Ravenna Community Educational Foundation (RCEF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 Teacher Grant awards. One facet of the RCEF mission is to distribute financial and other resources to enhance or supplement educational opportunities for Ravenna students and residents. Many factors are considered in reviewing grant applications, but the RCEF Board of Trustees look for grants that impact a large number of learners, are creative and innovative in nature and include items that can be used more than one school year.
For the fall of 2009, RCEF received 8 outstanding grant applications, making it difficult to choose 3 when the foundation preferred to fund all applications should it have been possible. After much deliberation, the Ravenna Community Educational Foundation made the decision to award grants to the following 3 teachers:

Mrs. Connie Ide. Beechnau Elementary. $259 for the purchase of 65 books to provide the Step Into Reading beginning reader series for the first grade students This series are high interest quality books for a variety of reading levels that can be taken home to read with family members.

Mr. Clark Kantola. Ravenna Middle School. $225 to purchase a large collection of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks. These rock samples will allow for hands-on learning experiences and will allow students reach grade level expectations in science. Mr. Dan Eisenhauer and Mr. Kantola will share the rock collection.

Ms. Bethany Daniels. Ravenna High School. $260 for metal poster frames that will display student pastel drawings and paintings. The frames will be used in the cafeteria area and will be updated with new art as students/classes come and go. This is also an excellent way to reward art students who have completed outstanding artwork.