ARLINGTON – The Arlington Education Foundation this week gave almost $7,885 to fund classroom grants.

Twice a year the foundation seeks grant requests from teachers for classroom projects up to $500 or collaborative grants of up to $1,250 each.

This fall there were 24 applications asking for a total of $15,954 of which 12 were funded.

The grant program, in its fifth year, has resulted in donations to Arlington Public Schools of over $57,000.

Application forms are sent out to each teacher through the building principal. Included is the scoring rubric used by the foundation in awarding the grants. Grants ranged from $207 for a restorative justice micro ball at Weston High School to encourage group discussion to $1,250 each to Eagle Creek Elementary and Post Middle School, for garden and green house.

The garden at Eagle Creek will be used for science and social studies standards for each grade. It includes a partnership with the Post Food Club. The greenhouse and supplies will be used to meet standards addressed in common core math, next generation science and approved STEM frameworks.

Arlington High School performing arts will benefit from new microphones. The culinary arts program at the high school will use a grant to provide quarterly meals to a homeless shelter, and the new animal science course will use funds to foster kittens at the NOAH shelter.

With a focus on “Project Based Learning”, the world history and applied physics classes at Weston will receive funds to recreate brick arches complete with stained glass.

One class will be learning about the physics of arches and how to replicate the physics, and the other will be looking at the role of historical buildings particularly those destroyed in world wars.

Other projects funded include a preschool science center for Presidents Elementary, flexible seating for two Kent Prairie Elementary rooms, 7th grade novels for Post and for a diverse book collection for second-graders at Pioneer Elementary.

For details: www.arlingtonedfoundation.org.