Stauffer Foundation offers grant to high school teachers

Photo by Eric Pierce

DOWNEY — In spite of COVID-19, the Mary R. Stauffer Foundation has kept with its tradition of inviting teachers and principals of the Downey Unified School District to apply for innovative grants.  

All principals are invited each year to submit for the Linda Kennedy Principal grant. The invitation to the teachers rotates annually between the elementary, middle and high school teachers and this year the high school teachers were invited. 

The main focus of the grant is to find innovative ideas that support the foundation’s mission to motivate students and teachers to reach their scholastic, athletic, and artistic potential.  

The foundation receives anywhere from 15-30 grant requests each year. Last year, one of the approved grants was for $7,600 and went to a middle school teacher requesting 3D printers to be used in his classroom fabrication lab.  Those printers were delivered before March 13 and were subsequently used to support the production of face shields for first responders.  

“During this time when COVID-19 has relentlessly challenged education, the foundation is proud to offer educators the opportunity to implement their innovative ideas for this 2020-2021 DUSD school year,” a foundation representative said. 

The deadline for submitting for a grant is Sept. 25 at 4 pm.