The Queen Creek Schools Education Foundation (QCSEF) is dedicated to promoting excellence through leadership in education. They encourage responsible citizenship by supplementing financial growth and learning opportunities to engage and empower the Queen Creek Unified School District's (QCUSD) teachers and students to excel academically through grants and scholarships.
This year, QCSEF delivered over $11,000 worth of teacher grants to 16 QCUSD teachers.
Prior to the delivery, teachers apply for a grant based on what they need in their classroom. From there, the QCSEF committee determines which applications they can fulfill.
“We score each application using a rubric...how many students will benefit, does it align with our priorities, and other factors,” said QCSEF secretary Quincy Nelson. “We have a budget of $1,000 per site. Sometimes if there are a few people who apply from the same site, and it fits within that budget, multiple grants are given to one site…If nobody applies from one school, we have the flexibility to use it at another site.”
Rebekah Lowe, a music teacher from Jack Barnes Elementary, won a grant to help improve the music program for her students. With her grant, she was able to purchase a new mixer and microphones for her school’s sound system.
“The QCSEF has provided many wonderful instruments and sound equipment to our school,” said Lowe. “It has benefited not only our students but all the friends and families that attend our programs.”
Lowe went on to explain how previous grants from QCSEF have helped make a difference in her students’ education.
“I believe in the importance of children making their own music,” Lowe continued. “QCSEF grants have given us beautiful drums, xylophones and percussion instruments that enable each student to have their own instrument.”
QCSEF is set to have its next fundraiser in the spring, where they will raise money for student scholarships.
Learn more about QCSEF here and how you can become a member today.
