Schools

GP Education Foundation Surpasses Challenge Goal

A little more than a year after being challenged to raise $250,000 for technology in the classrooms, the Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education has surpassed its goal.

The Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education surpassed its goal by $80,000 in a fund raising challenge intended to improve technology in the classrooms, according to an announcement this week. 

The Foundation raised $330,000 in donations in a little more than a years time. Of that, $250,000 is being matched at a $2 to $1 ratio by the John A. and Marlene L. Boll Foundation, making the total $830,000 for the campaign. 

A variety of technology has already been installed in classrooms throughout the district as a result of the campaign. Many, if not all, classrooms are now equipped with a SMART board, which is a touch screen computer teachers use during lesson plans. Teachers and Superintendent C. Suzanne Klein have said the boards enable the students to learn outside of the four walls of the classroom and expand the learning horizons. 

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Other technology within the district are student response clickers which allow all students to answer random questions posed by teachers and provides the teacher with immediate feedback about who got it right and who didn't. 

Technology staff spent much of the holiday break installing more technology throughout the district. 

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The campaign began as a challenge by the Boll Foundation, a family foundation that donates to worthy causes, to the Foundation for Public Education. The Boll Foundation offered to match every dollar raised by the Foundation for Public Education with $2 up to $250,000. 

About $60,000 of the total funds raised came from in hopes of inspiring people to donate and to help encourage the students to use their technology by following his climb. 

Additionally, significant contributions by the Cotton family and the Edward T. and Ellen K. Dryer Charitable Foundation helped the Foundation for Public Education surpass its goal. 


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