| December 2011-RC Public School Foundation |
| Tuesday, 06 December 2011 15:51 |
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The foundation says to date they have given more than $350,000 to teachers in the Rapid City School District. Rapid City Public School Foundation Executive Director Sharon Lee says, "Teachers need help, they need things that go beyond the regular school budget. So we try to fill in the gaps, finding ways to the teachers to enhance the curriculum and they don't want to take the money out of their pocket." The foundation has programs like the Teacher of the Year and Golden Apple. Lee says the backbone for the foundation for more than 16 years is their Prize Patrol which surprises teachers with unexpected money through grants. This year twenty grants were delivered to instructors in nine schools totaling more than $13,000, the largest amount the foundation has ever given. Sharon Lee says, "We exist for the Rapid City Public Schools. That's our function, to enhance the curriculum, to assist teachers in schools and meeting their goals." The foundation also has its Evening of Excellence Banquet that recognizes the top 5 percent of graduating public school seniors for academic excellence. Those students then honor a teacher who made a difference in their life in education. Sharon Lee says, "It's probably one of the most inspiring things that we do to recognize these teachers with the lives that they have made a difference in, in these students and of course recognizes the academic achievements of the students themselves." Because the foundation is based on the generosity of the Rapid City community fundraising is always a challenge. Sharon Lee says, "All of our dollars come from community members, we don't, we're not part of the school district's funds and we don't have any state or national money. So we have the generosity of the community to depend upon and luckily over the past 18 years the community has been very generous." Thanks to the Rapid City Public School Foundation Rapid City schools gain a better educational experience and that's why Black Hills FOX salutes the Rapid City Public School Foundation for being Committed to Kids. Tessa Thomas |
