Boardman Schools Foundation makes 11 teachers’ wish lists come true for 2025
.jpg "To help teachers guide students toward success, the Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence awarded 11 teachers $21,000 for supplies.")
To help teachers guide students toward success during lessons, the Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence gave 11 teachers grants for supplies for their classrooms.
Community members who are part of the BSFEE awarded these teachers with a total of $21,000 in grants this year.
Boardman High School communications coordinator Amy Radiovic said the teachers will buy tools for different phonics and reading lessons, as well as cameras, art supplies and 3-D printers.
The BSFEE has awarded more than $150,000 in grants and projects since its inception in 2009, according to Radiovic.
“Once again this year, BSFEE was fortunate to receive extra funds because of a $5,000 grant from the Aimee and Lulu Seidel Foundation, and continued support from the Boardman Education Association which donates $2,000 annually to this program,” Radiovic wrote.
Matt Gambrel is the president of the Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence.
He said the grants are only for projects that need outside funding that’s not included in the annual allotted budgets for each teacher.
“The teachers were so excited,” he said. “These projects are their dreams that they probably wouldn’t be able to attain without our funding. A lot of the times, teachers have to take money out of their own pockets to fund these kinds of things. Some of these projects are a couple thousands of dollars; that much money can be pretty tight on them, so they’re very delighted that we’re able to help out.”
At Boardman High School, teachers in the art department will get to purchase a mat cutter for upcoming student exhibits and new tablets for digital artists.
“It’s important for us because Boardman Schools have always been one of the better-ranked ones in the area. Everyone on the board has some connection; the majority of us are actually alumni, or people who have their kids at Boardman. Part of it is ensuring that the next generation of kids going through and the current students are getting that top tier education that we all got and got us where we’re at. It’s a lot of paying back and ensuring that tradition of excellence continues,” Gambrel said.
Boardman Glenwood Junior High seventh and eighth grade STEM and science teachers received grants to buy physics sensors which will be used for collecting measurements like acceleration and velocity.
The junior high’s technology and maker space will be getting a new 3-D printer, and students in the media club will get to use new cameras.
“We’ve had a few other 3-D printer requests in the past, and it’s great to see the schools are keeping up with the times. They’re trying to be as cutting edge as possible by teaching the kids actual applicable skills and practical things,” Gambrel said.
Boardman elementary school teachers will be using the money for hands-on science, math, phonemic awareness, language arts, phonics and reading skills centers that students can use independently while classroom teachers are meeting science of reading expectations in small groups.
On March 7, join Gambrel and the BSFEE at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center for the tenth annual reverse raffle benefiting the fund.
“We do a reverse raffle every year; that’s where the bulk of our funds come from,” he said. “We also get to celebrate the teachers. The teachers can attend and when they buy a ticket, they get one additional ticket for free. We try to do something that honors them and saves them some money.”
To purchase tickets or sponsorshop details, email bdmnschoolsfund@gmail.com.
