The Coldwater Community Schools Foundation Fund, a fund within the Branch County Community Foundation, recently granted $1,500 to help teachers increase their impact in the classroom.

Teacher, Lori Hanson at Franklin High School was one of the recipients of an $850 grant to provide the Beyond Question Student Response System to the students at Franklin. This new technology is a hand-held remote for students to answer questions on a remote. Answers are anonymous to classmates but specific for the teacher to know who is answering what, and designed to increase student involvement, provide immediate feedback and assessment, provide data to enhance lesson plan design, assess learning immediately and improve objective mastery.

Anna Demlow, Legg Middle School teacher, was the other teacher who was awarded a grant for $650 for Sidney Finkel to come and speak to 230 students 8th graders and students of Franklin High School. Mr. Finkel will come and speak to the students in May about his experience during the Holocaust, which is part of the current middle school curriculum. The objective is not only to hear about the Holocaust first hand but also for students to see the ways of overcoming adversity.

Since the Coldwater Community Schools Foundation fun was established in 2004, they have provided over $11,000 in grants to area teachers to help fund educational opportunities that fall outside the district’s operating budget, the Coldwater Community Schools Foundation is funded through private donations. To make a donation to this important fund, please contact the Branch County Community Foundation by calling 517.278.4517 or visit their website at www.BRCOFoundation.org.

The Branch County Community Foundation is proud to help support the Coldwater Community Schools Foundation Fund. The Community Foundation is a non-profit organization and a nationally accredited and state-certified community grant-making foundation that serves communities in Branch County and Colon, Michigan by supporting charitable giving, building permanent endowments, and connecting community resources.

Pictured are (L-R) Colleen Knight, Executive Director of the Branch County Community Foundation; Co-Chairs of the Coldwater Community Schools Foundation Anne Marso and Lisa Dove; Lori Hanson, teacher at Franklin High School; Anna Demlow, teacher at Legg Middle School; and Coldwater Community Schools Superintendent, Dr. Tina Kerr.