East Fund Receives First Round of Grant Applications

Photo by Allison Stockwell

The East Fund received its first round of grant applications out of four total rounds for the year. The East Fund’s goal is to provide creativity and innovation to benefit every student at Shawnee Mission East. Over the past four years the fund has provided an average of $56,000 in grants per year.

For the first cycle, four grants were approved, totaling about $18,000, according to Grant Chairman Christine Braasch and Treasurer Christine Patterson. The grants will go to the East biology, marketing, environmental education and social science departments.

To receive a grant, programs have to submit an application that tells the East Fund why their grant is necessary. A board consisting of seven parents and one administrator goes over each applications before sending the selected grants to Shawnee Mission Education Foundation for final approval.

“All applications are discussed and evaluated on the same criteria: applicability, replication, innovation, percent of student population, educational value impact assesment, future funding outreach, and technology enhancement,” Braasch said.

Since 2003 the East Fund  has provided $584,678 of grants to East programs according to Patterson. Of that 36% was for core curriculum, 33% for the entire school, 19% for performing arts and fine arts, and 12% for professional develeopment. One of the most recognizable grants by the East Fund was the screens that were put up in the main gym for assemblies and sporting events.

“Knowing that you have a group of parents that are dedicated and commited to this school, that is what I love,” principal John McKinney said.

The East Fund budget is 100 percent dependent on fundraising from the East community. The East Fund will be holding their annual auction on November 12 at Indian Hills Country Club. The auction is their primary source of funding.