Sand Springs Teacher Using Grants To Help Offset Budget Cuts

By now, most folks know about projected budget cuts for schools and the worry it’s causing.

But, teachers still have to teach; and one Sand Springs elementary teacher is using her grant-writing skills to help get the job done.

In Beth Russell’s classroom at Garfield Elementary, there was a 3D printer, among other stuff she’s successfully written grants for.

"Especially with budget cuts, we have to fund our projects from outside sources, and grants are a fantastic way to do that," Russell said.

She’s the STEAM teacher at Garfield - science, technology, engineering, art and math.

The project the fourth graders are working on now is to research and create a new product, come up with a detailed sketch of it.

Then, they have to pitch it and convince the teacher it's something she can't live without.

When they are finished, each group will get to create their prototype on the 3D printer.

The printer was a grant from the Sand Springs Education Foundation. In addition to that, she’s got some bikes that came from a grant from BMX; those were used for a lesson on speed and motion.

And a Creek Nation grant helped get some small robots; the kids are writing code to get them to move through a course.

"And they are using math and science, but they don't know it," Russell said.

This is her first year of teaching. She's one of this year's emergency certified teachers in Sand Springs.

Her degree is in Anthropology.