school needs. While the rankings provided by the site council do not solely determine funding, they offer valuable insights into the school’s priorities. Excellence in Education’s grant committee spends numerous hours reviewing and discussing the grants before making recommendations to the full board for approval in June. Teachers are informed of the grant approvals at the end of the school year, with funding released in time for the new school year.

Beginning September 20th, Excellence in Education is kicking off its first-ever fund drive to raise $20,000 for even more classroom and district-wide grants. Every donation—$10, $100, or $1,000—brings the foundation closer to its goal and makes a lasting impact on students’ lives. For more information or to donate, http://www.ExinEd.org.