FACE awards 14 grants to area teachers

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By Cindi Galabota

Special to The SUN

The FACE grant cycle has once again concluded and the board of directors is pleased to share the results of another successful grant cycle.

In 2017, 14 grants were awarded for a total distribution of $10,089.

FACE, the Foundation for Archuleta County Education, has been awarding grants since 2013 and, in that time, we have awarded nearly 50 grants, supporting teachers in public, private and home schools in Archuleta County.

Our mission is to provide grants that will enrich the educational experience in Archuleta County for teachers and educators in grades kindergarten through 12. We strive to fund the most innovative ideas that are likely to impact the greatest number of students over the years.

This fall we awarded three grants to Pagosa Springs Elementary School, five grants to Pagosa Springs Middle School, three grants to Pagosa Springs High School, two grants to the Pagosa Family School, one grant to Our Savior Lutheran School, one grant to the Homeschool Connection and two grants to the Pagosa Peak Open School.

One such innovative program that FACE excitedly supported was the Drumfit Project that will serve students in all elementary grade levels and provide multiple opportunities for cross-curricular programming. The project will be shared by PE, great body shop and music classes.

Another unique project supported by FACE is the fantasy baseball math elective offered by the seventh-grade math teacher, Robin Bayles. During this unit, students will create their own fantasy teams by gathering and analyzing data that will help determine players’ strength and weaknesses. “Games” will then be played to determine the winning team.

FACE also funded the new building trades program offered at Pagosa Springs High School for the first time in 2017. During this first year, 32 high school students will learn skills in the building and construction trades, including reading plans, proper use of tools and learning about OSHA through weekly safety meetings.

The FACE board of directors is anticipating ever-increasing requests as educational options expand in the county and will continue to find creative ways to raise funds in support of K-12 education in Archuleta County. The foundation exists because of the generous support of our community.

Donations can be mailed to P.O. Box 2051, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. Or, please visit www.facepagosa.org to learn more about FACE.