Students in Kalispell Public Schools will have some exciting opportunities thanks in part to grants from Kalispell Education Foundation.

The foundation recently presented five Great Opportunities Grants to teachers that will help fund projects ranging from computer programming to painting. Some of the projects received monetary support from businesses and community donors.

“The presentations are something we look forward to all year,” said Kalispell Education Foundation board president Anna Marie Bailey. “We really enjoy surprising applicants to tell them their project has been awarded by visiting their classrooms.”

Hedges Elementary students will be able to put their math and technology skills to practice outside the classroom with the formation of a geocaching club through an $1,827.92 Great Opportunities Grant. 

Students in the Hedges Geocaching Club use GPS technology to follow coordinates that will lead them to hidden objects.

At Glacier High School, a $2,000 grant will allow freshman biology students to access special equipment as they study taxonomy by sequencing native plant DNA from a school garden using a method called DNA barcoding.  

A Linderman Education Center art student will collaborate with Russell Elementary students to paint a mural in the elementary school’s music room with support from a $1,899.95 grant.

Roughly 600 Kalispell Middle School students are expected to program Ollie the Robot in a hands-on learning experience that requires science, technology and math skills. Ollie is a multipurpose robot that can be programmed using free applications. The school received a $1,297.95 grant for the project.

Kalispell Middle School was received a $1,789 Great Opportunities Grant to fund a Social Responsibility Class to address the needs of at-risk students. Through the class, students will participate in activities that will teach a variety of skills: social, emotional, conflict resolution, goal setting and personal insight. 

Students will be matched with staff mentors and have opportunities for field trips and classroom leadership.

Businesses or organizations that would like to support the Great Opportunities Grants program may contact the Kalispell Education Foundation by calling 751-3432 or visiting www.kalispelleducationfoundation.org.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.