Area schools receive MRTA $500 grants

The Nodaway County Retired School Employees (NCARSE) recently delivered four $500 grants to area schools to help employees for the 2024 school year.

There are two kinds of grants, classroom grants and PEER grants for support staff that is for secretaries, cooks, custodians, bus drivers, and nurses. The PEER grants are named the Maggie Elder Memorial Grants in honor of a secretary who recognized the need for all school personnel.

The NCARSE represents Region 1, and this year, 35 teachers applied for grants with six given out.  There were 15 PEER grants applied for and one given out.

“We are excited that we get to give out 4 $500 grants to area schools,” noted Linda Primm, NCARSE president.

Three of the $500 grants went to Nodaway-Holt. The teacher grants included Lauren Messer who is going to teach “Huckleberry Finn” to his sophomores and then take a Kansas City trip to tour the steamboat, Arabia. The second teacher grant went to Kenneth Hamilton.  His grant entitled, “Plastic Trash to Playground Toys,” allows students to recycle plastic, grind it down, heat, and create Lego-style blocks for the elementary playground. The PEER grant went to April Johnson for a new floor scrubber.

Carly Edwards, Mound City High School, also received a $500 grant. Edwards’ grant, “Digital Citizenship” focuses on teaching students to use technology responsibly, safely, and respectfully, and to take ownership of their digital lives.

Marlin Kinman, Region 1 MRTA Foundation and board member noted, “Retired teachers are all about giving back to the profession. These grants allow teachers and support personnel to apply for needed money to help them achieve their goals.”

All retired teachers and personnel are invited to join the Nodaway County chapter of MRTA.

“Retirement is a privilege, and we all should be giving back to our community and helping teachers and personnel who are still in the ranks. We want to invite all retired educators and staff members to attend. With our combined efforts, we can participate in community service and lobby to protect our retirement funds,” Trudy Kinman, past president, pointed out.