At the Monday, Oct. 20 Lake Central School Corporation meeting, leaders of the Lake Central Education Foundation presented 16 teacher grants totaling $10,023.91 and recognized the foundation’s major corporate and family donors.

The foundation’s representative said this grant round included 16 awards for $10,023.91, bringing the foundation’s lifetime count to 686 grants totaling $377,910, as reported by the foundation. The foundation also said this grant round will reach students across the district; the foundation’s representative cited a figure of 202,263 students in the foundation’s broader reach.

The foundation identified its champion sponsors at the $2,500 level as Lehi, Strack and Van Till, and Purdue University Northwest. Hero-level sponsors at $1,000 included People’s Bank and Powers Health; other supporters named were Pinto and Crane Orthodontics, Indiana University Northwest School of Education, Smoothie King of Saint John and the Czarneck family. Foundation volunteers and board members who helped run the grant program were also acknowledged.

The grants announced included classroom and program requests across grade levels and subjects. Examples announced at the meeting (award amounts as presented) included:
- “Integrating Cryptography Puzzles with the Bletchley Riddle” (Kaler) — $735
- “Assistive Technology and Flexible Seating” (middle schools) — $424.152 (as stated in the presentation)
- “The Power of Play in Early Childhood” — $697
- “STEM Stations” (Bibich) — $499
- “Sensational Sensory Room” — $634
- “Counting to Critical Thinking” (Watson kindergarten team) — $794
- “Steel Pan Drums” (Koehling) — $800
- “Closing the Gap” — $800
- “Building Blocks of Numbers” (Piper) — $436.70
- “Passive Programs Create Active Readers” — $308.90
- “We Are Versatile” (Watson) — $800
- “UV Sensors Lab” (Lake Central High School) — $792
- “Big Top Reading” (Watson) — $800

“We just want to thank you to all of those sponsors and supporters for everyone who has donated to the Lake Central Education Foundation this year for helping us take education to new heights,” the foundation presenter said.

Board members and foundation volunteers then gathered grant recipients for a group photo in the meeting room following the presentations. The board did not take formal action on the foundation’s grants during the meeting; the session was a presentation and recognition of awards.

The foundation representative noted that Melody (last name not provided) helped vet grants for the evening’s presentation and was thanked by name for organizing the process.