Maries R-1 School District Agriculture teacher Sara Schwartze said won a $200 Harbor Freight grant she learned about from a Facebook group for Ag teachers.
She’s been writing grants for several years and has received some. She said most of them are for larger dollar amounts of money. This one for $200 worth of hand tools from Harbor Freight was an easy application.
She had to present some statistic numbers and write an essay detailing the need. Schwartze said the grants she’s applied for through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s enhancement grant program have been for big items. This is good but she knew her students could benefit, too, with a grant to pay for the little tools they use in classwork every day.
The tools included measuring tape, hammer, and a portable grinder. The tools will be used in the classes of wood shop, metal shop, Ag power, and Ag construction. She said the tools will be used by all the students in grades freshman through senior.
Schwartze will receive a gift card to purchase the Harbor Freight hand tools. As Schwartze already did the follow-up paperwork for the grant, all she needs to do now is “go shopping.”