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Kelsi Bergen will use the $500 grant she received to create a care closet for students in need
BUTLER, Mo. (June 13, 2023) – Kelsi Bergen, a fifth-grade teacher at Ballard Elementary in Butler, has received a $500 grant through WGU Missouri's “Fund My Classroom” initiative. The funds will be used to create a care closet in the school, providing students in need with everyday items they may not have access to at home. Bergen learned she was selected for the grant on May 11 when she was surprised with a check presentation at her school.
Bergen plans to provide hygiene items, school supplies and food items for students who may not have access to them. The care closet will be available to all students in the school, and Bergen hopes to keep it running on community donations. This project will help ensure that students have the basic necessities they need to succeed in school and in life.
The innovative classroom project is one of 44 across Missouri chosen by WGU Missouri to receive funding. The nonprofit, fully online university issued a call in early March for K-12 teachers across the state to nominate proposed classroom projects by April 14 for the opportunity to receive full or partial funding through its “Fund My Classroom” initiative. Bergen's proposal is one of nearly 200 nominations received statewide. Most grants were awarded during Teacher Appreciation Week, which ran from May 8-12.
“This is the fifth consecutive year we have been able to offer grant funding to deserving teachers across the state through our ‘Fund My Classroom’ initiative, and we were so moved by all the nominations we received,” said Jessica Denham, Regional Director of WGU Missouri. “While we aren’t able to support all the projects that were nominated, we are excited to award funding to dozens of teachers who have come up with unique and innovative ways to improve their classrooms in order to promote learning and provide an enriching experience for their students.”
To learn more about the “Fund My Classroom” initiative and the work WGU Missouri is doing to help teachers advance their careers, visit missouri.wgu.edu. About WGU Missouri
WGU Missouri is a competency-based, online university created to expand access to higher education for Missouri residents. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing.
WGU Missouri faculty members serve as mentors, working one-on-one with students, offering guidance, support, and individualized instruction.
Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.
Established in 2013 through a partnership with nationally recognized Western Governors University, WGU Missouri is open to all qualified Missouri residents. The university is nonprofit and self-sustaining on flat-rate tuition of about $7,600 per year for most programs.
Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Nursing College programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE*), and the Health Informatics program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). More information is available at missouri.wgu.edu or by calling 855.948.8493.
