The Kalispell Education Foundation has announced eight recipients who will receive more than $10,000 in grant funding.

The Great Opportunities Grants are awarded annually to encourage innovative and creative classroom projects that may not be possible within an educator’s budget.

There were several new community partners that helped fund or donate equipment for some of the projects. They include Walmart, Cabela’s Outpost, First Interstate Bank and McDonald’s.

A $2,000 grant for “Elrod Men-tors” will help bring a few good men to Elrod Elementary. Elrod teacher Barb Andersen will implement a national male-mentoring program called Watch D.O.G.S at the school.

About half of Elrod students live in single-parent households without a father. The goal is to provide students with positive male role models by engaging dads, uncles and grandfathers with students in the classroom.

Men enrolled in the program will provide social and academic support.

 Laura McCann of the Linderman Education Center received a $2,000 grant for students to build a sculpture incorporating donated sections of the Old Steel Bridge that previously crossed the Flathead River.

“Building Bridges Toward The Future — A Sculptural Montage,” will be a collaboration between the Linderman art department, Hockaday Museum of Art and local metal and glass artist Lee Proctor.

Students will be introduced to concepts related to metal heating, sculpting, glass blowing. Once completed, the sculpture will be installed in front of the center.

Linderman Education Center used to be made up of two programs — Bridge Academy and Laser Alternative High School — that merged in March.

The popular Flathead High School He-Man Book Club will get a boost from a $2,000 grant based on an application submitted by Aarica Phillips of Flathead High School.

The money will go toward purchasing Kindle Fire tablets.

The book club meets twice a month and is independently funded. Members are assigned reading buddies in kindergarten through second grade. Members read and organize activities around literacy.

Kalispell Middle School teacher Cheryl Russell has secured $1,377.73 in grant funding for “Project Wii: Students Rising to Independence!”

Wiis will increase educational opportunities for students with special needs. Teachers will be able to adapt games, learning and physical activities for students who lack of mobility or have cognitive issues. The Wii will allow students to invite friends to join in and create more inclusive activities.

Kalispell Middle School educator Paul Holmgren also receive grant funding and donations up to $1,000 for organizing a fly-tying club.

The project titled “Learning to Tie For Fun on the Fly,” will have participating students learning how to tie flies and identifying insects useful for fishing in Montana. Students will also learn why different flies attract different fish. Casting and placement lessons are also planned at Rose Crossing Pond.

Glacier High School Josh Munro was awarded $995 for his project, “Virtual Restaurant Simulation.” Marketing students will participate in a game-based scenario where they will put hospitality and service sector concepts into practice. The simulation will tie together nine lessons related to operating a restaurant including a variety of activities and case studies.

“The Kalispell Voices: An Auditory Collage,” is the title of Trisha Carlson’s grant for Linderman Education Center. The project received $670 to create oral history research projects. Students will design presentations and recordings based on their research. After the projects are completed, they will be donated to the Montana Historical Society and to the Flathead County Library.

A $312 grant for Helen Lyford’s Flathead High School special education students will keep veterans warm. Students will make fleece blankets and donate them Montana Veteran’s Home in Kalispell. The goal is to provide students with a real life application of skills in measuring, budgeting and comparison-shopping in addition to participating in a community service project.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].