With school right around the corner, the Missouri Retired Teachers Association (MRTF) presented a grant on Monday to a Fulton Public Schools paraprofessional.
Kathy Miller, paraprofessional at Bartley Elementary, is the most recent recipient of the $500 Maggie Elder Grant from MRTF. It is named in the memory of Maggie Elder, who was a school secretary in Saint Joseph.
The grant was presented by Mary Ridge and Mary Osburn.
Miller said she will use the grant funds to buy games for her students to play during break times. Her application for the grant also states the games will "form positive peer interaction, improve their fine motor skills, and form more positive relationships with their paraprofessionals."
MRTF is a 501(c)3 charitable group that aims to fulfill the charitable and educational purposes of the Missouri Retired Teachers Association and School Personnel (MRTA).
MRTA is "an association of retired educators whose purpose is to promote the professional, social, and economic welfare of all retired school employees," according to the group's website.
MRTA was established in 2001, and began the Classroom Grant program in 2003. Since that time, the foundation has awarded 56 scholarships, 1,038 Classroom Grants and 69 Maggie Elder/PEERS grants for a total value of $611,000.
In 2023, the foundation set out to award 127 $500 Classroom Grants and 28 $500 Maggie Elder/PEERS Grants. This totals $77,500 given to teachers across Missouri.
Applications for the 2024 MRTF grants will be available in Jan. They are due by June 30. To learn more about the application process, visit MRTF's website.