The Fairhope Educational Enrichment Foundation (FEEF) has announced the launch of its annual fall Classroom Grant Program. Since it started the program in 1998, FEEF has awarded more than $150,000 to the six Fairhope public schools for a wide variety of enrichment programs in the classroom. This year, FEEF plans to award $25,000 in grant monies.

Grant applications have been distributed to all Fairhope teachers. Applications as well as a list of all grants awarded since 1998 are available by logging on to www.feefonline.org. “We encourage students and teachers to work on the grant applications together,” said Polly Thumser, FEEF Classroom Grants chair. “We want parents to be informed about the process so that they can encourage their children to be involved and do their part to help their class.”

The deadline for teachers to submit their applications is October 17. Judging will take place in November and grants will be awarded in early December. The judging of the grants is blind; no judge knows the name of the teacher or student who submitted the application. “We ask community members – most of whom are parents or grandparents of students in our schools – to serve as judges, though they do not judge the school their child attends. We have 21 judges this year, six for J. Larry Newton and three each for the remaining Fairhope schools,” added Thumser.

“Through individual contributions and major events such as Page and Palette’s Dancin’ in the Streets, FEEF has been able to sustain and grow its Classroom Grants program annually,” said Thumser. “Dancin’ in the Streets will take place on Saturday, October 8. We hope that everyone will come out, have a great time, and know they are supporting our schools and community.”