Greensburg Salem Education Foundation provides $26,300 in ‘crisis funds’ for teachers
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Greensburg Salem School District teachers will have some extra help during the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to a “crisis grant” from the nonprofit Greensburg Salem Education Foundation.
The foundation is made up of community members, teachers and school officials. It issues grants to help fund programs, tools and materials for schools — things that are not covered by the district’s budget.
Typically the foundation gives out up to $24,000 a year, with grant periods in the spring and fall, according to foundation chair and 8th-grade teacher Barb Garofola.
This year is different. The district cut its budget due to a projected coronavirus-related revenue drop, while students and teachers prepared for returning to school under a hybrid model that mixes in-person classes with at-home education.
“We were talking with some administrators from Greensburg Salem and said to them, ‘I know it’s not grant period time yet, but we realize how drastically the budget has been cut. What can we do to help you?’” Garofola said.
Administrators and teachers considered the offer, and came back with a few suggestions. Elementary school English teachers needed more books, while math teachers needed calculators, dice and other learning tools.
The limited amount of these materials in classrooms didn’t used to be a problem, because students were able share with their classmates. That won’t work during the pandemic, Garofola said.
Students this year are spending much of their time learning from home, and must maintain social distancing as much as possible when in class.
“Our kids need to have all their own materials, they can’t share materials because of covid,” Garofola said.
The district’s science teachers also asked for Labster software, which provides virtual science labs that allow students to participate in class from their homes.
The foundation was able to cover all of these requests with grants totaling $26,300, Garafola said. Foundation board members unanimously approved the grants.
Teachers got an extra helping hand thanks to alumnus Zach Harr. A 2009 graduate of Greensburg Salem, he decided to reach out to his friends and fellow alumni to help raise money for supplies not covered by the crisis grant.
“I know the importance of even the smallest things, the pencils, the highlighters, the paper,” said Harr, who worked as a middle school teacher before becoming a recruiter with an education consulting firm.
Other Greensburg Salem grads were eager to help, Harr said.
“Money really started rolling in,” he said. “We’re kind of in crazy times here in 2020, but I’m not really surprised at how quickly people wanted to support.”
They raised more than $2,400, enough to buy every Greensburg Salem teacher a $10 Amazon gift card.
The crisis grants came from the foundation’s reserves. The foundation still has enough money for its usual $12,000 grant periods in the fall and spring, but future fundraising will be a challenge, according to Garofola.
The foundation had to cancel most of its 2020 fundraising events. Members will have to think of creative fundraisers to help make up the gap, Garofola said.
Harr, who joined the foundation last year, said he’s ready to get to work.
“That just means we’ll have to be really urgent and creative this year when raising funds,” he said.