USD 259 celebrates 150th anniversary with Education Edge gifts

Bringing impactful classroom projects to life, equipping fine art students with new instruments and boosting athletic activities with sports equipment. These are some of the initiatives that Wichita Public Schools is investing in to celebrate their milestone anniversary in public education. 

Since 1870, Wichita Public Schools has shaped our community’s future by helping students achieve academic success. As part of their 150th anniversary, the school district committed $450,000 of Education EDGE grants for the 2020-2021 school year. Education EDGE, a fund at the Wichita Community Foundation, allows donors to financially support the district’s academic learning opportunities in three key areas:

1. Classroom Mini-Grants - This school year, 100 grants of $1,500 will be awarded to support classroom programs or projects across the district. In February, the first round of grants were presented to ten teachers in a surprise celebration in their classrooms (watch a video below).
2. Fine Arts – Band and orchestra instruments, equipment for art classrooms and auditorium upgrades are among the many funded items. This school year, 50 instruments, 24 visual arts equipment items and 40 sound and lighting upgrade items were purchased for the district.
3. Athletics – Includes funding for students’ uniforms, sporting equipment and supplies for trainers. Athletics is currently working on larger scale projects and will soon announce how they plan to invest funds for this school year.

WF has been a committed partner in helping the school district achieve their mission since Education EDGE was established in 2003. With the Foundation’s assistance, the fund has allowed the district to invest more than $1.2 million in these three areas. 

“We’re glad to help celebrate the investment in tomorrow’s leaders through Education EDGE,” said WF President and CEO Shelly Prichard. “As WF handles the investment and administration of the fund, Wichita Public Schools can focus on its programs and academic mission for students.”