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Laura Griess Fund-A-Need Feature

Laura Griess, a teacher at McPhee Elementary, is somewhat of a prolific submitter of Fund-A-Need proposals. She’s responsible for submitting Fund-A-Needs for her entire team, and therefore has more than a few successful campaigns under her belt! We caught up with Laura to ask her a few questions about her experience with Fund-A-Need, and how it impacted the McPhee Community.

As many teachers know, some of the simplest projects can get kids riled up! Laura’s submissions reflect this—a lot of the things the things they fund are little projects, like the time she had her class make butter by shaking jars full of cream! Although they’re often small in scale, these activities mean a lot to the kids who benefit.

Some of Laura’s larger projects include a Dairy Land trip, which ties in to their 1st grade curriculum, and the Plum Creek Literacy Festival, which celebrates the English language. One of Laura’s favorites was the World Celebration activity, where students spent an entire day experiencing countries and cultures from all 7 continents!

When asked about how she feels Fund-A-Needs have impacted her school, Laura said, “I wish that we could know who funds these things. You just want to thank them in person sometimes. We make anonymous thank you notes, but I want to be able to show them what their generosity means to the kids.”

Fund-A-Need makes a big difference in her classroom. The kids absolutely love the things Laura and her team dream up, and it gives them shared experiences that they can use for school projects, like personal narratives.

About Fund-A-Need specifically, Laura said, “Many kids are coming to school hungry and tired, with so many things to be angry about. They need to be able to come to a place where they can just be kids, and not worry about the outside world, or whether they’re going to get dinner tonight. These experiences allow kids to be free, and with my kids specifically, they might not have the opportunity to have these experiences otherwise…it’s hard because we have so many great, loving families, who might not have the resources to give their kids things that children might have elsewhere.”

The Numbers

  • Schools Served

    74

  • Focus & Specialty Programs Served

    15

  • Students Empowered

    41,635

  • Teachers & Staff Supported

    6,625

  • Funds Received This Year

    $4.30M

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