Governor Polis Celebrates Large Investment For Teachers

COMMERCE CITY - Today at Dupont Elementary in the Adams-14 School District, Governor Polis, in partnership with DonorsChoose, announced $2.7 million in funding from the Governor Emergency Education Relief (GEER) to help educators purchase new resources and supplies that will support student success in the classroom this school year. Teachers can receive up to $600 in supplies per classroom while supplies last.

"I'm thrilled to bring this new support for Colorado's hardworking educators. Important classroom supplies will help Colorado students get the education they deserve, strengthen Colorado's future and create more economic opportunities for all Coloradans. This partnership with DonorsChoose is good for Colorado students, and helps our teachers have the resources they need," said Governor Polis.

Eligible uses of project funding include upgrading or purchasing:

• Classroom supplies
• Technology learning tools
• Instructional materials
• Social or mental health resources for students

Last year, the Governor announced the first round of funding with DonorsChoose that helped support projects on everything from Literacy & Language, to STEM, and Life Skills for 7,368 teachers and 1,385 schools.

Last month, Governor Polis became chair of the National Governors Association and launched the Let's Get Ready: Preparing All Americans For Success initiative, which is focused on ensuring students and Americans of all ages have the tools they need to succeed and drive our economic competitiveness.

Examples of previously funded projects include:

• Mr. Bluhm, a teacher in Arvada, utilized funding to bring electricity to life for students at Arvada West High School. The new Van De Graff Generator is providing hands-on experiences for students in science.
• Mrs. di Stasio, a teacher in Pueblo West, received funding to purchase a new printer which helped provide newsletters, personalized reading pages, and more to boost students' potential in and out of the classroom.
• Mrs. Lavine, a teacher in Fort Collins, utilized funding to purchase new literacy resources to support student reading and comprehension, which included mini games and personalized tasks for each student.

In 2023, up to 60% of participating teachers had their first-ever projects funded through this partnership. Teachers should click here to learn more about this opportunity and for the easiest way to create a qualifying project or visit donorschoose.org and enter the code COLORADO during the project creation process. Teachers who previously received funding from Donors Choose are able to submit a new project request and access additional funding. Teachers can submit their project requests beginning today, August 6, 2024 until funds are fully allocated.

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