WGU Missouri Awards more than $6,400 in Grants to Four Teachers in Southeast Missouri

Emily Essner,a kindergarten teacher at Kelly Elementary School in the Scott County R-4 School District in Benton, was presented with a $250 grant for her classroom on May 7 by WGU Strategic Partnerships Manager Jim Chandler.

Four preK-12 teachers from the Southeast Missouri area have received grants totaling $6,400 through WGU Missouri’s “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The grants will be used to fund innovative classroom projects that foster learning in new, unique ways. The four teachers who received the funding include:

Sara Baker, a pre-k teacher at Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau, who received a $100 grant to purchase diverse books to add to her classroom library.

Jamie Burger, a third-grade teacher at Kelso C-7 Elementary in the Kelso C-7 School District in Benton, who received a $6,000 grant to purchase 22 computers that will provide her students with exposure to online programs, tools and devices to help them become comfortable with the use of technology in academics.

Emily Essner, a kindergarten teacher at Kelly Elementary School in the Scott County R-4 School District in Benton, who received a $250 grant to purchase various materials that will be used to create fine and gross motor experiences to strengthen her students’ abilities to perform everyday activities in the classroom.

Jamie Burger (center, holding oversized check), a third-grade teacher at Kelso C-7 Elementary in the Kelso C-7 School District in Benton, poses with her students and fellow staff members after being surprised with a $6,000 grant through WGU Missouri's "Fund My Classroom" initiative.

Sarah Yamnitz, an agriculture teacher at Meadow Heights Middle School in Patton, who received a $50 grant to purchase materials for a hands-on activity, allowing students to simulate grazing situations with cattle or sheep by growing their own grass in jiffy pots and comparing any difficulties or benefits that may appear.

The innovative classroom projects were among 52 in Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding. The nonprofit university issued a call in March for K-12 teachers across the area to nominate proposed classroom projects for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. More than 400 nominations were received. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 3 – 7.

“We were happy to read about all the amazing projects our teachers have planned and are excited we can bring so many to life through our ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative,” said Dr. Angie Besendorfer, Chancellor of WGU Missouri. “This past year has been a challenging one for both teachers and students as they were forced to adapt to new styles of teaching and learning. This initiative is an opportunity for WGU to celebrate teachers and thank them for their dedication to educating and positively impacting their students, while enhancing learning for students – both in and out of the classroom.”

To learn more about the “Fund My Classroom” initiative and the work WGU Missouri is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit missouri.wgu.edu.

Sarah Yamnitz, an agriculture teacher at Meadow Heights Middle School in Patton, received a $50 grant from WGU Missouri for her classroom project.

Sara Baker (middle), a pre-k teacher at Jefferson Elementary in Cape Girardeau, and Amber Walker (left), assistant vice president at Jefferson Elementary, embrace after learning from WGU Strategic Partnerships Manager Jim Chandler (right) that Baker had been selected to receive a $100 grant to expand her classroom library.