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DPS Foundation Awards Over $96,000 in Grants to Schools

DENVER, Feb. 7, 2008 – The Denver Public Schools Foundation recently awarded $96,938 in grants to 60 schools in the district through the Foundation’s "A to Z Fund.”

The A to Z Fund is a grant program for individual DPS schools that supports programs and activities that go beyond the school’s limited budget. The fund ensures that DPS students have equal opportunity to participate in enriching learning experiences. The Foundation distributes A to Z grants ranging in value from $250 to $2,000 three times per school year – in the fall, winter and spring.

“The A to Z Fund is so important to ensuring that DPS teachers have the resources they need to provide their students with enriching activities and learning opportunities,” said Barbara Berv, president and CEO of the DPS Foundation. “Many teachers spend several hundred dollars of their own money each year to subsidize field trips or equip their classrooms with teaching materials. We want to provide some way to relieve that burden and ensure that students from all backgrounds at all schools have the same opportunities to succeed.”

Some of the grants awarded will fund the following:

Materials to allow students at Bryant-Webster ECE-8 to create high-quality science fair projects
Musical instruments for daily instruction and ensemble performances at Columbian Elementary School
Textbooks for the International Baccalaureate chemistry program at George Washington High School
Adaptive devices to help a classroom of severe needs special education students at Centennial K-8 develop life skills and gross motor skills
An overnight field trip to the Denver Zoo’s “Bunk with the Beasts” program for students at Barney Ford Elementary and Colfax Elementary
Games and building kits for cooperative play groups at Cowell Elementary School
A math language development program for refugee students in third through fifth grade at Fallis Elementary School
After-school dance classes for fifth grade students at Force Elementary School

The A to Z Fund is made possible through generous support in our community. Additional funding is needed to respond to spring grant requests. Donations can be made to the A to Z Fund at www.dpsfoundation.org or by calling 720-423-3553.

"The A to Z Fund is a program donors can really feel good about,” said Kim Martinez, controller and grant manager for the DPS Foundation. “We give grants to schools that are as small as $250, so an individual donation of $50 or $100 can really make a big impact on the kinds of activities that Denver students can experience.”

About the Denver Public Schools Foundation

The DPS Foundation raises funds in support of the district’s ambitious education reform plan – The Denver Plan – to improve student achievement. The Foundation supports programs such as professional development for principals and teachers, improved curriculum and quality of instruction, after-school programs, and community partnerships.

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Contact:

Natalie Wilkins

720.423.3877

nwilkins@dpsfoundation.org