Sandpoint Educator Wins National Grant

Mr. Richard Kallage, a teacher at Sandpoint Charter School in Sandpoint, has been awarded a grant by the Association of American Educators Foundation (AAEF) for a classroom project. The funding will supplement Mr. Kallage's student run project that highlights the modern-day abolitionist movement. According to Mr. Kallage, the funding will provide students with the opportunity to connect the history of American slavery with initiatives that stop modern day slavery.

"After studying slavery in U.S. History, students who then move on to U.S. Government will learn about our system of government and how to create positive outcomes through involvement in the modern-day abolition movement, including activism, fundraising, political lobbying (at the local, state, and federal levels, culminating in trips to Boise and DC)", said Mr. Kallage, a history and government teacher. "[The program] will also raise awareness to the issues of modern slavery."

AAEF is committed to offering individual educators various avenues for improving effectiveness in the classroom. "The AAEF applauds the dedication that Mr. Kallage has demonstrated," said AAEF Chairman Gary Beckner. "These scholarships and grants are an investment in empowering teachers as professionals across the country."

The Association of American Educators Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation that provides the public and public school teachers with educational information to help reform and improve the education of America's youth. The national scholarship and grant competition is held twice a year in the fall and spring and is not limited to AAE members. The deadline for the spring competition is March 1, 2011.

For more information about AAEF or the Association of American Educators, visit www.aaeteachers.org.